Harlequins coach Jason Gilmore has warned his under-performing squad they are playing for their futures, with the club planning to streamline their squad.
Quins have had a wretched season so far, with head coach Danny Wilson’s September departure followed by only four wins from 15 matches in all competitions.
A club statement, signed off by Harlequins’ chief executive and chairman in the wake of last weekend’s 66-21 defeat by Northampton, said recent results were “not considered acceptable by anyone within the club”.
Quins host South African side Stormers – who, by contrast, have won all 10 of their matches this season – in the Champions Cup on Sunday.
“The fact of the matter is, we do have a lot of players on contract,” said Gilmore.
“We’re looking at the spend that we put into the squad to make sure that we’re getting most bang for our buck. And the boys are aware of that.
“What is the ideal number of contracts? Where do we put our spend into and what do we actually need?”
Harlequins saw off competition from Sale to retain England back-five forward Chandler Cunningham-South on a new contract in November, while Northampton full-back George Furbank is expected to move to the Twickenham Stoop for the start of next season.
Bristol second row James Dun has also been confirmed as a new arrival for 2026-27.
Former captain Stephen Lewies has been linked with a return to his native South Africa, external when his present deal expires at the end of the season, but Gilmore suggested other departures may be necessary as he looks for a smaller squad, combining quality and flexibility.
“You obviously need the right amount of contracts across all positions so that if you do get injuries, it’s not like you’re scrambling,” he added.
“But what we’re looking at is, can we be more efficient with our contracting?”
Harlequins have lost a host of big-name players in recent seasons, with the retirement of Joe Marler, Danny Care and Matt Symons coinciding with the departures of Andre Esterhuizen, Will Collier, Wilco Louw and Joe Marchant.
Gilmore said he was focused on reviving Harlequins’ trademark attacking style, while emphasising the need for physicality in defence.
“How much are we prepared to fight?” he added.
“It’s just not about being on the back foot, it’s about arresting momentum in the game and making sure that we keep on top.”
Flanker Jack Kenningham came through the club’s academy, having been a regular at the Stoop as a boy.
“I put my body on the line every time I play for Quins – I love the club,” said the 26-year-old.
“It means a lot to me, having been a season-ticket holder when I was about 11 years old. So it hurts me probably, potentially more than others when we do lose.”
He is taking solace, though, from the turnaround in recent seasons at Bath and Exeter. Now sitting second and third in the Prem respectively, both sides went through painful stints at the opposite end of the table.
“You don’t have to go that far back to see where they were in the league to what they’re doing now and the way they’re performing,” added Kenningham.
“Everybody knows that this is a professional sport. Things do change and they can change very quickly.”
