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.
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.
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.
