Scrum-half Chris Cook will make the switch from Bath to Bristol Bears at the end of next month.
As revealed in The Rugby Paper on March 15, the pending announcement that Saracens No.9 Ben Spencer has signed for Bath left Cook on the fringes of a first-team selection.
And that has opened the door for Cook to join fierce Premiership rivals Bristol after 11 seasons at the Rec.
“I have loved every minute of wearing the Blue, Black and White,” said Cook, who made 89 Premiership appearances with Bath.
“With 11 seasons behind me I am thankful to be leaving the club with great memories, from playing at Twickenham in front of a sea of blue, black and white to sensational matchdays at the Rec.
“I’d like to say a massive thank you to all of the supporters who have been a huge part of my time at Bath. Bath is my hometown and I’ll be supporting the Blue, Black and White no matter who’s playing, so I’m sure I’ll see people around.”
“To the players and coaches who have been part of my time at Bath, they have made me who I am today and I’d like to thank them sincerely for everything they have done over many years.”
Cook, 28, adds to Bristol’s scrum-half stock which already includes Harry Randall, Andy Uren and young gun Blake Boyland.
Bears director of rugby Pat Lam shared the reasoning behind adding a little experience to the group.
“Chris is an experienced Premiership performer and he adds real depth and quality to the scrum half position,” Lam commented.
“What also impressed us about Chris is that he’s genuinely excited about the journey we are on as a club. He’s looking forward to getting on our Bears bus and being part of our environment and adding value to keep the bus moving forward.
“To have four English qualified scrum halves competing for a starting berth is a real positive and reflects our Bears vision.”
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