Glasgow Warriors have made a significant acquisition for the 2024/25 season by signing Patrick Schickerling.
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The 25-year-old tight-head prop will leave the Exeter Chiefs to join the Warriors at Scotstoun this summer, having secured a lucrative multi-year contract.
Schickerling’s arrival follows contract extensions for key players such as Scott Cummings, Jamie Bhatti, and Johnny Matthews, along with Head Coach Franco Smith, all renewed during the 2023/24 season.
Renowned for his skills as a dynamic ball-carrier and a formidable force in the set-piece, Schickerling has an impressive record of 35 appearances for Exeter, including seven tries.
The Namibian-born player moved to Exeter in 2018, hoping to qualify for the England team by 2021, three years after his relocation.
However, England avoided a potential penalty by not playing him during their successful tour of Australia in 2022.
Schickerling did participate in an uncapped defeat to the Barbarians in June but missed the matches against the Wallabies.
His journey to Australia was based on the belief that he became eligible for England in November 2021, under the three-year residency rule effective when he moved in November 2018.
Yet, in January 2022, World Rugby extended the residency requirement to five years, making him ineligible for his uncapped appearance.
Although he became eligible in November 2023, his move to Scotland will again prevent him from representing England.
Bath have confirmed four huge signings for the 2024/25 Premiership season
Bath’s recent spending spree shows no sign of slowing down with the black, blue and whites having already confirmed four signings for next season.
#1. Guy Pepper
The 20-year-old joins the Blue, Black and White from Newcastle Falcons.
The 20-year-old, former England U20s back row has agreed to join Bath Rugby for the start of the 2024/25 season initially until the summer of 2027.
Hailing from Harrogate, Pepper is a product of the Newcastle Falcons Academy having made 22 appearances for the North East club.
In his first seven appearances for Falcons, the commanding 6ft 3in back rower scored three tries in his 2022/23 breakthrough season.
Bursting onto the international scene earlier this year after playing for England A in their victory over Portugal in February, Pepper was named in Steve Borthwick’s England training squad for their Guinness Six Nations finale against France.
Pepper comes from a strong rugby family, with his father Martin being an ex-Harlequins player, and brother Max representing Great Britain in Sevens code.
He is also completing a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Durham which he will complete remotely on a part-time basis during his time at Bath.
Head of Rugby, Johann van Graan, said:
“Guy is one of the most talented and exciting back rowers in the English game. His hunger to improve and develop is evident and I believe he will be a big part of our team in the years to come.”