Jersey Reds have added talented back row forward Josh Bainbridge to their squad for 2019-20.
The 23-year-old will move to the Island after five seasons in the senior ranks at Yorkshire Carnegie, for whom he amassed 86 appearances and 25 tries since his debut in 2014.
Bainbridge played rugby for Middlesbrough - his hometown club - and Guisborough as a teenager, and was also part of the Yorkshire Carnegie Academy from the age of 15. He became a regular part of the Carnegie match-day squad in 2015-16, including being named Greene King IPA Championship player of the month.
Having represented England at under 18 level, Bainbridge (pictured above), graduated to the under 20 set-up and played in the Six Nations and Junior World Cup in both 2015 and 2016, with England lifting the World Cup in 2016.
Director of Rugby Harvey Biljon said: "I'm really pleased to have Josh heading to Jersey this summer. He's been a stand-out performer in the Championship who's impressed me in several encounters during the past few seasons and I'm looking forward to working with him and challenging him to make further improvements to his game."
The newcomer takes the total of new signings so far for the Reds to 11, alongside 23 players from the existing squad who will be retained for 2019-20.
The 23 Reds players who have signed new deals, or whose existing contracts already extended into 2019/20, are:
* Jack Macfarlane (hooker - joined the Reds in 2016)
* Charlie Maddison (hooker - 2018)
* Leeroy Atalifo (prop - 2017)
* Alec Clarey (prop - 2017)
* Roy Godfrey (prop - 2017)
* Harry Morley (prop - 2018)
* Zei Alexis (prop - 2018)
* Charlie Beckett (lock - 2018)
* Max Argyle (back row - 2016)
* Rory Bartle (back row - 2017)
* Conor Joyce (back row - 2017)
* Jake Upfield (back row - 2017)
* Kyle Hatherell (back row - 2018)
* Janco Venter (back row - 2018)
* Will Homer (scrum-half - 2018)
* Liam Howley (scrum-half - 2019)
* Aaron Penberthy (fly-half - 2018) (also a Jersey player 2013-16)
* Apakuki Ma'afu (centre - 2016)
* Mark Best (centre - 2017)
* James Newey (centre/wing - 2018)
* Jack Stapley (wing - 2018)
* Auguy Slowik (wing/full-back - 2017)
* Leroy Van Dam (wing/full-back - 2018)
New signings:
* Josh Bainbridge (back row) - Yorkshire Carnegie
* TJ Harris (hooker) - Wasps
* Dan Richardson (prop) - Rotherham Titans
* Liam Hallam-Eames (lock) - Manawatu Turbos
* Alex Thompson (lock) - Ulster
* Luc Jones (scrum-half) - Richmond
* Brendan Cope (fly-half) - Yorkshire Carnegie
* Greg Dyer (fly-half/ full-back) - Valladolid RAC
* George Spencer (centre) - Edinburgh Academical
* Tom Williams (full-back) - Cardiff Blues
* George Willmott (back row) - Jersey Reds Athletic
The Reds have also taken steps to retain members of the existing coaching team into next season. DoR Biljon, who marked five years in Jersey this January, has signed an extended contract stretching to 2024. His coaching colleagues confirmed for next season are:
* Neil Tunnah (Assistant Coach - Forwards - joined the Reds in 2017)
* Ed Robinson (Assistant Coach - Backs - 2018)
* Jim Molony (Strength & Conditioning Coach - 2015)
* Emlyn Lynch (Head Physiotherapist - 2018)
* Shaun Slater (Analyst - 2018)
* Oliver Ware (Physiotherapist - 2018)
