Bath Rugby can officially confirm that after 10 seasons Jonathan Joseph has left the club to pursue a playing opportunity with Biarritz Olympique.
Having spent his early professional years with London Irish, Joseph joined Bath Rugby in 2013 and made his debut against Newcastle Falcons early in the season.
One of the club’s longest standing players, Joseph has accumulated 176 appearances in Blue, Black and White, scoring 41 tries along the way.
Earning international honours with England Rugby, Joseph also has 54 caps wearing the red rose, and embarked on a British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand with the prestigious test side in 2017.
After impressing at both club and international level, in 2015 Joseph was named the RPA’s Players’ Player of the Year and England Player of the Year.
Joseph started all five games of England’s 2016 Six Nations campaign, playing a key cog in England’s first Grand Slam win in over a decade.
The international featured in the last two Rugby World Cup tournaments, earning six caps in the 2019 championship. He featured for England in their quarter-final and semi-final against Australia and New Zealand respectively, and was a runner-up in the final after defeat to South Africa.
Growing from a boy to a man whilst wearing the hoops of Bath Rugby, Joseph’s time at The Rec has seen him become a husband and, most recently, a father.
Of Joseph’s time at the club, Head of Rugby, Johann van Graan, said: “JJ has made an immense contribution to Bath Rugby.
“He has achieved a huge amount in both his club career and on a test match level and will be considered a Bath Rugby legend for years to come.”
Joseph would like to take the time to thank the club and the Bath Rugby supporters.
“My time at Bath Rugby has come to an end as I step away from the club to begin a new chapter of my professional career.
“I have many fond memories in the Blue, Black and White. Playing at The Rec in front of a sold-out crowd is not something every rugby player can say they’ve done. But to have done it over and over again is just testament to the Bath Rugby supporters’ loyalty as well as my coaches’ belief in me.
“I feel it is the right time for me in my career to pursue new opportunities and see what else is out there for me.”
