Bristol sign Totoa Auvaa two weeks after his Saracens sacking

Pat Lam has given Totoa Auvaa a way back into professional rugby. Bristol Bears have signed the Samoan forward a fortnight after Saracens sacked him, and the Bristol director of rugby says the move started when the player's agent asked him for a second chance.

According to BBC Sport, Saracens let Auvaa go after a further incident in St Albans, which police are investigating. Hertfordshire Police said they were looking into an altercation in St Peter's Street, St Albans, between 02:15 and 02:20 on Sunday 11 October 2026, in which a man in his twenties is alleged to have been approached by another man and punched in the face. Saracens said Auvaa's conduct fell short of the standards they expect from everyone who represents the club, on the pitch and off it.

It was not the first time the club had to answer for him. In June, Auvaa was caught up in a nightclub scuffle that also involved England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson, and a member of England's security staff ended up bloodied after Auvaa hit him. Saracens said at the time that they would stand by him.

Last season, during a loan spell at Championship side Ampthill, he was red-carded twice for violent conduct, first for punching an opponent and then for kicking a player in the head at a ruck. His only outing for Saracens was a 20-minute run in a Prem Rugby Cup fixture in September.

"Totoa is a big, physical young man with enormous potential, who unfortunately has made some mistakes," Lam said. "I've always believed that young people deserve the opportunity to learn from those experiences, grow and become better people."