The 28-year-old former rugby league star trained for the first time with his new teammates on Monday as he followed in the footsteps of former Wales U20 centre Louie Hennessey in crossing the Severn Bridge.
While Hennessey’s move was a loan deal, Grace has made a permanent move and will provide much needed strength in the wing department for head coach Matt Sherratt, who currently has Mason Grady, Theo Cabango, Iwan Stephens and Harri Millard on the sidelines.
Grace enjoyed a wonderful career in rugby league, playing 142 matches and scoring 88 tries for St Helens, as he helped the team claim three successive Super League titles.
He made the switch to union in July 2022 with a big transfer to Top 14 side Racing 92 but ruptured his Achilles ahead of his move. He completed a successful rehabilitation with Bath and joined them officially in April 2024.
Impressive performances in friendlies against Leinster and Gloucester saw him named in Wales’ summer tour party. He made a try-scoring debut n the win over Queensland Reds.
Back with Bath, he made his senior debut in the club’s Premiership Rugby Cup win against Bedford Blues in November and faced Benetton in the Champions Cup last month. Despite that, he is available for selection immediately, with Cardiff travelling to take on Perpignan in the Challenge Cup at Stade Aimie Giral this weekend.
“I’ve always been excited about Cardiff – it’s a big, historical club and a lot of legends have played here,” said Grace.
“Coming back to play on home soil has also always been something I’ve wanted to do, so to do that in the capital city is a great opportunity. I’m very much aware of all the dual-code legends who have played for, or come through, Cardiff, so to follow in those footsteps is pretty cool.
“There’s a lot of competition in the back-three, from someone like Josh Adams, who is already a legend of the game, to guys like Theo Cabango and Gabe Hamer-Webb. So, it’s a good, competitive environment and I’m looking forward to learning as much as possible from all those guys.
“I just want to play, to be able to put together back-to-back matches, be consistent and keep learning. You learn from playing and I’m looking forward to putting my hand up for selection.”
He now bolsters Cardiff, who are in third place in the BKT United Rugby Championship table, for the second half of the season. With more game time he will get the chance to convince Warren Gatland he has what it takes to make it an international level.
“We’re really pleased to bring Regan to the club, he is a great addition, in a position where we needed reinforcement,” said Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt.
“He is obviously an incredibly exciting player, but he is also a really good person and professional. Everyone we have spoken to could not have spoken highly enough of Regan.
“He impressed during the summer with Wales, and we are excited to see what he can achieve as he continues his transition to union within our environment.”
