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Confirmed: Semi Radradra has named his new French club
By Liam Heagney
The exit of Semi Radradra from Bristol was officially confirmed on Friday evening, the in-demand Fijian powerhouse getting unveiled as a new Lyon signing. It had been no secret that he was set for a return to the Top 14 next season given the tightening of the budgets in the Gallagher Premiership; it was just a case of determining where exactly he would end up.
Bordeaux, the club that he joined Bristol from, were initially thought to be interested in bringing Radradra back to the fold. That trail went cold and the 30-year-old has instead taken up a two-year offer at Lyon, the club he visited last month to inspect their facilities and to allow their medics to check him out.
A statement read: “Lyon are pleased to formalise the signing of Semi Radradra. The current Fijian centre of the Bristol Bears has signed up for a two-year term, starting July 1.
“Well-known in France, Radradra went through Toulon and then Bordeaux before joining the English Premiership in 2020. Having become a world reference in his position, he is a decisive player with a spectacular style of play.
“A Fijian international, he participated in the 2019 World Cup in Japan. But it was with rugby 7s that he shone, winning the Tokyo Olympics with his country in 2021. Aged 30, he will now return to the Top 14 next season in the jersey of Lyon where he has already built up solid experience in this championship with nearly 50 games played.”
Bristol have already planned for life without Radradra, unveiling the signing of Fijian Drua midfielder Kalaveti Ravouvou earlier this week. Ravouvou announced himself on the Test-level scene with two appearances in November, including a try-scoring effort versus Ireland in Dublin.
That selection followed his emergence earlier in 2022 at the Fijian Drua, the centre starting on a dozen occasions and scoring three tries in Super Rugby Pacific with a franchise that was appearing in that tournament for the first time.
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Go to commentsVery well informed comment. There is a paradox within Ulster Schools in that more money is spent on rugby by the schools than ever before yet they produce less high quality players. And I can't really fathom why.
Though again it's not just a problem for Ulster Schools but it's likely a problem for Munster schools as well. And I wonder if it's actually an increasing problem within Leinster, with more and more players coming from fewer and fewer schools.
This ever decreasing pool of talent, in my opinion, is a very real threat to the long-term health and success of rugby in Ireland.
The only thing to add is that 2 non-Belfast teams made it to the Ulster Schools Cup final this year (Wallace and RS Armagh) which may be a sign that rugby in Ulster is starting to broaden its reach once again, which may be a sign of renewal.
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