Welsh-qualified centre James Lang has re-signed for former club Harlequins after spending the summer searching for a new playing opportunity. The 31-year-old, who can also play at fly-half, was left without a club when he was released by Edinburgh at the end of last season and began training on his own in Dorset. However, he was then invited to train with the Quins squad on a short-term basis last month and has now rejoined the club on a permanent deal ahead of the new Prem Rugby season.
Lang's return to Harlequins
As his signing was confirmed, Lang said: "Coming back to Harlequins feels like coming home. This club shaped me as a player and as a person, and being back out on the training pitches these last couple of weeks has reminded me exactly why."
"There is a new feel to the environment and an excitement within the squad of the levels of performance we can achieve this season. I can't wait to pull the shirt on again and run out at The Stoop alongside the boys."
Coach's reaction
Head coach Jason Gilmore added: "James knows this Club inside out, and it's been clear from the first day he walked back into the building how much he still loves being here."
"He's trained well over the last couple of weeks and slotted straight back in with the group. He brings composure, rugby IQ and real experience in midfield, and we're excited to have him back as part of the squad for 2026/27."
Career history and Wales eligibility
Lang first represented Quins in schoolboy rugby before moving up to north Wales to spend three seasons playing for RGC 1404 in Colwyn Bay. He then returned to The Stoop in 2016, scoring 214 points in 80 first-team appearances and winning the Prem title before moving to Edinburgh in 2021.
Lang has also won six caps for Scotland on the international stage, playing at both fly-half and centre, with his last appearance coming against Italy in the 2021 Six Nations. His five-year absence from Test rugby means the 6ft 0in, 95kg centre is now also eligible for selection for Wales, due to his father being born in Penarth.
Despite spending three seasons in Welsh rugby earlier in his career, the versatile back received no offers from any of the regions before he headed back to Harlequins in 2016. Lang was later handed his debut by Scotland in 2018, having qualified through his maternal grandmother, who hails from Hamilton.
