In a shock move, the Bulls have reportedly signed Bath and England lock Charlie Ewels on a short-term deal as he makes his return from injury.
Ewels has returned from a serious knee injury earlier than expected and is looking to make a late claim for a place in England’s Rugby World Cup squad.
Why the Bulls?
The England and Bath second-row underwent knee surgery last July after sustaining the injury during the preparations for the first of the three Test match series against the Wallabies.
The 27-year-old was not expected to return during this season but has recovered in time to prove his fitness and press for a place in Steve Borthwick’s England squad.
According to The Times, he has joined the Bulls and could make his Currie Cup debut this weekend against the Sharks.
The report adds that the Stormers were in line to sign the lock, but the side could not raise enough funds to pay for his visa in time.
He also explored options in Australia but has now arrived in Pretoria.
Bath expected Ewels to miss the entire season and signed players such as Ted Hill and Fergus Lee-Warner from Worcester Warriors as injury dispensation.
They, therefore, used up their salary cap and Ewels needed a short-term deal elsewhere due to his early return.
Things to know about Charlie Ewels
Ewels was a member of the England U20 team that won the 2014 Junior World Championship, partnering Maro Itoje in the second-row. He captained the side a year later and finished as runners-up to New Zealand.
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He made his debut for Bath at 19 and has played over 100 times for the Premiership club.
Ewels took over the captaincy at Bath ahead of the 2019/20 season under former head coach Stuart Hooper.
In 2016, he earned his maiden Test call-up for England and debut against Fiji in November.
He was part of Eddie Jones’ wider Rugby World Cup squad and featured in the 2020 Six Nations squad.
During the Six Nations, he set the unwanted record of the quickest red card in the tournament’s history.
In the Test against Ireland, he was given his marching orders for a late and high tackle on James Ryan, with the pair colliding heads.
Ewels lists former Bulls legend and captain Victor Matfield as his most admired player in his player profile on England Rugby’s official website.
The lock is a car collector and takes his Ford Mustang to motor shows across the South West of England.
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