London Welsh star Jonathan Mills wants the club’s fans to forgive the club for quitting west London for Oxfordshire.

The Exiles will welcome premiership runners up Leicester Tigers to the Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium – where they will host home games this season – on their campaign’s opening day on September.

They then travel to Harlequins a week later for their only top flight clash on familiar territory next season.

“We played at the Kassam Stadium in the final and it was a really nice ground,” said skipper Mills, speaking at the launch of the J.P Morgan Premiership Rugby sevens series. Hopefully the fans will follow us from London to those games and hopefully we’ll get new fans that will come from Oxford to watch us play. If a London Welsh fan doesn’t come to watch the game that will never look badly on them, it’s not an easy commute.

“I am sure the club will help them out the best they can and I am sure the die-hards will continue to come.

“But the club’s got to look to the future and try to get a new fan base as well.”

A host of big-name additions to the London Welsh squad have been mentioned in recent days, including former Wales international Gavin Henson.

“I don’t know anything about the Gavin Henson talk – whatever’s going on is going on in the back rooms of the boards,” added Mills.

“If the club were to ever get Gavin Henson, he’s a quality individual as a player.

“If Lyn thinks he could add something to the squad and and get the deal done then I’m sure he’d bring him in. We have got experience in Gordon Ross and in the forwards you’ve got Ed Jackson at No 8 who’s going well.”

The J.P. Morgan Premiership Rugby 7s Series kicks off on 13 July at Harlequins, with rounds at Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby, and the final at Bath Rugby. Visit: www.jpmorgan7s.com to find out more.