England international forward star Ellis Genge has committed his future to his hometown club Bristol Bears, signing a new long-term contract.
Genge is a product of the Bristol Academy but transformed from a promising bruiser into a world-class superstar of the game at Leicester Tigers who captained to the Gallagher Premiership title in 2021/22 before returning to the West Country. On the international stage, Genge has made 62 appearances for his country, captaining England on two occasions and serving as a long-term vice-captain.
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The 29-year-old loosehead prop has made 45 appearances for his boyhood club across two stints, having joined the club’s Academy as a 15-year-old.
Bears director of rugby, Pat Lam, said: “Ellis has already achieved a lot of great things in his career, but what excites me most about Ellis committing long term to the Bears is his hunger and desire to be even better in every part of his game on and off the field.
“He is a passionate and proud Bristolian, which comes through massively in his leadership skills as he drives others to be at their best for the team and our community.
“We are all really pleased Ellis is staying as he is a massive part of our team, and I look forward to seeing the big things he is going to achieve for both club and country moving forward.”
Genge added: “This club and city mean so much to me, so I’m proud to be committing my long-term future here.
“I’ve said before that I’m as passionate about playing for Bristol as I am about playing for England, so it was an easy decision to stay. I’ve loved being back down here, close to my family in a city I’ve always called home, and I’m really excited about what this group of players can achieve over the next few years.”