Bees Sign Eight!

By Elliott Josypenko
August 23 2006

Pertemps Bees have further strengthened their squad ahead of the new National League One season by signing eight new players.

First up is hooker Stewart Pearl from league rivals Plymouth Albion.
Pearl, 26, hails from Leamington and has decided to return to the Midlands having made more than 70 National One appearances, first for Worcester and then for Plymouth.
"Stewart has got a proven track record in this league," said former Wales lock Steve Williams, Pertemps Bees' new head coach. "He played more rugby as last season went on and he will bring valuable experience to our squad.
"He's a solid character and a tough no-nonsense player. That's the sort of attitude that we like.
"He's a Midlands boy who wanted to move back to the area and we're delighted to have signed him."
Pearl will be in competition with former Wales Under-21 hooker Matt Miles, who played alongside Williams at Northampton, for the hooker's position with Pertemps Bees.

Former Wales Under-21 centre Tristan Davies joins from Celtic League club Cardiff Blues where he also played Heineken Cup European rugby last season.
He began his career with Neath, the home-town club of Pertemps Bees' new coach Steve Williams, and also has experience of playing in the English Premiership from his stint with Leeds.

Pertemps Bees also made another raid on Celtic League side Cardiff Blues to sign free-scoring winger Matt Nuthall.
Nuthall, 23, arrives at Sharmans Cross Road with a proven try-scoring record both in the Celtic League and in the Welsh Premiership where he played for Pontypridd last season..
He helped Pontypridd win the Welsh Cup in May by scoring a superb individual try in the 26-25 victory over Neath in the final at the Millennium Stadium.
"I'm chuffed that Matt has agreed to join us," said Steve Williams, Pertemps Bees' new head coach and former Wales international lock.
"He's played all his rugby in Wales and he just fancied something different. We're delighted to have signed him.
"He's got a lot of pace, a very good side-step and he is an exceptional try-scorer. He's a big bloke as well and a very exciting prospect."

Experienced back-row forward Mark Gabey has also signed from league rivals Exeter Chiefs.
Gabey already has experience of rugby in the Midlands having helped Worcester win the National One title two years ago and played and the Sixways outfit's first season in the Premiership.
Gabey, a number eight or blindside who can also play in the second row, has previous Premiership experience with Bath.

Bees have completed the signing of Fijian international back-row forward Akapusi Qera.
Qera arrived in Birmingham in time to make his debut for Pertemps Bees in their 34-7 victory over Blackheath at Portway last Saturday and has now completed the formalities of his move to the club.
Qera, who has also played international sevens rugby for Fiji, made an instant impression for Pertemps Bees and scored a long-range try in the second half against Blackheath.
Qera has won five senior international caps for Fiji, the most recent against Japan last month.

Mark George, a number eight, and Tom Rawlings, an openside flanker, have signed for Bees. Both played for Hartpury, a college between Gloucester and Tewkesbury, in last season's BUSA Championship final at Twickenham.
George trained with Pertemps Bees on several occasions last season and made his first appearance for the club in last weekend's friendly against Blackheath.
"Mark and George are two highly-rated youngsters who we have been keeping an eye on for some time," said Phil Maynard, Pertemps Bees director of rugby.
"I watched them play a couple of games for Hartpury last season and also fo Gloucester in the Guinness A League. Mark has been training with us for some time so he's already in the grow-bag.
"We tried to sign Mark last season but Hartpury would not release him. But both Mark and Tom are now signed up with the club and we will be releasing them for Hartpury's important college matches."

Pertemps Bees have signed Tongan international prop Hotili Asi.
The mobile loosehead has already won nine international caps for his country and arrives at Sharmans Cross Road having played more than 50 games for North Otago in New Zealand's NPC competition.
Asi also played club rugby in Scotland for Stewarts-Melville FP where he was spotted by former Scotland fly-half Craig Chalmers and recommended to Pertemps Bees. Chalmers played for Pertemps Bees in the 2003/04 season and is now coaching at Melrose.
Asi, who played in last Saturday's 19-5 victory over Bridgend in a club match, was also recommended to Pertemps Bees by his compatriot Hese Fakatou, the Stourbridge back-row forward.

Asi is the 18th new signing made by Pertemps Bees since the end of last season. He follows Fijian international back-row forward Akapusi Qera, former Worcester and Exeter lock/back-row forward Mark Gabey, former Wales Under-21 centre Tristan Davies and winger Matt Nuthall, who have been recruited from Cardiff Blues, new captain and lock Mark Cornwell from Gloucester, fly-half Jon Higgins from Coventry, Canadian international prop Casey Dunning, hooker Stewart Pearl from Plymouth Albion, scrum-halves Mike Baxter (Bath) and Reece Spee (Ulster), Hartpury College back-row forwards Tom Rawlings and Mark George and five loan signings from Gloucester - Terry Sigley, Jon Goodridge, Brad Davies, Dean Miller and Dan Tuohy.