Mayhew passes the ball during North Harbour's ITM Cup clash with Counties Manukau in October © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Richard Mayhew

Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Teams: England | New Zealand | Newcastle Falcons

Newcastle have announced the signing of Kiwi back-row forward Richard Mayhew from Championship club Esher.

The 25-year-old former North Harbour player will link up with the Falcons ahead of next season alongside countryman Jamie Helleur who put pen to paper with the club on Wednesday.

"This is an ambitious club with a lot of quality players so I've just got to contribute to that and go forward," said Mayhew. "Newcastle showed a lot of interest in me which really excited me and this is an opportunity to play in England and give it a good crack in the Premiership."

The Auckland-born Mayhew, who saw a move to London Wasps fall through last year, is the latest in a batch of new signings by the Falcons with Gloucester scrum-half Jordi Pasqualin, Kiwi centre Ryan Shortland and rugby league convert Rikki Sheriffe all heading to Kingston Park in the off-season.

English qualified, Mayhew also hopes to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Shontayne Hape, Riki Flutey and Dylon Hartley into the England fold, saying: "I've got the British passport so anything is possible.

"My dad was born in England so that makes me a British citizen as well as a Kiwi. I'll always see myself as a Kiwi as I was born and bred in New Zealand but I see this as a new start in my life. This is a fresh start and I want to make the most of it.

"I know a lot of the Kiwi boys like Jimmy Gopperth, Tane Tu'ipulotu, Andrew Van der Heijden and Jamie Helleur who recently signed so that will help me settle in."

Falcons head coach Alan Tait is delighted with the capture, adding, "Richard is a great signing for the club and adds a lot of go forward in the forward pack. He's keen as mustard and cannot wait to play for the club."