Rugby Transfers: Mass exodus at Bristol Bears, Saracens trio depart while World Cup winner and British & Irish Lion sign new deals
Edinburgh hooker Ewan Ashman and Stormers back-row Deon Fourie (inset).
Bristol Bears and Saracens have confirmed that they will part ways with several players while Springboks forward Deon Fourie as well as British & Irish Lions and Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman have signed contract extensions with the Stormers and Edinburgh respectively.
Mass exodus at Bristol Bears
Bristol Bears have announced that they will honour 12 players who are set to depart the PREM Rugby outfit at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season.
Argentina back-row Santiago Grondona leaves after two seasons and 31 appearances for the Ashton Gate-based club. The Pumas star, who is set to join Top 14 side Pau, has scored six tries during his time at the Bears.
Meanwhile, full-back Rich Lane brings an end to a five-year stint with Bristol, during which he made 69 appearances and scored 12 tries after joining from Bedford Blues in 2021.
Bristolian James Dun is another to leave after 68 appearances for his hometown club. The 26-year-old leaves after eight seasons.
Centre Joe Jenkins departs after making 32 appearances for the club since joining in 2022, while Argentina international Benjamin Elizalde leaves after 27 appearances for the Bears.
Loosehead prop Sam Grahamslaw (24 apps) will also exit the club at the end of the season, as will scrum-half Sam Wolstenholme, the 2023/24 Team Man of the Season, after three season and 20 appearances for the Bears.
Steele Barker (10 appearances), John Edwards (four appearances), Toby Baker (three appearances) and Raff Weston (two appearances) will also leave the Bears at the conclusion of the season.
Bristol Bears director of rugby, Pat Lam, said: “This stage of the season is always a difficult one because we’re saying goodbye to players and people who have made a huge contribution to Bristol Bears both on and off the field during their time here.
“Every one of these players have put their bodies on the line and shown tremendous commitment to our Bears Vision and should be proud of what they’ve achieved at the club. They will always remain part of the Bears family.
“As we have done over the past nine seasons, we’ll recognise and celebrate our departing players together as a group this week, and supporters will also have the chance to show their appreciation at Ashton Gate after the Bath game on Friday, May 29th, when the players will be presented with their Bears matchday jerseys.”
Trio to depart Saracens
Saracens have confirmed that scrum-half Gareth Simpson, fly-half Louie Johnson and centre Sam Spink will all depart the North London-based club at the end of the season.
The trio’s contracts are all expiring at the end of the season.
Simpson played in 48 games for Saracens, of which six were in the Prem Rugby Cup this season and he also made three appearances as a replacement in the PREM and the Champions Cup.
Johnson, who joined from Newcastle in 2024, made 13 appearances for Sarries of which seven were in the PREM Rugby Cup this season.
Meanwhile, Spink, played in three PREM Rugby Cup games this season and also featured in a Champions Cup clash.
Veteran World Cup winner to continue at the Stormers
Meanwhile, it has been reported by South African media outlets that veteran back-row Fourie, who turns 40 in September, has signed a new year contract with the Stormers.
According to a Netwerk24 report, Fourie has agreed terms on a one-yearf contract extension with the men from the Cape.
Fourie made his Springboks debut at the age of 35 and was part of the Springboks’ triumphant Rugby World Cup campaign in France and came off the bench in their victory over the All Blacks in the final at the age of 37.
He is currently sidelined with a knee injury sustained during the Stormers’ URC clash with Ulster due to a crocodile roll by Ireland second-row Iain Henderson.
There is some uncertainty on the full extent of his knee injury but Fourie will be hoping to be ready for the Stormers’ 2026/27 season opener against Connacht, which will take place on his 40th birthday.
Ashman signs new Edinburgh deal
Edinburgh have confirmed that Ashman has committed his future to the club after signing a three-year contract extension through to 2030.
The 26-year-old has been in fine form for his the Scottish capital outfit during the 2025/26 season, finishing the campaign as the club’s top try-scorer with nine tries in 16 matches.
His form at the end of the campaign was particularly impressive – scoring five tries in the final four games of the season, including a double against Zebre Parma, before crossing against the Sharks, Dragons and Connacht.
He played 314 of a possible 320 minutes across those four fixtures, claiming United Rugby Championship Player of the Match awards in three of them.
That end-of-season form was the culmination of a year in which Ashman was consistently Edinburgh’s top performer.
He swept the club’s major individual honours at the end-of-season awards, winning the Men’s Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and the fan-voted Caullie Lug – awarded to the player who has shown the most commitment to the Edinburgh jersey.
On the international stage, Ashman’s 2025/26 season was equally impressive.
He scored five tries during the 2025 Autumn Nations Series, crossing against New Zealand and claiming braces against both Argentina and Tonga, taking his overall Scotland tally to 14 tries in Test 35 appearances – cementing his record as Scotland’s top try-scoring forward of all time.
Last summer, he was called into the British & Irish Lions squad for their tour of Australia, featuring in the final midweek fixture against the First Nations & Pasifika XV.
On signing his extension, Ashman said: “Edinburgh has become home for me and my partner, Caitlin, and that means everything. I love this club, I love this city and I genuinely have a smile on my face every time I come into work. That’s something pretty unique and not something I take for granted.
“I know this is a special group. We’re hungry for success and we want to take this team to the next level. The desire in this squad to win something together is real, and I want to be part of that.
“I have a great relationship with Sean [Everitt] and Stevie [Lawrie], while I’m really looking forward to working with the new coaching team. I can’t wait for what’s ahead.”
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Edinburgh head coach, Sean Everitt, added: “Ewan is a world-class player – there’s no other way to describe him. He’s a huge player for Edinburgh Rugby and for Scotland, and his British & Irish Lions cap last summer was thoroughly deserved.
“He has developed into one of the most dangerous forwards in the game, and picking up three BKT Players of the Match in the final four games of the season is the kind of elite-level consistency that sets him apart.
“But Ewan is more than just a performer – he’s a leader. He’s someone our players look up to and someone who sets the standards for the whole group. To tie him down to a long-term deal is huge for this club, and I’m delighted we’ve got this extension done.”
