Former rugby league star training at Premiership club

Former rugby league star Regan Grace has been training at Premiership side Bath as he looks to return to fitness following a serious Achilles injury, it’s been confirmed.

The 26-year-old, who left reigning Super League champions St Helens in a cross-code move to big-spenders Racing 92 in 2023, was expected to take the Top 14 by storm.

However, a recurrence of the Achilles issue ruined his time in Paris as he could not build on his dazzling form for Saints where he crossed for 89 tries in 143 matches.

Staying in rugby union?

Grace’s high-profile switch to Racing set tongues wagging that the Port Talbot-born wing could one day pick up Wales international honours in both codes of the game.

That has yet to come to fruition but it seems he’s not coming back to rugby league any time soon, with Somerset Live reporting that he’s been training at Bath in recent weeks.

Head of rugby Johann van Grann revealed that Grace has been at their training base.

“Regan came to my attention as an ex-league player,” Van Graan said, with Grace’s link to former Racing teammate and now Bath star Finn Russell opening a door to the club.

“We have assisted him by giving him some advice in terms of his medical situation but there is no formal agreement.

“He is player who I have seen has a lot of speed and a good rugby background. We have been giving him some advice and helping him with his rehab.

“He has not been with the team, it is not even a team thing. If that develops into something further down the line we will see where it goes. At this stage it is a player who has had a very unfortunate circumstance with the injuries that he has had and he came to my attention [through Russell] and we had a coffee together, and what a nice man he is.

“If I can help a player with his future then I always do that. If something comes out of it then brilliant, but for now we are helping him with his rehab.

Months away from action

Van Graan added: “He has had some serious setbacks in terms of his leg, so I wouldn’t want to speculate [about when he will play again].

“I would say he is still months away so from our side if we can help him, and maybe he does a few training sessions with us when that becomes a possibility and we will make our decisions along the line but at this stage, I have nothing more to report.”

Grace won three Super League titles and one Challenge Cup during his time at Saints and was in outstanding form before suffering that first Achilles injury back in 2022.

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