Bristol Bears confirm signing of 'world-class' winger Radradra
Posted on: 27 Nov 2019Bristol Bears have captured the signature of one of the world's best wingers in Fijian, Semi Radradra.
In what is certainly one of the signings of the season, and arguably The Bears' biggest of all time, Radradra put pen to paper yesterday on a three-year deal. It'll see him join Pat Lam's squad ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
Despite rumours linking him with a return to the NRL in Australia, where he was named Winger of the Year in consecutive seasons and scored 82 tries in 94 games for the Parramatta Eels, Radradra opted for Ashton Gate to compete in the Gallagher Premiership with Bristol.
The 27-year-old leaves Bordeaux after two seasons playing in the French Top 14, having taken the 2019 Rugby World Cup by storm and cemented his reputation as one of the world's best players.
29 - Despite playing just four games Semi Radradra beat the most defenders of any player at the 2019 @rugbyworldcup (29); in fact, only four players have ever beaten more in an edition of the tournament (J Lomu twice, J Kirwan, J Robinson & S Cordero). Bear. pic.twitter.com/pYlifNJ3bJ
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) November 27, 2019
"There's no doubt that Semi is one of the best players in the world," said Director of Rugby Pat Lam upon announcing the signing. "He's a truly world-class performer and we're so excited about what he can do for the team.
“Every top club across both codes on the planet wanted him, so for Bristol to be able to bring in a player of his quality underlines the fantastic work that the club is doing. As a person and a player, Semi is perfect for our culture which places an emphasis on community and high performance."
Bristol Bears have enjoyed a strong start to the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season, currently sitting joint top of the league after four matches, level on points with Northampton.
Speaking on his unveiling as a Bears player, Semi Radradra said he "can't wait to get started" at Ashton Gate. "[Bristol] are one of the most exciting teams in Europe right now. The way they're doing things is making everybody take notice."
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