Latest news with #BUCSSuperRugby
Wales Online
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Rising Welsh rugby star signs pro deal with top English side after breakthrough season
Rising Welsh rugby star signs pro deal with top English side after breakthrough season The 23-year-old has moved across the Severn Bridge after an impressive BUCS Super Rugby campaign Carrington playing for Ospreys A in 2021 (Image: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Agency ) Bristol Bears have signed Welsh full-back Josh Carrington following a standout campaign for Cardiff Met in BUCS Super Rugby. The 23-year-old delivered a string of impressive performances for the university side over the course of the recent season, scoring four tries as his team finished sixth in the league. He has now made the move across the Severn Bridge to sign a professional deal with the Bears, joining the Gallagher Premiership club alongside fellow BUCS star University of Nottingham lock Will Ramply. An Ospreys academy product, Carrington's electric pace and impressive footwork saw him gain a reputation as one of the trickiest players to defend against in BUCS. However, standing at 6ft 2in, he is also a powerful ball carrier and can hit hard in defence. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. He can play across the back three, making the bulk of his 15 BUCS appearances this season at full-back but also featuring on the right wing on two occasions. Carrington, who was chosen by BUCS presenter and commentator Joe Byrnes as his 'Breakout Player of the Year', also made five appearances for Cardiff Met in the Admiral Premiership over the course of the campaign. Article continues below He and Ramply also featured for Bristol as guest players in their exhibition match against Queensland Reds back in January. A few weeks earlier, the Archers star was also part of the Welsh Academies U23s team that took on Wales U20s at Cardiff Arms Park, getting on the scoresheet midway through the first half. The new U23s side was introduced by the WRU to give players who have already passed through the age grade teams a shop window as they look to forge successful professional careers, and the Bears have now decided to pick up Carrington as a "key part" of their recruitment strategy. Content cannot be displayed without consent The current Bears club captain, Fitz Harding, was signed in 2020 off the back of his performances for Durham University, having helped them to the BUCS Super Rugby title and been nominated for the league's player of the year award. As the signings of Carrington and Ramply were confirmed, Bristol's director of rugby, Pat Lam, said: 'The progress and development of our club captain Fitz Harding, as well as other players in the Gallagher Premiership, has shown us the talent that can be found and developed in the BUCS Super Rugby competition. Article continues below "A key part of the Bears recruitment strategy is to find the players who have been missed through the conventional Academy pathways – we believe there are good opportunities to recruit mature young players who can make the step up. 'Josh and Will have enjoyed fantastic seasons in BUCS Super Rugby and impressed us with their performances against Queensland Reds. "They have both earned their opportunities to continue their development as full-time professionals with the Bears.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bristol sign BUCS duo Carrington and Ramply
Bristol have signed full-back Josh Carrington and lock Will Ramply for the 2025-26 season. Carrington and Ramply both played for the Bears during an exhibition match against Queensland Reds in January and have been playing BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Super Rugby for Cardiff Met and Nottingham respectively. "The progress and development of our club captain Fitz Harding, as well as other players in the Gallagher Premiership, has shown us the talent that can be found and developed in the BUCS Super Rugby competition," director of rugby Pat Lam said. "A key part of the Bears recruitment strategy is to find the players who have been missed through the conventional academy pathways – we believe there are good opportunities to recruit mature young players who can make the step up. "Josh and Will have enjoyed fantastic seasons in BUCS Super Rugby and impressed us with their performances against Queensland Reds, and they have both earned their opportunities to continue their development as full-time professionals."
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Bristol sign BUCS duo Carrington and Ramply
Bristol have signed full-back Josh Carrington and lock Will Ramply for the 2025-26 and Ramply both played for the Bears during an exhibition match against Queensland Reds in January and have been playing BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Super Rugby for Cardiff Met and Nottingham respectively."The progress and development of our club captain Fitz Harding, as well as other players in the Gallagher Premiership, has shown us the talent that can be found and developed in the BUCS Super Rugby competition," director of rugby Pat Lam said."A key part of the Bears recruitment strategy is to find the players who have been missed through the conventional academy pathways – we believe there are good opportunities to recruit mature young players who can make the step up."Josh and Will have enjoyed fantastic seasons in BUCS Super Rugby and impressed us with their performances against Queensland Reds, and they have both earned their opportunities to continue their development as full-time professionals."
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Murphy named Gloucester-Hartpury head of rugby
Three-time Premiership Women's Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury have appointed Dan Murphy as their head of rugby for the 2025-26 has worked as scrum coach at the club for the past four seasons and steps up following Sean Lynn's departure this spring for the Wales head coach prop Murphy made 91 appearances for Gloucester during his playing career and also represented London Irish and Harlequins before retiring in 2022."It's an absolute honour to take charge and help [the team] kick on further after a very successful few years," Murphy, 39, said."To work with those women who are so driven, so determined. I'm in awe of them sometimes and it's an absolute privilege to be able to lead them."Lynnie [Sean Lynn] always spoke about inspiring the community and I believe we did that by winning the three-peat. But now it's about capitalising on that, creating, building and finding the next act for The Circus." Gloucester-Hartpury have become the dominant force in English women's rugby during Lynn's tenure, surging to a third consecutive league title in March when they beat Saracens in Lynn's final game. Murphy - who has been part of the staff for all three titles - began his coaching career with Championship side Hartpury while still playing and this April led Hartpury University's men's team to their first BUCS Super Rugby title in six was then seconded to Wales women to work as their defence coach during the recent Six Nations campaign alongside Lynn.
