Twenty players have so far transferred to new Provincial Unions for 2009 as the teams prepare for the season which kicks off in January. The squads will be announced on Friday 31 October.

The player transfer period for 2009 is from 1 October 2008 to early June 2009.

NZRU CEO Steve Tew said (quote) under NZRU regulations, Provincial Unions and a player can agree for the player to be loaned to another Provincial Union, including back to the Provincial Union they have transferred from. This is becoming increasingly common practice and it means that the top players are available for selection for a particular franchise team, but can then return to their province of choice to play in the Air New Zealand Cup.(end quote)

The player transfers are as follows:

1. Ross Filipo, from Wellington to Canterbury
2. Tom Harding, from Wellington to Waikato
3. Jayden Hayward, from Taranaki to Otago
4. Nigel Hunt, from Wellington to Bay of Plenty
5. Tasesa Lavea, from Counties Manukau to Auckland
6. Zar Lawrence, from North Harbour to Bay of Plenty
7. Johnny Leota, from Manawatu to Otago
8. Faifili Levave, from Waikato to Wellington
9. Ben May, from Tasman to Waikato
10. Bronson Murray, from Northland to Canterbury
11. Clint Newlands, from Hawke’s Bay to Otago
12. Jared Payne, from Northland to Canterbury
13. Joe Savage, from North Harbour to Bay of Plenty
14. David Smith, from Auckland to Wellington
15. Sona Taumalolo, from Hawke’s Bay to Waikato
16. Hayden Triggs, from Manawatu to Otago
17. Fetu’u Vainikolo, from Northland to Otago
18. Thomas Waldrom, from Wellington to Canterbury
19. Ali Williams, from Tasman to Auckland
20. Paul Williams, from Canterbury to Auckland