Centre magician Regan King returns to rugby in West Wales

One of the Scarlets' most prolific and talented centres will head back to West Wales next season moving from Heineken Cup finalists Clermont Auvergne.
 
The once-capped All Black was a highly prized member of the Scarlets squad for six years and played an important role in helping develop and push forward a number of the region's world-class backs including Welsh internationals Jon Davies and Rhys Priestland.
 
King joined French giants Clermont Auvergne on a three-year contract in 2011/12 and now returns to re-join the region he proudly calls his spiritual rugby home with a new two-year deal after first moving to Llanelli in May 2005.
 
King, 33, has hit some impressive form this season for his French club in both the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup and notably in Clermont's win over Harlequins in Europe at the end of last month.
 
Respected by the Scarlets faithful for his superb skill set, handling, timing and agility, King's return will be a huge boost to the West Wales region next season within a squad that has plenty of young, up-and-coming talent.
 
Scarlets Head Coach Simon Easterby said: "To have the quality and experience of a player like Regan King back in our squad next season will be a big positive for our region as a whole.
 
"Not only will we have secured a rugby player of real quality on the pitch who has played at the top end of European and French rugby for the past two years, but we've also gained the value of a professional who has such rounded experience which can be passed onto others.
 
"He's shown his inherent quality as a player in his recent performances in the Heineken Cup as well as the domestic French game and is a player any club in Europe would want in their ranks.
 
"What Regan can bring will hopefully inspire our young backs further and thedepth of experience and creativity he's known for will have a positive impact throughout the squad.  You only have to recall what a big influence he had on early senior careers of Jon (Davies), Rhys (Priestland), Gareth (Maule) and many others in his time with us to recognise that value.
 
"We're delighted he's returning to Parc y Scarlets, it will be a warm welcome back home for him and his family and we know as a group of coaches and players that he will help add a different dimension and edge to Scarlets Rugby next season.”
 
King who has born in Cambridge, New Zealand and has a British father achieved his All Blacks cap against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in November 2002.  He also played for Paris based club Stade Francais before leaving to join the Scarlets in the 2005/6 season.
 
He has appeared 143 times in a Scarlets shirt with 180 points; his last game for the Scarlets was against Cardiff Blues at home in front of a packed 11,000 plus Parc y Scarlets crowd on May 6th 2011.
 
King has played 60 games for Clermont to date scoring seven tries.

The Scarlets take on Clermont Auvergne in the first of their Heineken Cup double-headers against the French side on Saturday 7th December with a trip to the fortress of Stade Marcel Michelin where the French side have remained unbeaten for a staggering record of 67 games at home.  Clermont return to Parc y Scarlets on Saturday 14th December kick off 3.40pm.