Bristol Bears bring in title-winning lock Harry Wells on short-term deal

Bristol Bears have signed former Leicester Tigers lock Harry Wells on a three-month deal, plugging gaps in a forward pack hit by injuries as the new Premiership season approaches.

Wells, 32, arrives from Oundle RFC, a fourth-tier club, in a move that takes him from the lower leagues back to the top flight. He spent more than a decade at Leicester, making 236 appearances and winning the Premiership title at Twickenham in 2022. He also lifted the Prem Rugby Cup with the Tigers in the 2023-24 season BBC Sport.

Bristol's director of rugby, Pat Lam, said bolstering the back five of the scrum — the loose forwards and locks who carry the ball and do the heavy lifting at the breakdown (the contest for the ball on the ground after a tackle) — was a priority. Josh Caulfield, Bill Mata and Khalik Kareem are all still working their way back from injury, leaving Lam short of experienced bodies in those positions BBC Sport.

Wells can operate across the second row and back row, giving Lam flexibility in how he rotates his forwards. He also brings one England cap to the West Country — earned against Canada in 2021 BBC Sport.

The deal has an unusual wrinkle. Oundle RFC announced Wells' signing on the same day Bristol confirmed his arrival, meaning the player had barely settled at the Northamptonshire club before being loaned out to a Premiership side. Wells said he remains committed to Oundle and plans to return after his three months at Bristol conclude BBC Sport.

For Bristol, the appeal is straightforward. A 32-year-old with a decade of Premiership rugby, a title winner's medal and 236 appearances at one of England's biggest clubs is about as good a short-term insurance policy as you can find. Wells knows the league, knows the set-piece demands, and can slot in immediately while the injured trio recover.

For Wells, it is a chance to remind top-flight audiences what he can do — and to honour his commitment to Oundle once the three months are up. The short-term nature of the deal means there is no long-term commitment on either side, but a strong showing at Ashton Gate could open further doors.

Bristol get a proven operator at short notice. Wells gets a Premiership stage. Oundle get their man back in November. All three parties will hope the arrangement works as cleanly as it looks on paper.