Leeds winger Fa'afili gets visa

Fa'afili is a Samoan international

Leeds Carnegie's new signing Henry Fa'afili has been granted a UK visa.

The Samoan winger has been waiting for his application to be processed since he signed in June and can now finally join up with new team-mates.

"This is great news for us and we will now get in contact with him and get him over here ASAP," director of rugby Andy Key told BBC Radio Leeds.

"He's been training hard while he's been waiting, so we'll have to see what condition he is in when he arrives."

Fa'afili was one of four Leeds players stranded in their home countries as they waited for the UK Border Agency to process their applications.

We'll test them when they come back and see where they are, but hopefully they'll arrive in good shape

Andy Key on Leeds' players still awaiting visas

Prop Juan Gomez has his visa approved on the eve of the new Premiership season, but fellow front-rowers Fosi Pala'amo Mike MacDonald are still waiting on theirs.

Key explained: "We've been in contact with all of those guys on a day-today basis and what they've done is used some common sense and been training hard and working on the plans we've sent them.

"They've also joined up with local rugby clubs to train with them so they can be as fit and as sharp as possible when they get here.

"We'll test them when they come back and see where they are, but hopefully they'll arrive in good shape and it doesn't take too long to get them back on the field."

Meanwhile Leeds hope to have captain Marco Wentzel and hooker Rob Rawlinson available for Sunday's clash with London Irish.

The pair suffered injuries in last Friday's defeat at Worcester and are among six players suffering knocks.

"We are still monitoring them but we hope all of those guys will be OK," Key said.

"With us not playing until Sunday it gives us extra time to get the boys right and we will leave it as late as possible to make a call on them all and select our team."

New signing Seru Rabeni is still not ready to play, after a knee operation in the summer, but could be in line to make his debut at Northampton on Saturday, 26 September.