Champions Cup resumption edges closer with 20 players newly registered for action

Australian Joe Tomane is among the list of 20 additional names now eligible to feature in the quarter-finals of this year’s Champions Cup.

Signed by Leinster at the start of this season, Tomane had a difficult settling-in period and a long-term injury meant he was deregistered from Leo Cullen’s squad as the defending champions successfully negotiated a route through their pool over the winter.

Tomane, though, is now ready to return and has been added to the Leinster roster ahead of their all-Irish quarter-final clash with Ulster in Dublin on March 30.

Under EPCR tournament rules, clubs which have qualified for the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup can nominate up to three players for registration to supplement their European squads.

The registrations of players who were nominated by the Thursday midday deadline will be subject to confirmation by the relevant national unions and by EPCR.

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The players listed below have been nominated by their clubs as additional players for the knockout stages of the 2018/19 Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP

Edinburgh Rugby - John Barclay (back row), Mark Bennett (centre);

Glasgow Warriors - Zander Fagerson (prop), Callum Gibbins (flanker), Kyle Steyn (centre/wing);

Leinster Rugby - Vakh Abdaladze (prop), Barry Daly (wing), Joe Tomane (centre/wing);

Munster Rugby - James Cronin (prop), Bill Johnston (outside half), Jack O’Donoghue (back row);

Saracens - Christian Judge (prop), Joel Kpoku (second row), Rotimi Segun (wing);

Toulouse - Guillaume Marchand (hooker), Rodrigue Neti (prop), Simon Renda (centre);

Ulster Rugby - James Hume (centre), Luke Marshall (centre), Tommy O’Hagan (prop).

CHALLENGE CUP

Bristol Bears - Toby Fricker (wing/full back), Kane Leaupepe (second row);

Connacht Rugby - Tom Daly (centre), Stephen Fitzgerald (full back);

Harlequins - Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (scrum half);

La Rochelle - Brendan Lebrun (hooker), Rémi Leroux (second row), Faifili Levave (flanker);

Northampton Saints - Darren Dawidiuk (hooker);

Worcester Warriors - Cornell du Preez (back row), Mason Tonks (wing).