Bath Rugby have confirmed the signing of former rugby league star Regan Grace following his successful rehabilitation of a nasty Achilles injury with the club.
Former St Helens favourite Grace, 27, made his professional rugby union debut for Bath in a friendly against Gloucester back in March and then came off the bench against Leinster a week later after signing a short-term deal with the Blue, Black and White. Having returned to full fitness, the Welshman has now signed a contract with Bath until the end of the 2024/25 season with an option for 2025/26, despite reportedly having an offer tabled to join the club’s West Country rivals Gloucester.
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Bath head of rugby, Johann van Graan, said: “Regan has impressed both on and off the pitch over the last few months. He has a clear point of difference in his play and that will be very valuable for our team. It’s great to have Regan on board.”
Regan played 143 times and scored 89 tries for rugby league side St Helens across six seasons, during which time he won three Super League Grand Final rings and a Challenge Cup winners’ medal, before making the switch to rugby union. He joined Top 14 side Racing 92 in 2023 but picked up an Achilles injury shortly before arriving at the French outfit.
Grace has already made quite the impression on his teammates at Farleigh House, with centre Will Butt describing how he has driven up standards since his arrival with his competitiveness. Butt told SomersetLive: “It has been good. Whenever someone new comes in they are desperate to impress so they are going to be ultra-competitive in training. We have seen that we Regan. He has trained brilliantly. I think as soon as a player like that comes in and is on his game it brings up competition for everyone around him.
“People like him coming in is really just driving the standards and it just seeps into everyone else.”
Grace’s speed and footwork is his point of difference and Butt joked how the Bath players in defensive drills in training have been chasing his shadow, such is his speed and agility to give fans plenty of reasons to get excited.
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