Harlequins are taking a close look at Pat Pellegrini as Moana Pasifika head toward the end of their Super Rugby campaign and the fly-half market starts to shift. The 27-year-old Tonga international has emerged as one of the names under review as Harlequins prepare for life after Jamie Benson, who is set to leave for Ulster next season.
Pellegrini has scored five tries in 17 Tests for Tonga and has played nine games this season for Moana Pasifika, the team he joined in 2024 after two years with Coventry. He also plays for North Harbour, and his background gives him appeal in several markets, including through Tonga, North Harbour and his Sydney birth.
The timing matters because Moana Pasifika are set to fold at the end of this Super Rugby campaign, and that is already creating transfer interest around players connected to the franchise. Harlequins are not alone in watching Pellegrini, with the Ospreys, the Scarlets, Perpignan and a couple of teams in Japan also in the picture.
That competition is the issue for Harlequins. Pellegrini is available at a moment when they need cover at fly-half, but they are entering a crowded market and will have to move before others do. Benson's departure leaves a gap next season, and Pellegrini's profile — 27, experienced, and still in regular use this year — makes him an obvious candidate for clubs trying to act quickly.
The wider window is opening around a number of players as the season closes. Jack Walsh is set to become the fifth player to leave the Ospreys when his contract runs out, Jack Maunder is due to join Worcester Warriors, and Jermaine Ainsley's planned move to Saracens fell through after his release from the final months of his Lyon contract. For Pellegrini, the next step may come down to who moves first.
