Workington Town swoop to sign prop from Down Under following unsuccessful Warrington Wolves trial

Championship new boys Workington Town have swooped to sign prop Bear Williams for 2026 following his unsuccessful trial stint at Super League outfit Warrington Wolves.

Front-rower Williams comes from a rugby union background and back in 2021, he briefly donned a shirt for Cornish Pirates in the second tier of the British game’s pyramid.

Soon after though, he switched codes into league and received an opportunity Down Under to link up with NRL side South Sydney Rabbitohs, representing the Bunnies on seven occasions in the New South Wales Cup.

Scoring a sole try in that second-grade competition, which came against Manly Sea Eagles’ reserves last March, Williams made the move to the UK ahead of the 2026 campaign and has spent the last month or so on trial with Warrington.

But having been unsuccessful in his quest to land a contract with the Super League club, he has now landed a deal at Workington: largely thanks to a recommendation from the Wolves’ Director of Rugby Gary Chambers.

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Workington Town swoop to sign prop from Down Under following unsuccessful Warrington Wolves trial

Workington finished second in League 1 last season, ending the year a single competition point behind champions North Wales Crusaders.

As a result of the second and third tiers merging to form one bumper division for 2026, they will compete in the Championship this year, which comprises of 20 clubs.

The Cumbrian outfit announced Williams’ arrival ahead of their opening game of the campaign on Sunday, with Town travelling to local rivals Barrow Raiders.

Posting on social media, Workington wrote: “Bear came to our attention around August/September when we were looking for middles when he was at South Sydney Rabbitohs.

“Bear sent us his clips and Jonty (Gorley, head coach) liked what he saw, reminding him of a front-rower he had at Whitehaven in Huw Worthington.

“Fast forward a few months and Bear became available after completing a pre-season at Warrington Wolves. I spoke to Gary Chambers who couldn’t speak highly enough of him and said he would be an asset for us if we could get him in.

“This recommendation is highly valued and the club acted quickly to secure Bear’s services and glad to say Bear has signed until the end of the year with us.

“A huge thank you to ‘Chem’ at Warrington for his advice on Bear and recommending him.”