Ireland centre makes Premiership switch while Scarlets snap up former Waratahs forward

Ireland centre Will Addison has signed a deal to return to former club Sale Sharks at the end of the season, as an injury-hit spell with Ulster comes to an end.

The 31-year-old moved to the province in 2018 at the same time another Irish-qualified Sale star, Mike Haley, joined Munster, as excitement surrounded the pair.

Addison would promptly go on to represent Ireland in the end-of-year internationals, making his debut off the bench against Italy in a 54-7 victory in Chicago.

Big Sale Sharks supporter

However, injuries blighted his time at Ulster and ultimately impacted his progress with Ireland and he is now poised to return to Sale Sharks on a one-year deal.

Addison made 16 appearances this season for Ulster and admits he is looking forward to pulling on the Sale jersey once his time in Northern Ireland has ended.

“It was really tough to leave Sale but I did it for the right reasons and I have loved my time in Ulster. I played international rugby for Ireland and that was a huge dream of mine,” he said.

“But I’ve remained a big Sale supporter and I’ve loved watching the club going from strength to strength in the last couple of years. Before I left, Simon Orange told me the club was going places and he was right.

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“To see the crowds in the stadium grow and how much emphasis the club have put on building a connection with the north has been fantastic.

“My best friends are still at Sale – Tommy Taylor was my best man and Josh Beaumont was an usher, and I came through the academy with guys like Ross Harrison, Si McIntyre and Sam James. I’ve also got a young baby and now is the right time for us as a family to move back.

“But I wouldn’t move if I didn’t feel like we had a chance of winning something. There are so many brilliant young players here and I can’t wait to play with them and try and help them develop as much as I can.”

Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson has laid down the challenge to Addison ahead of his return, with the versatile back having lots of admirers the club.

“Will has a big reputation to live up to because reports on his ability and the kind of bloke he was when he was here before reached me before I watched him and spoke to him,” he said.

“Most of the staff here have already worked with him, and they tell me he’s one of the most gifted players they’ve worked with and one of the best people they’ve worked with. That’s reason enough to open the doors again and bring him back into the fold.

“On top of that, he’s now proving himself to be robust fitness-wise, and he’s playing some fantastic rugby, so him wanting to come home is brilliant. He’s close friends with guys like Tommy Taylor, Josh Beaumont and Ross Harrison so we know he’ll fit in perfectly.

“But it’s not just a fairytale. He wants to come here because of what we’re building and what he thinks he can add. It’s great for us to get him and we’re excited to see him play in any of the positions he can play.”

Scarlets sign Max Douglas

Elsewhere, Scarlets have announced the signing of highly-rated Australian second-row Max Douglas, who will join them from the Yokohama Canon Eagles in Japan.

Before his move to Japan Rugby League One, Douglas, who can also play in the back-row, featured for the Waratahs in Super Rugby and the Manly club in Sydney.

“I’m really excited to be joining the Scarlets. This is a club with a strong history and I’m excited at the challenge of trying to contribute to that,” he said.

“I’m looking to bring over some of the experiences and learnings I’ve gained from my time in Australia and Japan to hopefully add to what is a really strong playing group.

“I can’t wait to meet all the players and staff and get into our work.”

Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel added: “Max is a young, athletic second-row who has experience in Super Rugby and more recently in Japan’s top division.

“He is comfortable with the ball hand, which suits how we are looking to play and is excited about coming on board and being part of the Scarlets journey over the coming years.

“Max is another strong addition to our forward pack following the signings of Marnus van der Merwe and Alec Hepburn and we are looking forward to welcoming him here to Parc y Scarlets this summer.”

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