Bristol Bears add long-awaited England qualified Super League star to official Heineken Champions Cup squad

He’s been some time coming, but Ratu Siva Naulago looks to be in line to finally report for duty at Bristol Bears.

It was confirmed that Naulago would replace Harry Ascherl in the official Heineken Champions Cup squad ahead of the shortened tournament, indicating his arrival in Bristol could be imminent. If he is available, the timing couldn’t be better for Bristol, who appear to have temporarily lost the services of Semi Radradra, who was injured playing against Georgia for Fiji.

Bristol signed Naulago way back in May, but the Hull FC player is finishing up his stint with the rugby league side before travelling south for a shot at the Gallagher Premiership.

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The Fijian-born winger has enjoyed an incredibly impressive try scoring rate for the Super League side, including a double in the 2020 Super League campaign opener versus Leeds Rhinos. Speaking back in May, head coach Pat Lam said: “With Siva being an EQP Rugby Union player and a British Army Soldier, we looked at him closely. He is incredibly fit, with great pace and an eye for the try line. He’s been consistently outstanding in his relatively short time in Super League and that’s testament to the great work from the team at Hull FC.”

29-year-old Naulago is a serving soldier in the British Army and has been given a temporary release from active service to pursue his opportunity in professional sport.

Brought up playing rugby union, he was scouted by league when playing sevens for the British Army.

Speaking earlier in the year, Naulago said: “Pat has put together a great squad in recent years and the team are really starting to make their mark both in the English Premiership and European competitions.

“They play a really attractive brand of rugby which I think will suit me and get the best out of me as a player. I was hugely impressed by the new training facilities and their aspirations and ambitions as a club. They want to be challenging at the top end of the game and there seems to be a real buzz around the city.”

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