Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards has admitted that he is "thrilled" to have added further international talent to his ranks ahead of next season.
Tonga captain Nili Latu will link up with the Aviva Premiership strugglers in the summer, bringing to an end his eight-year stay at Japanese outfit NEC Green Rockets.
The 33-year-old will provide some additional experience to the back row, having made 42 appearances on the international stage with Tonga, as well as representing invitational side Pacific Islanders on six occasions.
Speaking to the club's official site, Richards said: "We're thrilled to be able to add an experienced and talented player like Nili to our back row options for next season.
"Nili has a great deal of experience of playing at the very top level and is a world-class player with a great deal of rugby ahead of him. As the Tongan captain he also brings proven leadership experience on the international stage.
"As with all of our new recruits for the season ahead he's someone that we are confident will fit our style of play and we're excited to see how he performs on the Kingston Park Stadium artificial surface."
Falcons are currently 11th in the league table, with just four wins to their name all season.
Daniel Lewis
