Advertisement
Bath Rugby are reported to be facing significant competition to keep hold of the club’s first-choice loosehead prop Beno Obano.
The Blue, Blacks, and Whites’ loosehead stocks have taken a hit over the summer, with the world-class Thomas du Toit, who, despite being a tighthead specialist, regularly played on both sides of the scrum, and his South African compatriot Francois van Wyk both moving on to join The Sharks and Connacht Rugby, respectively.
Scottish international loosehead Jamie Bhatti is one of just two major signings this summer, along with number eight Dan du Preez, but Obano’s importance to the Bath squad has grown in significance following the departures.
Below Obano and Bhatti sit emerging talents 22-year-old Scott Kirk and 21-year-old Welshman Ioan Emanuel, but they remain very green at the elite level.
Now RugbyPass report Obano, 31, has held ‘face to face’ talks with reigning Intestec Champions Cup holders Bordeaux-Begles about a potential move to the Top 14 ahead of the 2027/28 season when his contract at the Rec expires.
Obano joined Bath in 2015 after switching from Wasps and has established himself as a dynamic force in the Gallagher PREM over the last decade, making nearly 200 appearances for the club while becoming an England international, albeit winning just five senior international caps, the last of which came in this summer’s 45-21 Nations Championship match defeat to South Africa at Ellis Park.
RugbyPass report Bordeaux are exploring their options at loosehead with Jefferson Poirot and Matis Perchaud reported to be out of contract at the end of the season.
Bath’s new head of recruitment Bryn Cunningham, who took over the role in the Spring from Rob Burgess, who departed the club to join Gloucester Rugby, has a tough job on his hands in keeping Johann van Graan’s impressive squad together with the players’ value rising as they enjoy more success, and with a number of players on big back end deals which mean down the line they will require significant paydays.