Bristol Bears hand sacked Saracens forward Totoa Auvaa a second chance

Bristol Bears have moved to sign Totoa Auvaa, the 21-year-old Samoan loose forward released by Saracens two weeks ago, with head coach Pat Lam personally vouching for the young player’s potential and committing to providing him with mentorship and structure.

Auvaa, who had been part of Saracens’ senior academy, was sacked following an incident on a night out in St Albans — the second time he had attracted public attention after being involved in the nightclub altercation four months earlier that contributed to then England cricket captain Ben Stokes retiring from international cricket.

Lam said the player’s agent made direct contact to ask whether Bristol would consider offering Auvaa a route back into the professional game, and the New Zealander was willing to take that chance.

“Totoa is a big, physical young man with enormous potential, who unfortunately has made some mistakes since arriving from a small village in Samoa to the massive city of London,” Lam said. “I’ve always believed that young people deserve the opportunity to learn from those experiences, grow and become better people.”

Lam added that time spent with Auvaa had given him confidence the club could provide the right environment. “Having spent time with Totoa, I feel confident that we can provide him with the mentorship, guidance, support and structure to give him the best possible opportunity to succeed, not just as a rugby player, but as a person — someone his parents and family all the way back in Samoa will be proud of.”

The Bears head coach also pointed to Auvaa’s raw ability as a key factor in the decision. “He has a huge amount of ability and we’re looking forward to helping him develop, make the most of this opportunity and become a valued member of the Bears family.”

The signing represents a significant lifeline for a player whose professional career appeared in serious jeopardy just a fortnight ago, and places the responsibility of his development squarely on Bristol’s shoulders.