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These are your evening rugby headlines on Wednesday, April 1.
Bristol ‘would have loved to keep’ Wales target
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam says he would have “loved to keep” departing centre Joe Jenkins, but the club couldn’t match the offer made by Leicester Tigers.
It was confirmed on Tuesday that Jenkins – who is Welsh-qualified – had signed for the Tigers ahead of next season, with head coach Geoff Parling saying he will “add a new dimension” to his side.
The 22-year-old is seen as a huge talent and is a player the Welsh Rugby Union have been monitoring for year. A former England U20s centre, he is eligible to represent Wales through his father, who is from Llanharan.
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Addressing Jenkins’ exit, Lam admitted that the player was keen to stay at Bristol and they wanted to keep him there, but ultimately couldn’t match what their PREM Rugby rivals were offering.
“Joe has been a consistently positive influence around the club, and we’ve been delighted with the way his game has developed over the past four years,” said the Bears boss. “While he’s had to contend with some unfortunate long-term injuries that have disrupted his momentum, his attitude and professionalism have never wavered.
“Joe was keen to stay, and we would have loved to keep him. However, at this stage of his career, regular game time is crucial for his continued development.
“With strong competition in our midfield – including Benhard Janse van Rensburg, James Williams, Matias Moroni and Jack Bates – as well as exciting Academy talent like England U20 Victor Worsnip and England U18 Will Moore emerging, we weren’t able to match Leicester’s counteroffer,” Lam added.
“We’re incredibly proud of what Joe has achieved here, and everyone at the club wishes him every success as he takes the next step in his journey with Leicester Tigers.”
As his departure was confirmed, Jenkins added: “This has honestly been one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make. I’ve loved every minute of my time here in a really special environment. The coaching has been outstanding and has pushed me to grow so much, both on and off the field.
“The culture at the club is something I’ll always value and getting to train and play alongside such a great group of lads, as well as learning from world-class players and coaches, has been incredible. I’m hugely grateful for all the support I’ve had, and I’ll leave with nothing but great memories.
“A huge thank you to the supporters – playing at Ashton Gate in front of you all has been a massive honour and I’m grateful for the support you’ve given me.”
English side confirm tragedy
Rugby CHAMP side Bedford Blues have announced that a supporter has tragically died after being taken ill at a match over the weekend.
Jonno Garland, a long-time supporter and season ticket holder with the club, fell ill during Bedford’s clash away to Cambridge on Saturday, with the half-time break extended as paramedics attended to a “supporter taken ill in the first half”.
Now, the club has confirmed that Mr Garland has passed away, with tributes set to be paid to him ahead of their next match against Cornish Pirates on Saturday afternoon.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of long time supporter and season ticket holder, Jonno Garland following last weekend’s game,” a club statement read.
“Our thoughts are with Jonno’s wife, Sarah, his family and friends. We will observe a minute’s applause on Saturday in Jonno’s memory.”
Cambridge Rugby also paid tribute, with a club statement reading: “We are deeply saddened to have received confirmation that Jonno Garland passed away following last weekend’s match against Bedford Blues.
“On behalf of everyone at the club, we extend our heartfelt thoughts and condolences to Jonno’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
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Jenkins back for Exeter as Feyi-Waboso returns
Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter will be boosted by the return of Wales star Dafydd Jenkins and England internationals Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Henry Slade when his side face Munster in the Challenge Cup this weekend.
Jenkins had to undergo a mandatory week’s rest after taking part in Wales’ Six Nations campaign, while Slade missed last week’s win over Newcastle Red Bulls due to his wife Megan giving birth.
Feyi-Waboso, meanwhile, hasn’t played since January having injured his hamstring while training with England ahead of the Six Nations, a setback which ruled him out of the whole tournament.
“Daf’s back from his rest week after the Six Nations, Henry Slade’s back in full training and available this week following the birth of his daughter, and Manny is in full training and available now,” said Baxter as he issued an update on his squad’s availability.
“So that’s a nice addition to our back-three stocks. [Feyi-Waboso] was pretty much in full training last week. He’s in full training this week, so that makes him available to play.
“He’s a pretty switched-on young man. Things happen in rugby. You get on with it and use your down periods to improve yourself and work on the little bits you can, and try to make yourself more robust.”
The Exeter boss added: “We haven’t had a great deal of luck this season, but if we could have our little bit of luck now on injuries and get through the next few weeks with this squad intact, we could end up running into the last third of the season with our kind of strongest group players.
“And that obviously allows us to try and really put our foot down and push for what we might achieve this season because obviously the more good players, you have available, the more opportunities you have, the more options you have.”
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