Released Bristol prop Jay Tyack has confirmed a Championship return

Jay Tyack has become the latest released Bristol player to sort out his future, returning to Cornish Pirates, his old Championship club, for the upcoming 2024/25 season. It was May 7 when the tighthead was named in the 17-strong list of players that were departing Ashton Gate following the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

At that time, leading players such as Kyle Sinckler (Toulon), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), Callum Sheedy (Cardiff) and Piers O’Conor (Connacht) already had their next moves confirmed. Tyack, though, has had to wait 14 weeks before confirming that his follow-on club will be the tier two Pirates.

A statement read: “Adding further strength to their squad, the Cornish Pirates are delighted to announce that Truro-born prop Jay Tyack is returning to the club for the coming season. Now aged 28, Jay first signed for the Cornish Pirates as a player development foundation member in 2014, when he made three appearances in pre-season friendly matches.

“A spell in New Zealand would later follow, before coming back to England to continue his development playing National League rugby ahead of returning to the Cornish Pirates. Jay featured in both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, during which a highlight was playing in the historic 25-17 home win against Saracens in March 2021.

“Then, just two months later after taking his games tally for the Cornish Pirates to 31, he signed for Premiership side Worcester Warriors, who subsequently went into liquidation in October 2022. Following a successful trial period, he next signed for Bristol Bears from where he joins the Cornish Pirates.”

Joint head coach Alan Paver said: “As many will be aware, Jay was with us early in his career before going away and gaining a lot of experience, building in recent years to playing in the Premiership.

“Last season was, unfortunately, a start-stop affair for him at Bristol because of injury and sickness, but now back to fitness he is keen and ambitious for what we feel will be a good partnership.

"We are looking for someone of his quality, and he is indirectly keen to relaunch himself, so no finer place than the Pirates where it will be great to work with him again.”