THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES ACROSS BATH STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX SIGN UP Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

England Under-20 scrum-half Ollie Fox will join Bath Rugby's senior academy next season.

As previously reported, the young half-back is on his way South from Championship club Yorkshire Carnegie.

Before that, he will be involved in the World Rugby U20 Championship in Argentina along with Tom de Glanville - Bath's only representative in the Red Rose squad.

Andy Rock - the academy manager who will be become performance director this summer - knows Fox well from when he was academy boss at financially-troubled Carnegie.

He said: "It is unusual to have the opportunity to bring in somebody of Ollie’s quality at this stage of their development, as a current U20 international and in such an influential position as scrum-half.

"We have seen Ollie develop on the international stage this year with England U20s. He is a young man who we believe will add value to the playing squad from day one and who we believe will flourish in our environment and establish himself in the Premiership with us here at Bath."

Fox came off the bench twice for Bath United in the 2018/19 season.

Flanker Xavier Hastings and full-back George Worboys - both England U18 internationals - are the latest Bath U18s to agree long-term senior academy contracts.

(Image: Bath Rugby)

They will join prop Archie Griffin, wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb, number eight Nahum Merigan and centre Max Ojomoh in moving up.

Back-rower Miles Reid, loosehead Will Vaughan and tighthead Sam Nixon are all graduating from the academy to the first-team squad.

Rock added: “These signings all represent important investments in our pathway and in our environment here at Bath Rugby.

"To add two more home-grown players into our full-time environment is a great sign of commitment to our vision and to the talented young men who exist in our region.

"We are excited to see Xavier and George develop as young men, both on and off the field in the years to come, after having already seen them grow on their journeys with us since the age of 14, when they both joined our academy."

Bath aim to have a first-team squad which is at least 50% home grown by 2023. Expected to be about 18-20 strong next season, Bath's senior academy is the biggest it has ever been.