Sacked Saracens forward offered ‘second chance’ by PREM rivals as coach cites need for ‘mentorship’
Totoa Auvaa (right) was sacked by Saracens earlier this month, but will remain in the PREM after signing for Bristol Bears
Former Saracens forward Totoa Auvaa has landed a second chance in the PREM, putting pen to paper on a deal to join Bristol Bears.
His move to Ashton Gate comes after his high-profile sacking by the North London outfit, following multiple off-field incidents. He was initially alleged to have been involved in an altercation with England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson earlier this year, and was then alleged to have punched a man in the face in St Albans last month.
“Saracens can confirm that Totoa Auvaa, a member of the Senior Men’s Academy, has left the club with immediate effect,” a statement from the club read.
“Following an incident this weekend, the club has determined that his conduct falls short of the standards expected of everyone who represents Saracens, both on and off the pitch.
“We take our responsibilities to our supporters, young people and partners seriously and we remain committed to upholding the standards of our conduct expected across the club.
“We will not be making any further comment on this matter.”
Auvaa made just one senior appearance during his time at Saracens, coming off the bench in their PREM Rugby Cup win over Northampton Saints at the start of the season, and also featured on dual-registration duty for CHAMP side Ampthill on 18 occasions.
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Totoa Auvaa signs for Bristol Bears
However, he will remain in the PREM for the foreseeable future after signing a deal with Bristol; with director of rugby Pat Lam hopeful the club can provide him with a second chance to prove himself.
“Totoa is a big, physical young man with enormous potential, who unfortunately has made some mistakes since arriving from a small village in Samoa to the massive city of London,” said the Bristol boss.
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“His agent reached out to me, to see if I would be willing to help him and give him a second chance. I’ve always believed that young people deserve the opportunity to learn from those experiences, grow and become better people.
“Having spent time with Totoa, I feel confident that we can provide him with the mentorship, guidance, support and structure to give him the best possible opportunity to succeed, not just as a rugby player, but as a person. Someone his parents and family all the way back in Samoa will be proud of.
“He has a huge amount of ability and we’re looking forward to helping him develop, make the most of this opportunity and become a valued member of the Bears family.”
Auvaa has already arrived in the West Country following his move, and begun training with the Bears as they begin preparations for their PREM clash with Leicester Tigers this weekend.