Blanch leaves Wakefield for France

Catalans have signed Australian winger Damien Blanch from Wakefield on a two-year deal.

Blanch, 27, has formerly played for Widnes and Castleford and has spent the last three seasons with the Wildcats, scoring 31 tries in 52 games.

Dragons General Manager Christophe Levy said: “We are delighted to sign Damien Blanch. He is a really good finisher and will definitely bring a lot of pace to the team. Dimitri Pelo and Steven Bell have left the club, Chris Walker has an uncertain future with us, and so it was important to strengthen our backline.”

Blanch played for Ireland at the 2008 World Cup and has scored eight tries in six international appearances.