There have been a number of transfers completed this week, despite the official window closing more than a week ago, with Agen also hoping that Welsh number eight Andy Powell will sign for them this weekend.

Toulon full-back Luke Rooney, meanwhile, has now completed his switch to Australia’s Melbourne Rebels, after walking away from his previously agreed transfer to English side Worcester Warriors.

Rooney, a former Australian rugby league international, decided to trigger a release clause from his Worcester move after the club was relegated from the Guinness Premiership at the end of last season.

Now the 27-year-old is heading to Melbourne instead after spending the past two seasons with Toulon in Top 14.

At the time his initial move to Worcester was agreed Rooney said playing for England had been “a major motivating factor” behind his switch. He added: “I have been watching the competitive English league closely over the last few seasons, and I am really excited to now become a part of it. My long-term goal is to represent England.”

But Worcester’s subsequent relegation appears to have spurred a complete change of heart for the full-back, who now claims he was “keen to come home and have a crack at Super Rugby because it’s the best competition in the world”. He further said he now dreams of pulling on the green and gold of Australia. “Of course, it would be great to play for the Wallabies,” he confirmed this week. Flaky, or what?

However, Rooney will not be joined at Melbourne by Fijian winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca after SU Agen president Alain Tingaud insisted the veteran international was committed to the newly promoted Top 14 side.

Rumours had suggested Caucaunibuca would be joining the Rebels, but Tingaud said last season’s top try-scorer in ProD2 will remain at Agen for 2010/11 and is expected back for pre-season training on July 8^th.

Whether he will be joined by Wales international Andy Powell remains unclear, but Tingaud confirmed that the club had held talks with the Cardiff number eight and a decision was expected this weekend.

“Andy is interested in the Agen project, although he is still under contract with Cardiff,” said Tingaud. “It is up to him now to advance this case if he so desires. All the cards are in his hands now and the matter should certainly be resolved by Monday,” added the Agen president.

Powell’s agent Emanuel Palladino confirmed his client would not be joining friend Gareth Thomas at Welsh rugby league outfit the Crusaders, as had previously been rumoured, seemingly paving the way for his move to France.

Meanwhile, the ongoing exodus from Brive has also continued this week with the announcement that Australian international Lachlan MacKay, 27, has followed former team-mate Steve Thompson to Leeds.

“We spoke to Steve Thompson regarding Lachlan after the pair had played together at Brive for the last two season and he could not speak highly enough of him both as a player and as an individual,” said Leeds’ director of rugby Andy Key. “His signing gives us great depth in the number ten shirt,” added Key.

“I enjoyed my time in France but the challenge of coming to England is something I am particularly looking forward to,” said MacKay.

French prop Jonathan Garcia, 25, has also left Brive, opting to re-sign for Top 14 newcomers La Rochelle after just one season away at the Limousin club. Garcia is the ninth player to leave Brive this summer as the club continues to reduce its playing budget.

Perpignan number eight Benjamin Goze, 27, has signed a two-year deal to join Béziers. Goze, son of Perpignan president Paul Goze, has decided to move on after failing to secure a starting spot with the Catalans.

He will be joined at Béziers by English scrum-half Johnny Howard, who has completed his move from Bayonne to the Fédérale 1 side. This will be the third French club for the 30-year-old former Northampton Saints and Aix-en-Provence player.

Bayonne have also announced that 32-year-old lock Nicolas Lafitte has retired from playing to help coach the club’s trainees, while fly-half Sebastien Fauqué has been released. The latter decision was news to Fauqué, who joined as a “medical joker” from Toulon midway through last season, and who agreed a two-year deal at the time.

Elsewhere, former Bourgoin prop Karena Wihongi, 30, has signed for English side Sale Sharks. Wihongi has previously agreed top join Toulon, only to see his proposed transfer fall through on medical grounds.

Now it has emerged that Wihongi’s move was scuppered after the medical unearthed a problem with his aorta, something that also moved the LNR to refuse to grant him a playing licence in France. Thus, Wihongi has now opted to restart his career in England with Sale.

Toulon, meanwhile, are on the verge of signing 21-year-old Perpignan trainee Rachid Ahialou. The young centre has been trialling at Toulon all week and a deal to complete is transfer is expected shortly.

Heineken Cup runners-up Biarritz have been relatively quiet in the transfer market this summer with just Erik Lund and Sylvain Marconnet being brought in, but they did confirm this week that French international Damien Traille was likely to play at fly-half this season. “I always loved this position and I hope to meet expectations and my goals,” Traille told the Biarritz website this week.

The Basques have further announced that South African lock Trevor Hall, 32, has returned home after re-signing for the Golden Lions in Johannesburg – the team he previously represented between 2003-2005.

Hall still had one year left on his contract but said he was encouraged to leave after Biarritz refused to offer him a new deal. “I’m motivated and very sad at the same time,” he explained.

Biarritz are now looking for a replacement lock, as well as a full-back, before the new season begins.

Stade Toulousain, Castres, Glasgow Warriors, Montpellier, SCA Albi, Rovigo, Aurillac and Colomiers will compete in the pre-season Challenge Armand Vaquerin.

The long-running tournament, now in its 17^th season, will be played at grounds in Millau, Lacaune, Saint-Affrique and Camares in early August.

ProD2 side Lyon OU have confirmed they will play four pre-season friendlies, with matches against Toulon (July 24), Stade Francais (July 27), Oyonnax (August 6) and St Etienne (August 13).

ProD2 newcomers St Etienne have said Inoke Afeaki, 36, has retired from playing to take up a coaching role at the club.

SCA Albi, who were relegated from Top 14 last season, will begin life in proD2 without scrum-half Anthony Poujol. The former Beziers player fractured his lateral malleolus (ankle) in pre-season training. He is expected to be out for two months.

England manager Martin Johnson has named Stade Francais lock Tom Palmer in his new 32-man Elite Player Squad. Palmer, 31, impressed for England after being brought back into the fold for their Six Nations closer against France, and also while on summer tour in Australia and New Zealand.

His inclusion, along with that of Gloucester’s Dave Attwood, Northampton’s Courtney Lawes and Wasps’ Simon Shaw, means there is no place for former captain Steve Borthwick, 30.

Palmer’s club colleague James Haskell has also been included, along with Toulon’s Jonny Wilkinson. Former Brive players Steve Thompson and Riki Flutey were also in the 32.

“I think we’ve picked the best players and the fact that some experienced guys have missed out goes to show the depth we’ve now got,” said Johnson.

England will play four Tests in the autumn – against New Zealand, Australia, Samoa and South Africa – and Johnson will hold a week-long pre-season training camp from August 8.

ProD2 Transfers 2010/11