London Irish have signed up two South Africa internationals in a bid to stave off Aviva Premiership relegation.
Scrum-half Piet van Zyl and back row Arno Botha have both arrived at the club from South African side Blue Bulls and are available for selection for Irish with immediate effect.
Botha, 26, can operate as either a flanker or number eight and has two caps for the Springboks.
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to join London Irish, a club steeped in history and tradition,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to test myself in northern hemisphere rugby and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of helping the club secure its Aviva Premiership status.”
Director of rugby Nick Kennedy added: “Arno is an aggressive ball carrier, who has the ability to consistently get over the gain line.
“From a young age Arno was tipped as a future Springbok captain, but injuries hampered his progress.
“However, he’s now back to full fitness and his injuries are very much behind him as he looks to make an immediate impact with us.”
Van Zyl also arrives from Blue Bulls to help cover the absence of injured star Brendan McKibbin.
The 28-year-old has three South Africa caps to his name and 76 appearances in Super Rugby.
“I wanted a fresh challenge and the opportunity to make the move to the northern hemisphere was too good to turn down,” said van Zyl.
“I’ll be doing everything I can to help the club move up the Aviva Premiership table and I can’t wait to pull on the famous green jersey.”
Kennedy said: “Piet’s arrival bolsters our scrum-half options and I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the team in the coming weeks.”
London Irish, 10 points adrift at the foot of the Premiership table, face a trip to out-of-form Leicester Tigers on Saturday (3pm).