Leicester Tigers have completed the signing of loosehead prop Ellis Genge from Bristol Rugby.
Genge has been on loan at Tigers for the last three months of the season and has now agreed a longer-term move.
The 21-year-old Genge made five appearances for Tigers in the closing stages of the 2015/16 season, including the Aviva Premiership semi-final, and earned a call-up to the England squad for summer Tests against Wales and Australia.
He previously made 26 first-team appearances at Bristol, scoring six tries, after coming through Hartpury College and playing age-group rugby with England Under-17s and Under-20s. He made his senior debut for Bristol in the British & Irish Cup in 2013/14.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “Ellis has made a big impression in his time on loan with us. He is very keen to learn and has an excellent work ethic.
“He earned his opportunities in the Tigers team towards the end of the season and is in a good place to continue to learn and improve with senior props including Marcos Ayerza, Dan Cole and Logovi’i Mulipola around him.
“He is a great young prospect and he seems to have found his home at Leicester in his time on loan with us.
“We hope he continues to build on that first impression and we look forward to seeing his development here.”
Genge will have the opportunity to meet his old team-mates in Premiership rugby next season with Bristol confirming their promotion in Championship play-off victory over Doncaster Knights.
Fellow front-rowers Pat Cilliers (signed from Montpellier) and George McGuigan (from Newcastle Falcons) are also among the new faces who report for pre-season training with Tigers this summer.
Reflecting on his first few months at Tigers, Genge said: “It has been class, I have learned so much.
“Richard Cockerill gave me an opportunity to come here and he gave me a little run in the team. I have really enjoyed it. I just want to keep learning.”
Genge has been on loan at Tigers for the last three months of the season and has now agreed a longer-term move.
The 21-year-old Genge made five appearances for Tigers in the closing stages of the 2015/16 season, including the Aviva Premiership semi-final, and earned a call-up to the England squad for summer Tests against Wales and Australia.
He previously made 26 first-team appearances at Bristol, scoring six tries, after coming through Hartpury College and playing age-group rugby with England Under-17s and Under-20s. He made his senior debut for Bristol in the British & Irish Cup in 2013/14.
Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “Ellis has made a big impression in his time on loan with us. He is very keen to learn and has an excellent work ethic.
“He earned his opportunities in the Tigers team towards the end of the season and is in a good place to continue to learn and improve with senior props including Marcos Ayerza, Dan Cole and Logovi’i Mulipola around him.
“He is a great young prospect and he seems to have found his home at Leicester in his time on loan with us.
“We hope he continues to build on that first impression and we look forward to seeing his development here.”
Genge will have the opportunity to meet his old team-mates in Premiership rugby next season with Bristol confirming their promotion in Championship play-off victory over Doncaster Knights.
Fellow front-rowers Pat Cilliers (signed from Montpellier) and George McGuigan (from Newcastle Falcons) are also among the new faces who report for pre-season training with Tigers this summer.
Reflecting on his first few months at Tigers, Genge said: “It has been class, I have learned so much.
“Richard Cockerill gave me an opportunity to come here and he gave me a little run in the team. I have really enjoyed it. I just want to keep learning.”
