Alfie Barbeary has candidly revealed that he was not offered a contract extension by Bath Rugby as he prepares to leave the club after three and a half years. The 25-year-old, a fan favourite at Bath, will join Saracens next season following his move from Wasps in 2022 after their collapse.
Bath’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, has signed South African international Dan du Preez as Barbeary’s replacement in the back row for the 2025 season. Barbeary disclosed the news came as a shock when it was communicated to him around December.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast, Barbeary said, “If I’m being completely honest, it happened around December. I got told my contract wasn’t getting renewed, and I was like, okay. I was gutted because I did want to stay. But obviously Bath is a business, and I wasn’t really pulling my weight with how I was playing due to injuries, so it was understandable.”
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Barbeary acknowledged the difficulty of breaking into a star-studded and heavily rotated Bath squad, which won last season’s Gallagher Premiership by balancing game time carefully. Injuries further hindered his ability to build momentum, including a hamstring tear that sidelined him for six weeks.
“The Bath side has quality all over the back row, so rotation was a big thing. Getting momentum was hard. I started well but then got injured and missed much of the season after November,” Barbeary explained.
Despite the disappointment, his response was impressive. Following the contract news, Barbeary delivered a string of player-of-the-match performances, helping Bath reach the Champions Cup semi-finals before bowing out to eventual champions Bordeaux Begles. This form earned him a shortlist spot for European Player of the Year.
Committed to staying in the Gallagher Premiership to keep his England ambitions alive ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Barbeary turned down interest from several French Top 14 clubs. He will replace Tom Willis at Saracens, who moved to France and effectively ended his England hopes.
Barbeary attributes his recent strong performances to embracing his unique playing style, despite previous coaching advice to carry the ball lower. “I’m a unique ball carrier because I carry it upright. I decided to go back to playing the way I naturally do, and it’s paid off,” he said.
Reflecting on his time at Bath, Barbeary remains proud and motivated. “I wanted to end my time at Bath with something big — winning Europe was that goal, but it just wasn’t meant to be. I have a lot of love for Bath, so I want to go out with a bang.”
As Barbeary’s chapter at Bath closes, the focus turns to the club’s quest to become the first side in six years to successfully defend the Gallagher Premiership title.