GB Sevens back Josh Radcliffe joins Cornish Pirates after Chiefs and NZ Universities stints

Josh Radcliffe has signed a one-year deal with Championship side Cornish Pirates after a career that has taken him from the Waikato Chiefs and New Zealand Universities to the Team GB Sevens programme. The back-three player is one of two sevens recruits at the Cornish club, joining Australian Sevens star and former Super Rugby winger Henry Palmer.

Radcliffe featured in all but two events on the 2025-26 HSBC SVNS World Series before making the move to the second tier of English rugby. Palmer, meanwhile, had already begun his transition to the 15-man game with the Western Force, appearing in Super Rugby AUS before being named in their 2026 Super Rugby Pacific squad.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to join the Pirates,” Radcliffe said. “I’ve heard great things about the club. I’m looking forward to meeting the team and getting stuck in.”

Across the Bristol Channel, Ospreys scrumhalf Harri Williams has extended his contract at the Welsh URC side by a further year. The former Wales Under-20 international, who earned 12 caps at that level before joining the GB Sevens setup, had an injury-disrupted debut season in Swansea, managing just one appearance — a 21-14 defeat to Connacht in March — after picking up a knock early in the campaign.

“It was a season of mixed emotions for me,” Williams said. “I picked up a tough injury early on which was difficult, but I managed to get through that and finally make my debut for the club, which was a real privilege. I really want to pay that back this season by improving and helping this team in whatever way I can.”

Ospreys head coach Mark Jones backed the decision to retain Williams, citing the demands international duty places on the squad’s halfback resources. “Harri worked extremely hard in training last season, so it was a real shame that he picked up the injury when he did,” Jones said. “It says a lot about his character that he was able to get back to a place where he could contribute for us towards the end of the season. With Reubs and Kieran often away on international duty, it’s important for us to have a quality crop of scrumhalves, and we feel we definitely have that with Luke and Harri both still part of our playing group.”

Williams began his career at the Scarlets before spells with English Championship side Ampthill and Canberra premier grade club Tuggeranong Vikings in Australia, before returning to 15s rugby in 2025.