Five players to keep an eye out for as the new Guinness PRO14 gets underway this weekend.
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh)
Edinburgh have added Duhan van der Merwe to their backline resources for next season.
A powerful 6ft 3in 110kg winger, he joined Montpellier on an academy contract in July 2016, going on to make three Top 14 appearances - and scoring a try on each occasion - having previously played for the Bulls in Super Rugby.
Van der Merwe has also represented South Africa at U20 level at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship, alongside Springbok stars Jesse Kriel and Hendre Pollard, where his country suffered a one-point defeat at the hands of England in the final.
Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill said of his new winger: "Duhan is a talented young player and has the potential to become a real attacking threat in our backline.
"He's taken his chances at Montpellier in recent weeks so I'm looking forward to seeing him progress even further at Edinburgh."
Huw Jones (Glasgow)
A familiar face to Scottish rugby fans, Huw Jones makes the switch from the Stormers to Glasgow to ply his trade on home soil.
Jones was born in Edinburgh and schooled in England, and it was a gap year to South Africa in 2012 that sparked his rugby career after he elected to stay and study at the University of Cape Town, winning the Varsity Cup in 2014 and scoring in the final.
He was then selected for Western Province before being called up for the Stormers, making 23 appearances and scoring 25 points.
The 23-year-old made his Scotland debut against Japan in 2016, and featured in the opening two games of this year's Six Nations before a hamstring tear ended his season.
Robbie Fruean (Edinburgh)
New Edinburgh boss Cockerill has filled the space left by injured centre Mark Bennett by capturing the signature of Robbie Fruean.
Fruean, who can also play on the wing, brings with him a wealth of experience having made 66 appearances for the Crusaders in Super Rugby over two spells, also featuring for the Hurricanes and the Chiefs, before being recruited by Bath last year.
A knee injury plagued his time at the Rec and will be keen to show the kind of form that saw him named World Rugby's U19s Player of the Year back in 2007 when he helped New Zealand to a World Championship victory at that level.
"Robbie joins the club with a huge amount of experience" said Cockerill. "He's renowned for his power and is a big attacking threat.
"During his time in Super Rugby, he has played alongside some of the game's modern greats and we look forward to him bringing that knowledge to the club both on and off the field."
Scott Fardy (Leinster)
Leinster have bolstered their back row options ahead of the PRO14 with the signing of Australian international Scott Fardy.
The 33-year-old, who has played 19 times for the Wallabies and is believed to have agreed a two-year deal with the province, has been a stand-out performer for the Brumbies since his debut for the franchise and was named their Fans' Player of the Year in 2016.
Championed for his high work-rate and solid all-round game, he was the quiet man of a star-studded Australian back row alongside Michael Hooper and David Pocock during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, starting all five of his nation's games in the tournament, including the final where they lost out to New Zealand.
The acquisition of Fardy is a real statement of intent from last season's beaten semi-finalists, and along with Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip, Rhys Ruddock and Jordi Murphy to name a few, will provide Leinster with a back row to be feared both domestically and in Europe.
JJ Hanrahan (Munster)
While he may not be a new face to Munster, JJ Hanrahan returns to his former club with a point to prove after a two-year stint in the Aviva Premiership with Northampton Saints.
During his first stint at the club, Hanrahan was named Young Player of the Year at the 2014 Munster Rugby Awards, while also claiming the PRO12 Golden Boot award in the same season with a 88.71 per cent success rate off the tee.
The fly-half notched up a total of 31 appearances at Saints, but with Stephen Myler for competition and with injuries plaguing his time at the club, Hanrahan failed to make his mark.
The 25-year-old now also has the opportunity to stake the claim for international honours with the absence of Ian Madigan who will play his rugby in the English Championship, and Paddy Jackson relieved of his duties due to off-the-field issues.