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The 12 players departing Harlequins at end of the season
By Ian Cameron
As the Gallagher Premiership season draws to a close, Harlequins bid farewell to twelve of their players.
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Included in the list are five international players, as well as a handful of veterans who have chaulked hundreds of caps for the Londoners. Next season the team will be bolstered by the likes of Joe Launchbury, Jarrod Evans, Dillon Lewis and Will Porter.
Here’s a rundown of each departing player and where they’re headed next:
Wilco Louw – South Africa Bulls
Argubaly the biggest loss to the side, Springbok prop Wilco Louw will be returning to his home country of South Africa to play for Jake White’s Bulls. The 28-year-old joined Harlequins in 2020 and made 66 appearances for the West London club.
Joe Marchant – Stade Français
Another major loss, England centre Joe Marchant will be heading to France to play for Stade Français. The 26-year-old made his debut for Harlequins in 2015 and has since made over 140 appearances for the team.
Tommaso Allan – Perpignan
Italian fly-half Tommaso Allan will be joining Perpignan in France. The 29-year-old joined Harlequins in 2020 and made 31 appearances for the team.
Josh Bassett – Leicester Tigers
Former Wasps winger Josh Bassett will be joining Leicester Tigers. An experienced operator with a nose for the try-line, 31-year-old made his debut for Harlequins earlier this season and has since made 15 appearances for the team.
Aaron Morris – retiring
English fullback Aaron Morris will be retiring from professional rugby. The 27-year-old joined Harlequins in 2013 and has since made 69 appearances for the team.
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Scott Steele – Edinburgh
Scottish scrum-half Scott Steele will be joining Edinburgh. The 29-year-old joined Harlequins in 2020 and made 31 appearances for the team.
Rhys Litterick – released
English prop Rhys Litterick will be leaving Harlequins. The 24-year-old made his debut for the team in 2022 and made 6 appearances.
Conor Oresanya – released
English prop Conor Oresanya will also be leaving Harlequins. The 20-year-old made his debut for the team in 2021 and made 11 appearances.
Jack Stafford – released
Irish scrum-half Jack Stafford will be leaving Harlequins. The 25-year-old joined the team in 2020 and made 9 appearances.
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Viliami Taulani – released
Tongan number eight Viliami Taulani will be leaving Harlequins. The 26-year-old joined the team in 2021 and made 16 appearances.
Ross Chisholm – retiring
A true Quins stalwart, Ross Chisholm will be retiring from professional rugby at the end of the season. The 32-year-old made his debut for Harlequins in 2011 and has since made over 128 appearances for the team.
Charlie Matthews – released
Having spent two stints at the club, towering 6’8 lock Charlie Matthews will also be leaving Harlequins. The 31-year-old made his debut for the team in 2010 and has since made over 150 appearances for the team.
Considering the upheaval in some squads, this is a manageable turnover for Quins. Losing Louw and Marchant is a blow, but there are candidates to replace them in Lewis and Northmore/Beard. Jarrod Evans could well be a better fit for Quins than Allan, and Will Porter looks like the backup to Care that the club has been lacking, whereas Steele and Stafford have struggled to fill that role.
I'm sure the club would have been happy to keep Bassett but his long term deal was inked a while ago.
The remaining leavers are squad players who've had limited appearances and impact in recent seasons, and Tabai Matson has said that he's notified 8 academy players that they need to be ready to step up for next season.