Twenty players have so far transferred to new provincial unions for 2009, the New Zealand Rugby Union confirmed today.

Players who transferred by last Friday are available first to the franchise covering the provincial union they have transferred to, as part of the selection process for 2009 Super 14 squads.

The squads will be announced on October 31.

NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said provincial unions and a player could agree for the player to be loaned to another union, including back to the union they had transferred from.

"This is becoming increasingly common practice and it means that the top players are available for selection for a particular franchise team, but can then return to their province of choice to play in the Air NZ Cup."

Player transfers:-

Ross Filipo from Wellington to Canterbury

Tom Harding from Wellington to Waikato

Jayden Hayward from Taranaki to Otago

Nigel Hunt from Wellington to Bay of Plenty

Tasesa Lavea from Counties-Manukau to Auckland

Zar Lawrence from North Harbour to Bay of Plenty

Johnny Leota from Manawatu to Otago

Faifili Levave from Waikato to Wellington

Ben May from Tasman to Waikato

Bronson Murray from Northland to Canterbury

Clint Newlands from Hawke's Bay to Otago

Jared Payne from Northland to Canterbury

Joe Savage from North Harbour to Bay of Plenty

David Smith from Auckland to Wellington

Sona Taumalolo from Hawke's Bay to Waikato

Hayden Triggs from Manawatu to Otago

Fetu'u Vainikolo from Northland to Otago

Thomas Waldrom from Wellington to Canterbury

Ali Williams from Tasman to Auckland

Paul Williams from Canterbury to Auckland.