Bristol Bears have signed Samoan forward Totoa Auvaa after he was sacked by Saracens earlier this month following a late-night incident in St Albans that remains under police investigation.
Auvaa, 21, was previously involved in a nightclub altercation with England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson in June, but Saracens retained him at the time. He made one senior appearance for Saracens, playing 20 minutes in a Premiership Rugby Cup match in September.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said the club believes in giving second chances and revealed that Saracens had provided extensive support, including an English teacher and mentorship from captain Maro Itoje. Lam said Itoje checked in on Auvaa this week as he began training with the Bears.
Lam praised Saracens for doing "an unbelievable job" with Auvaa and said he understands their decision to release him. He added that Auvaa has made an impressive start in training and could feature in upcoming Premiership Rugby Cup games against Sale and Bath in November.
Lam emphasized that no ultimatums have been issued regarding Auvaa's future behaviour, stating that the focus is on learning from past mistakes within a supportive environment.
