Totoa Auvaa signed by Bristol Bears two weeks after Saracens dismissal
Bristol Bears signed Samoan forward Totoa Auvaa on 26 October 2026, two weeks after he was sacked by Saracens following an incident in St Albans that is under police investigation. The 21-year-old joins Bristol after a period of disciplinary issues while on Saracens' books.
Auvaa, 21, was involved in a nightclub altercation in June with England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson, during which a member of England's security staff was left bloodied after being struck by Auvaa. He made a single appearance for Saracens this season, playing 20 minutes of a Prem Rugby Cup match in September. Saracens dismissed him after a separate incident in St Albans.
Bristol's director of rugby Pat Lam said he was approached by Auvaa's agent and was prepared to offer the player another opportunity. "His agent reached out to me to see if I would be willing to help him and give him a second chance," Lam said.
Lam, himself a former Samoan international, told Bristol's website he believed the club could provide support and a suitable environment for Auvaa to develop on and off the field. "I've always believed that young people deserve the opportunity to learn from those experiences, grow and become better people," Lam said.
On the club website Lam added: "Totoa is a big, physical young man with enormous potential, who unfortunately has made some mistakes since arriving from a small village in Samoa to the massive city of London." He said the club could offer mentorship and structure.
While on loan at Championship side Ampthill last season, Auvaa was sent off twice for violent conduct — once for punching an opposition player in the face in the aftermath of conceding a try, and in another match for kicking someone in the head at the bottom of a ruck. Mitigating factors referenced in his case included his youth, his recent arrival in England and the stress of supporting his father through illness.
When the nightclub incident involving Atkinson and Stokes occurred, Saracens said they would stand by Auvaa; after the St Albans incident the club terminated his contract, saying his conduct had fallen "short of the standards expected of everyone who represents Saracens, both on and off the pitch." A statement from Hertfordshire Police said: "Police are investigating an altercation which occurred between 0215 and 0220 on Sunday [11 October] in St Peter's Street, St Albans. "It is alleged a man aged in his twenties was approached by another man who then punched him to the face. Enquiries are ongoing at this time."
"Having spent time with Totoa, I feel confident that we can provide him with the mentorship, guidance, support and structure to give him the best possible opportunity to succeed, not just as a rugby player, but as a person - someone his parents and family all the way back in Samoa will be proud of," Lam said, outlining the club's stated aims for Auvaa's development following his signing.