Former England caps Brad Shields and Dan Robson will play for the Barbarians against Northampton Saints next month after they were made unemployed by the demise of Wasps.
Shields and Robson were two of the 167 Wasps employees who immediately lost their jobs on Monday when the Coventry-based side officially entered administration. On Thursday, Josh Bassett became the first former Wasps player to move on when he signed for Harlequins until the end of the season.
But many of his former colleagues are still kicking their heels and looking for new clubs with Shields and Robson among them. The pair have been offered a short-term lifeline by the Barbarians.
Dan Robson was one of the Wasps players who was made redundant after their administration
Brad Shields, along with Robson, has been offered short-term solution by the Barbarians
They will be part of the historic side which faces Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens on November 26. Saints organised the fixture in response to their scheduled game with Worcester that weekend being cancelled after the Warriors, like Wasps, went out of business.
Ex-Northampton and England stars Tom Wood and Luther Burrell are also being lined up to feature for the Barbarians alongside back-row Shields and scrum-half Robson.
A source close to the Barbarians said: ‘Like everyone in the rugby world, we have been left both shocked and saddened by what has happened at Worcester and Wasps.
‘Some of the players who have lost their jobs at the two clubs have already found new employment, but there are many who haven’t and remain out of work.
‘As part of the rugby family, we want to do what we can to help these players by offering them the opportunity to not only stay fit by playing, but also provide the chance to represent our historic side.’
Wasps’ financial issues have meant there are still a lot of players who remain out of work
Josh Bassett became one of the first players to join a new club when he signed for Harlequins
Bath and Harlequins followed Northampton’s lead in arranging games with the Barbarians as all of the 11 remaining Gallagher Premiership clubs look to offset the financial losses of having their scheduled home games with Worcester and Wasps wiped from their fixture list.
Northampton estimate losing matches with both those sides from the calendar will cost them in the region of £700,000.
Tickets for Saints’ game with the Barbarians – which takes place on the same day as England’s autumn tie with South Africa at Twickenham – are selling well.
The club ceased trading after being suspended from the Premiership upon the announcement
Harlequins prop Joe Marler will feature for the Barbarians against an All Blacks XV on November 13 before facing them with his club on November 17.
Marler was left out of England’s autumn squad on Monday.
Sale are exploring a deal for former Wasps centre Burger Odendaal as the Gallagher Premiership highflyers battle autumn call-ups and midfield injuries.
Like all of his ex-team-mates, Odendaal is on the lookout for a new contract and Sale, who have won all five of their league games this season, could provide an immediate home.
Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson currently has centres Luke James and Connor Doherty on the sidelines with long-term injuries and will lose his first-choice No 12 Manu Tuilagi to England duty for the November Tests. It means Sam Hill is currently Sale’s only fit and available inside centre.
Burger Odendaal could end up at Sale Sharks as he continues his lookout for a new contract
Sanderson has little room to play with in terms of his squad spend as he must operate within the Premiership’s salary cap limit of £5million-a-team.
But English rugby rules do allow a team to make emergency signings if injuries and international selection leaves them light of options in certain areas.
Such a rule allowed wing Bassett to join Harlequins.
Odendaal is a fearsome carrier and would suit Sale’s game plan to a tee. He would also add to the ranks of South African players at the club although he also has interest from Japan.
Toshiba Brave Lupus are the side from the Far East understood to be looking at Odendaal who has also played for the Lions and Bulls in his homeland.
‘There are a lot of players on the market and recruitment and retention are never-ending,’ said Sanderson, who revealed he has held talks with Sale owner Simon Orange.
Sharks’ director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, is exploring a number of options in the market
‘I speak to Simon regularly. He stressed the point that if there was room in the cap and we needed players for injury dispensation, then we should spend money.’
England trio Jack Willis, Joe Launchbury and Alfie Barbeary are big-name former Wasps players now on the market. Willis is a member of Eddie Jones’ England autumn squad.
Prop Biyo Alo is set to join French Side Racing 92. Another prop in South African World Cup winner Vincent Koch was understood to be keen on a move to Vodacom Bulls in his homeland although Sportsmail is aware that deal is now unlikely. Wilco Louw of Harlequins is a Bulls target.
Stade Francais have been linked with Koch, who only left Saracens in the summer, but his wages and desire to travel to and from the United Kingdom could be a problem.
South African Vincent Koch was understood to be keen on a move to Vodacom Bulls
Nizaam Carr and Francois Hougaard are keen on moves to France and Japan respectively while Charlie Atkinson is on Leicester’s radar as what was already a crowded player market hots up.
Sale have also received good news on in-form hooker Akker van der Merwe after he was taken from the field in the win over London Irish last Friday.
Sanderson feared Van der Merwe’s season was over but he will be out for just four or five weeks with an ankle problem.
Bristol flanker Dan Thomas has joined Welsh region Scarlets on loan.