Canterbury Rugby Club head coach Andy Pratt believes their new signings underline the determination at Merton Lane to keep the city club moving forward.

Canterbury have signed former England Counties second row Royce Cadman, French threequarter Julien Lassere, New Zealand fly-half Reuben Meares, Australian scrum-half Grant Kay and Tonbridge Juddians captain Charlie Harding as they prepare for their second season back in National League 2 South.

Pratt said: “We did well to finish eighth last season back in National 2 but we want to do better this time around and these signings show the ambition exists to do that.”

Pratt is particularly pleased at Cadman’s decision to return the club where he played as a junior before heading for Hartpury College and a professional career with Newport Gwent Dragons and Doncaster Knights.

With scrum-half Dave Marshall having been forced to retire through injury, Pratt is hoping that Kay will prove a quality replacement but the Canterbury coach admitted that Lassere is something of an unknown quantity after deciding to leave French club Pau to come and ply his trade in England.

Pratt is still looking to increase his forward options following the loss of prop Ruairi McLeod to Ealing and flanker Jesse Liston to Blackheath while No.8 Wim Baars has moved to London.