Bath Rugby have won the race to the signing of promising youngster Cameron Redpath from Sale Sharks with immediate effect it has been confirmed.
The back has signed a three-year deal after a six-figure fee was agreed with a reluctant Sharks side, who had hoped to keep a hold of one of their prised assets.
“Sale Sharks can today announce that Cameron Redpath will leave the club with immediate effect to join Bath Rugby on a three-year contract. The club have reluctantly agreed to accept a six-figure transfer fee to release Cameron from his Sale Sharks contract after unsuccessful negotiations with the player over the past couple of weeks. Redpath was in the second year of a five-year contract but has failed to retain a regular first team place after a number of injuries halted his development. Cameron, the son of former Sale scrum-half Bryan Redpath, joined the Sharks on a full-time academy contract after leaving Sedbergh School in 2017, the 20-year-old made a total of 22 appearances over two seasons in Manchester. The utility-back was selected for the England U20s in his first season at Sale after impressing with the U18’s the previous year whilst studying his A-Levels at Sedbergh,” a statement from Sale read.
The English youth star is one of Sale’s home-grown players and it was reported by RugbyPass last week that both Bath and Exeter Chiefs were keen to lure him away from Manchester.
Sale’s director of rugby Steve Diamond admitted that it is disappointing for the club to lose one of their own.
“We have a hard working and vibrant culture at the club which is developing through selective recruitment and the inclusion of our home-grown talent. We are 100% committed to our academy vision and the development of high-level players within the North-West. However, the most important ingredient in this process is the desire for our players and staff to actually want to be here. After meeting with Cameron on several occasions over the past few weeks, it became clear his desire was to leave the club,” he said.
Meanwhile Redpath thanked Sale for his time at the club in a message of his own.
“I would like to thank everyone at Sale for their support over the last two seasons, the coaches and staff at Sale were nothing but good to me. I wish everyone at the club all the best for the remainder for the season and the future,” he said.
The 20-year-old, who can play across the back-line will be hoping to get more game-time with Bath over the coming seasons than he has received at Sale. His first test in a Bath jersey could come as early as this weekend as they host the Bristol Bears knowing that a win would take them above their opponents and into the top-four of the Premiership table.
