YOU HAVE TO DOFF YOUR CAP TO BRISTOL’S COUP
Salary no problem for Lam as he gets big man Radradra
PAT LAM pulled off the transfer coup of the season by signing Fijian superstar Semi Radradra and insisted Bristol are “nowhere near” the salary cap.
Bears director of rugby Lam said “every top club across both codes on the planet” wanted the wing, who has agreed to join the Premiership leaders from Bordeaux next season on a three-year deal.
“He is the ultimate professional, a truly world-class performer, an unstoppable force,” said Lam.
Bristol, owned by billionaire Steve Lansdown, already boast Charles Piutau, who reportedly became the highest paid player in world rugby, on a £1 million-per-season deal, two years ago.
Lam plans on keeping Piutau as one of two ‘marquee’ players clubs are allowed outside of the cap and, in the month Saracens have been found guilty of a breach, is clear that Bristol’s finances are in order.
“We are well below the salary cap,” said the former Samoa star, whose first move on joining the club in 2017 was to sit down with Andrew Rogers, Premiership Rugby’s salary cap manager.
“The beauty of the way it is set up is he is the moderator – if you have any questions you just ask him.
“I have agents say, ‘Do this, do that’. But the first thing I ask is, ‘Is that legal?’ They say, ‘But yeah other clubs are doing this and doing that’ and I say,
‘We are not interested’.
“Steve Lansdown has a lot of integrity and that is one of the reasons I came here. Everything is around values for me. There is no way you can go over, that’s why I say no when an agent wants £10,000 more here or there.”
Lam had already got to know Radradra before he went to the World Cup with Fiji and in four games beat 29 defenders – the most of any player at the tournament.
He picked him to play for his Barbarians side which demolished England last year, after which he told the player: “If you ever want to come to the UK, give me a call.”
Bristol lock Dave Attwood, who played with the wrecking-ball wing at Toulon, said: “I couldn’t be more pleased. Semi is probably the best player I have ever taken the field with. Offloads, turnovers, breakdowns, there’s nothing he can’t do.”