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Joe Launchbury turns down Racing 92 to join Harlequins
England lock will join Premiership club next season after a stint in Japan with Toyota Verblitz for upcoming Japan Rugby League One season
By
Ben Coles,
RUGBY REPORTER
18 November 2022 • 5:30pm
Joe Launchbury turns down Racing 92 to join Harlequins
England lock Joe Launchbury has signed for Harlequins and will link up with the Gallagher Premiership side next season, Telegraph Sport understands, having been without a club since Wasps went into administration.
Launchbury, 31, made 177 appearances during an 11-year spell with Wasps while also captaining the club.
He will now take up a contract in Japan with Toyota Verblitz for the upcoming Japan Rugby League One season, which begins in December, before returning to England to join Harlequins ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
Recruiting Launchbury will be a major boost for Harlequins in the second row with Hugh Tizard having left for Saracens and Matt Symons retiring, with the club previously signing Irne Herbst and Charlie Matthews for this season.
Telegraph Sport understands that Launchbury opted to remain in England long-term after considering an approach to join Top 14 side Racing 92 for the 2023-24 season. That potential move would have reunited Launchbury with the coach who gave the second-row his Test debut in Stuart Lancaster, who is set to join Racing from Leinster this summer.
More immediately Launchbury will become the first England international to join Toyota Verblitz in their 71-year history, joining a squad which includes Springbok internationals Pieter-Steph du Toit and Willie le Roux. The side finished last season narrowly outside of the playoffs in fifth place.
Launchbury said of his move to join Toyota Verblitz: "Since going to Japan for the World Cup in 2019 I have always wanted to come back. So, to have the chance to sign for a great club like Toyota is something I am very excited about.
"My family and I are looking forward to experiencing Japan again and I am personally looking forward to testing myself in the league and helping Toyota Verblitz have a good year."
The club's general manager, Akitomo Goto, said: "The whole team is really looking forward to welcoming Joe Launchbury and his family."
Always a Wasp