'Going to be a superstar' - Bristol Bears linked with signing 19-year-old international
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam has offered Scottish rugby superstar in the making Freddy Douglas a potential route to regular first team rugby in a bid to lure him to the West Country. You might not know the name yet, but the odds are you will soon.
Douglas, still just 19, is touted as one of the most exciting emerging talents north of the border and according to RugbyPass Bristol are bidding to sign him ahead of the 2025/26 season. Last weekend, Douglas earned his first international cap off the bench in the 59-21 demolition of Portugal, becoming the second youngster Scotland international since Donald White in 1963. What made it even more remarkable is his international achievement came before running out in a competitive fixture for his hometown club Edinburgh who he has only represented at age grade level and in a number of A fixtures.
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The problem is that at club level Douglas’ route to the number seven jersey is blocked by Hamish Watson, Luke Crosbie, Ben Muncaster and Connor Boyle with Edinburgh under pressure to perform. But down at Bristol, Lam is clearly in the midst of a generational rebuild. This week the club confirmed two new signings in 26-year-old fly-half Tom Jordan and 21-year-old Argentina lock Pedro Rubiolo, add to that the recent additions of 21-year-old number eight Benjamin Grondona and 20-year-old Benjamin Elizalde and a clear theme is emerging.
But two of Lam’s current options at openside rather buck that youthful trend with Steven Luatua turning 34 before the end of the season and Jake Heenan now 32. While Santiago Grondona, 26, and club captain Fitz Harding, 25, are both prime options in the backrow, some succession planning is required.
Bristol were highly disappointed to miss out on young England backrow star in the making Guy Pepper last season, with the 21-year-old former Falcons forward opting for Bath instead. In many ways Douglas appears to be the younger Scottish version of Pepper.
Douglas’ form for a struggling Scottish U20s side brought him to the attention of the senior side’s coaching staff after he made more tackles and more steals than any other player in this year’s Under-20 Six Nations, and they liked what they saw on the training paddock. Speaking about him ahead of his senior Scotland debut at Murrayfield, forwards coach John Dalziel lavished praise on him. Dalziel said: “He has trained brilliantly.
“The guy is going to be a superstar. He’s just really impressed us hugely. He’s world-class already, and I think this experience is going to do him no end of good. And when he gets back to his club, he’ll kick on even further as well. He’s probably the most physical guy. He’s been flying into everything. He’s been excellent. He’s got a fantastic skill set. So he’s a good kid.
“And when the 20s trained with us through the Six Nations, he took a fight with Pierre Schoeman straight away. So he picks his enemies well.”
Douglas certainly fits the bill for the Bears, but Lam will face a fight for his signature.