Union Bordeaux-Bègles, unfortunate finalists of the Top 14 (59-3 defeat against Toulouse), confirmed on Thursday the arrivals of five new players next season, among whom are Scottish internationals Jonny Gray and Australian Lachlan Swinton.
Gray has not played since April 2023
Gray (30 years old) has been playing for four seasons at Exeter, with whom he achieved the English Championship – Champions Cup double in 2020. An international on 77 occasions, he seriously injured his kneecap at the end of April 2023 and has not played in competition since, notably missing the last World Cup. Jonny is the younger brother of Richie Gray who played for Castres and Toulouse.
Lachlan Swinton (27) is a flanker, who joins from the New South Wales Waratahs. Capped seven times by the Australian team, he has scored four tries in 12 Super Rugby matches this season.
Perchaud, Matiu and Jacobs also recruited
Matis Perchaud (22 years old) is a left pillar of the future, trained in Bayonne, who had initially been selected for the current summer tour in Argentina and Uruguay, before getting injured. He knows Yannick Bru very well, the manager of UBB, who launched him in Top 14, when he was in charge of Aviron bayonnais.
Finally, two young second-row players from Biarritz have also signed with the Girondin club: Temo Matiu (22 years old), son of the former French international Legi Matiu (two selections in 2000) and the South African Tiaan Jacobs (19 years old).
