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Scarlets announce three signings, including a recruit from New Zealand

By Online Editors

20 Jun 2019

Scarlets have announced three signings, including Blues fringe player Danny Drake (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

Scarlets have further strengthened their squad for the 2019/20 campaign with the signings of second row Danny Drake, scrum-half Dane Blacker and prop Alex Jeffries.

Drake joins from New Zealand provincial side North Harbour. The 24-year-old lock has been a member of the development and wider squad at Super Rugby side the Blues. He is also the current captain of Northcote, who are the reigning North Harbour Club Championship winners.

He said: “I’m really excited to touch down on Welsh soil, fizzing to get stuck into the Scarlets culture and give it my all for the club and its supporters”.

Scrum-half Blacker arrives from Cardiff Blues. A product of the successful Coleg y Cymoedd, he came through the academy system at the Arms Park and was capped at Wales under-18s and under-20s level.

The 20-year-old has played senior rugby for Pontypridd, made his Champions Cup debut as a replacement against Saracens last season and has featured for Wales sevens on the World Series circuit. He has played Guinness PRO14 rugby for the Blues and during a brief loan spell with the Dragons.

?? NEWS | Scarlets strengthen squad with three new players.
Welcome Danny Drake, Dane Blacker & Alex Jeffries #inthepack
?? NEWYDDION | Scarlets yn cryfhau’r garfan gyda tri cytundeb newydd #ynypac
Full story ? https://t.co/7nz7Q76Ey7 pic.twitter.com/xqh18kVGtV
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) June 20, 2019

Blacker will form part of an impressive pool of scrum-halves at Parc y Scarlets, battling it out with Gareth Davies, Kieran Hardy and Jonathan Evans for the No9 jersey following the weekend departure of Sam Hidalgo-Clyne. He said: “I’m delighted to sign my first professional contract with the Scarlets. It’s an honour to be a part of an exciting club and I am looking forward to the coming season.”

Tighthead prop Jeffries makes the short move from the Ospreys. The 24-year-old made his debut for Newport as a teenager and after impressing for the Black and Ambers in the Welsh Premiership joined the Ospreys in 2016. He is another player who has been capped at Wales under-18s and under-20s level.

He made 18 appearances during his three seasons with the Ospreys, scoring two tries. He said: “I am really looking forward to the next chapter in my rugby career at the Scarlets.

? "I'm really excited to touch down on Welsh soil, fizzing to get stuck into the Scarlets culture and give it my all for the club and supporters." – Danny Drake #inthepack pic.twitter.com/h4rKIgflPa
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) June 20, 2019

“I’m excited to work alongside a talented group players and coaches and the opportunity to make my own mark at the club. I am also looking forward to developing my game and with the right opportunities showing what I am capable of.”

The signing of the trio comes on the back of a glut of re-signings by the Scarlets. Full-back Johnny McNicholl and Wales stars Jonathan Davies, Rob Evans and Ken Owens have penned new deals, along with Werner Kruger, Dan Davis, Dan Jones, Paul Asquith, Tom Prydie, Steffan Hughes and rising talents Ioan Nicholas, Tom Phillips, Daf Hughes, Javan Sebastian, Rhys Fawcett, Shaun Evans and Steff Thomas. Scarlets have also signed second row Sam Lousi from Super Rugby side the Hurricanes.

Scarlets general manager of rugby Jon Daniels said: “Danny, Dane and Alex are talented young players who will be excellent additions to our squad.

? “I am really looking forward to the next chapter in my rugby career. I’m excited to work alongside a talented group of players and coaches and the opportunity to make my own mark at the club." – Alex Jeffries #inthepack pic.twitter.com/oKiaIg64Kk
— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) June 20, 2019

“We have worked hard to ensure we have put together a group of players capable of competing for silverware and re-signing players of the calibre of Johnny McNicholl, Jon Davies, Ken Owens, Rob Evans and others have been crucial to that.

“We are happy with the strength of the squad we have put together, but are always open to adding further players if they are the quality and right fit that we are looking for to move the Scarlets forwards. We are looking forward to welcoming the boys back for pre-season next week.”

WATCH: Behind the scenes footage from RugbyPass of the Scarlets when they contested the 2018 Guinness PRO14 final in Dublin against Leinster

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Comments on RugbyPass

GrahamVF 23 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

500k registered players in SA are scoolgoers and 90% of them don't go on to senior club rugby. SA is fed by having hundreds upon hundreds of schools that play rugby - school rugby is an institution of note in SA - but as I say for the vast majority when they leave school that's it.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 30 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

There is a continued murmur in local circles about reciprocal bi annual tours between SA and Argentine. Whether it's full blooded test tours or development tours or a mixture - ie touring with a "test" 20 and a development 20 the cream of which will be used in tests. We actually really enjoy playing the Argies and I believe they enjoy playing us. It goes back seventy years to the Junior Bok tours to Argentine involving Isaac van Heerden.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 37 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

About 500K of those are schoolboys 90% of which will not go on to play club rugby.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 38 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Exactly. Shoo would that it was so easy to develop competitions.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 42 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

SA wealthy? Compared to which countries. The economy is in tatters unemployment is at record low numbers and you think SA has money to spend on rugby development -0 and remember the SARU was technically bankrupt and was only saved by the COVID tour of the B&I Lions. No Sa doesn't have spare cash lying round for rugby development and given the resources SARU is doing just fine.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 46 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

South African domestic rugby is in great shape. Four top tier franchises fed by a series of competitions ranging from national schools competitions through Varsity Cup to Currie Cup and then to top four franchises is a model Australia would do well to follow. SA should never have more than four top domestic teams.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 50 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That might be the best spin off from SA's involvement north of the line.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 51 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Of course not Nick 😉

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 55 minutes ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

We have our own theories about The Sharks. Plumtree is a good coach but he has not done anywhere near the best he could with the talent and money he has at his disposal and it doesn't help to have a marquee director of rugby who has spent by far the majority of his career playing and coaching sevens.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Don't worry - you'll win again soon then you'll feel a lot better. Right now get on with your SH comps and we'll get on with being barely the best in the world.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

JW you really have no idea of how Africa works. It will take generations not decades no matter how much SA puts into it. The poverty in Africa is something that is obviously beyond your understanding. Do you think the governments of impoverished nations are going to watch happily as rugby pours massive investments into infrastructure to promote what is essentially a white western game? And SA was trying hard to develop the game in Africa until the African vote blocked our "23 bid after the independent consultants to the RFU voted unanimously for SA? The Confederation of African Rugby virtually excluded South Africa.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Nick, our association with Argentina Rugby runs very long and deep. We are exploring reciprocal two/three test tours in the future - and even more games at neutral venues such as in Europe where a lot of both teams have players anyway.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.

"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"

After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Which country do you think was instrumental in developing rugby in Argentina which then spun off into the rest of Latin South America? South Africa was touring Argentine in the 50's with their Junior Bok side on three months development tours. And they didn't do it to cultivare players for the Boks. Regarding Africa you are not taking into account that South Africa itself is an emerging nation. The rugby union has prioritised the development of rugby in South African rural communities with outstanding success.

It has taken 15 years to build the participation of rugby both in playing and watching. For South Africa on its own to build a viable international rugby competition in africa will take generations - not decades. New Zealanders seem to resent the fact that SA has doubled the income of the URC since their inclusion. If New Zealand Rugby hadn't insisted on have a disproportionate slice of the pie in Super Rugby, SA might not have fled the coop.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 1 hour ago

Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.

158 Go to comments

GrahamVF 2 hours ago

How Wallace Sititi humbly reacted to All Blacks Player of the Year honour