France international back Brice Dulin and Wales international second rower Luke Charteris were among a batch of new recruits unveiled on Friday for next season by Top 14 side Racing Metro.
Dulin, 24, arrives from Castres who lost the Top 14 final on Saturday to Toulon, while Charteris, 31, joins from relegated Perpignan.
Club president Jacky Lorenzetti described the signings for next season as “wise”, compared with the arrival of 15 new players and two new coaches, Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers, before the 2013/2014 season.
However there are no big names this season such as Ireland’s Jonathan Sexton or Welsh players Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate who joined last year with Dulin the star signing.
Dulin has 23 caps since making his international debut in June 2012, while Charteris has earned 46 caps for Wales in the past ten years.
Castres duo France international centre Antonie Claassen and Georgian prop Anton Peikrishvili, are also joining the Paris club along with South African fly-half Johan Goosen, 21, Montpellier winger Yoann Audrin, Munster’s New Zealand centre Casey Laulala, and Biarritz winger Teddy Thomas.
There will also be ten highly-rated young players in next year’s squad.
“The hope is that the rejuvenated squad will help the team get a better start to the Top 14 season,” said Lorenzetti.
Racing Metro will also be hoping to improve on their European Cup experience where they finished bottom of their group with just one win.
“We weren’t brillant,” said Lorenzetti, adding that the quarter-finals were their target for next season.
