have announced that Samoa's Peter Poulos and Australia's Scott Staniforth will be joining the club next season.
English Premiership side London Irish have announced that Samoa's Peter Poulos and Australia's Scott Staniforth will be joining the club next season.
Poulos, (26) a back-row forward, joins after a season in Japan. His four caps include an appearance against eventual champions England during October's World Cup where the Pacific Islanders were on the brink of an upset win before losing 35-22.
Staniforth, 26, who can play at either wing or centre, arrives from Super 12 outfit the New South Wales Waratahs, for whom he played 71 times and with three Australia caps to his name.
Commenting on his move to the Exiles, Staniforth said: "I am excited about playing in England with London Irish. The club has some outstanding individual players that I am looking forward to working with and helping it compete for a top three place in next season's Zurich (English) Premiership."
London Irish managing director Conor O'Shea said: "We are delighted to have signed another two international players of the calibre of Peter and Scott.
"Over the past fortnight we have announced the signing of seven players, all of whom have won representative honours.
"They represent a serious and necessary improvement in the quality of our squad for next season," the former Ireland full-back added.
"The signings of Peter and Scott are not short term signings. Both players are young enough to integrate into our current squad and as they mature, become a formidable force. The new players will also benefit the young Academy players coming through our system by exposing them to different rugby backgrounds, ideals and cultures."
London Irish finished the regular season last weekend eighth in the 12-team Premiership.
Meanwhile Wales centre Iestyn Harris has ruled himself out of the June tour of Argentina and South Africa.
The former Great Britain rugby league international has a knee injury and needs at least six weeks to get over it.
That means he won't be ready in time for the two Test series in Argentina on June 12th and 19th and the one-off match against the Springboks in Pretoria on June 26th.
"I am pretty devastated to be ruled out. I had earmarked the tour to really make a claim," Harris told BBC Wales yesterday (Tuesday).
"I've got severe bruising in the shin and quad bones, and I've also got a tear in the posterior cruciate ligament.
"It has been an extremely long year, with the World Cup. We've been playing international rugby since July last year.
"There is only so much a body can take at that level, and over the next two or three weeks, you will see plenty of players dropping out of tours - not just for Wales, but for every country that's going on a tour," Harris added.
Harris's absence adds to the list of problems facing new Wales coach Mike Ruddock, with shoulder injuries set to sideline Llanelli forwards Dafydd Jones and Robin McBryde while half-backs Stephen Jones, Gareth Cooper and Ryan Powell have all to prove their fitness.
Ruddock has been due to reveal his tour squad on Thursday but the announcement has now been delayed until early next week following the final round of Celtic League matches.
England World Cup-winning prop Trevor Woodman has joined Sale from Premiership rivals Gloucester on a three-year deal.
The move sees Woodman, 27, capped 20 times by England, liking up with former Gloucester turned Sale director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre.
Saint Andre, a former France wing, said: "Trevor is a class player who will fit in perfectly with my plans at Sale Sharks.
"With Andrew Sheridan who is on the fringe of the England team we will have two great open side prop forwards to work with. Trevor's signing also gives us extra strength in depth in the front five."
Sale chief executive Niels de Vos added: "When we were first alerted to Trevor's possible availability we resolved to do everything we could to secure his services. World Class Prop Forwards of his ability and age come up all to rarely.
"Fortunately for us when Kevin Yates decided to leave us for Saracens, the wage budget became available to agree a deal with Trevor, helped by his desire to link up again with former coach Philippe Saint-Andre."
Also joining Sale is John Payne, a 24-year-old Tonga international centre who arrives on a one-year deal with an option of an extension.
Saint-Andre said of Payne, capped 10 times by Tonga: "John is a highly competitive centre who was vice-captain of his country in last autumn's Rugby World Cup. He is young and was very keen to join Sale Sharks."
Sale, beaten finalists against Newcastle in this season's English Cup final, finished seventh in the 12-strong Premiership.
AFP -2004.