Wednesday Afternoon Round Up

Montpellier add O'Leary to Champions Cup squad

Montpellier have added former Ireland scrum-half Tomas O'Leary as an additional player for Round 2 of the Champions Cup. 

The Munster number nine joins the Top 14 outfit as a medical joker on a short-term deal as a replacement for the injured Benoit Paillaugue.

The following players have been nominated by their clubs as additional players for the 2016/17 European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments. The players replaced in the club squads (maximum of 41 players) have been deregistered.

Champions Cup

Montpellier
Additional player: Tomas O'Leary
Nationality: Ireland
Position: Scrum-half
Deregistered: Benoit Paillaugue

Challenge Cup

Bayonne
Additional player: Ryan Tongia
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Wing
Deregistered: Simon Maillard

Bristol
Additional player: Jordan Crane
Nationality: England
Position: Number eight
Deregistered: Nick Carpenter

Additional player: Shane Geraghty

Nationality: England
Position: fly-half
Deregistered: Tusi Pisi

Gloucester 
Additional player: Salesi Ma'afu
Nationality: Australia
Position: Prop
Deregistered: Nicky Thomas

Lyon
Additional player: Thibaut Privat
Nationality: France
Position: Second row
Deregistered: Christian Njewel

Dragons
Additional player: Tavis Knoyle
Nationality: Wales
Position: Scrum-half
Deregistered: Luc Jones

Pau
Additional player: Sylvain Charlet
Nationality: France
Position: Prop
Deregistered: Ibrahim Diarra

Worcester Warriors
Additional player: Ben Te'o
Nationality: England
Position: Centre
Deregistered: Will Butler

Former Wales Under 20s tighthead prop Thomas joins Scarlets

Nicky Thomas has linked up with the Scarlets having signed a two-year deal from English Premiership side Gloucester Rugby.

A mainstay of the Wales Under 20 squad, making 20 appearances, Thomas was in the starting line-up for the 2013 World Rugby Championship final loss to England.
 
He spent part of his formative years studying at Hartpury College as well as representing Ospreys. He made five appearances for the Swansea-based region and represented Aberavon and Swansea.
 
Thomas has made 9 appearances for Gloucester but has decided to return to Wales to pursue his international ambitions.

Ludik signs three-year extension

Louis Ludik has agreed a three-year contract extension with Ulster Rugby, which will keep him at Kingspan Stadium until the summer of 2020.
 

Ludik, who recently turned 30, joined Ulster from French side Agen in 2014. The versatile backline star signed a one-year extension earlier this year and he will qualify to play for Ireland next summer.

Ludik is currently out of action due to a fractured cheek bone suffered in the game against Connacht earlier this month and he is likely to return by the end of November.