Blues bring in duo as Eckersley and Davies-King head to Goldington Road
Rayer signs two players to boost Bedford squad
Bedford Blues have announced their first new signings of the summer, with flanker Dan Eckersley and prop Will Davies-King moving to Goldington Road.
Eckersley, 24, makes the short move from Elior Champ Rugby campaign Cambridge, where he was one of the club’s top performers last term, making 24 appearances and chipping in with seven tries. He was also named Players’ Player of the Year at Ellgia Fields, winning the Defensive Player of the Season award too, with 361 tackles, 25 turnovers and most impressively made 536 ruck entries, the third most across Elior Champ Rugby in 2025/26.
The ex-Wasps youngster, who made more than 50 appearances across Loughborough Students and Loughborough University in the BUCS Super Rugby and then National League Two, also representing England at U17, U18 and U20 level, said of his move: “I’m over the moon to be joining a club like Bedford and I can’t wait to get stuck in and get to the know the boys, coaches and wider staff.
"What the club has been able to do in recent years has been really impressive, so I’m looking forward to getting going. From what I’ve heard about the Blues family, and the atmosphere the fans bring home and away, it’s extremely exciting. I’m looking forward to the new challenge and seeing what the year brings.”
Forwards coach Cameron Boon continued: “Dan is somebody we’re really excited to bring on board. Despite a tough year for Cambridge, his performances and competitiveness really stood out. What excites us most is his age profile and his desire to keep improving as a rugby player. We’re looking forward to bringing him into our environment and seeing him immerse himself in the Bedford style of play.”
Meanwhile, Davies-King, 27, heads to Bedford from Cardiff Rugby, where he made 34 appearances for the Welsh region, but will now head to Bedford looking to reignite his career following a tough 12 months through injury and limited game time. He said: “Bedford is a club with a proud history and has produced loads of great players, so I’m very pleased to be joining the team.
“I’m really excited about this next chapter in my career, with a great opportunity to play in a new competition and to challenge myself in a different environment. The club had a successful season last year, and I’m hoping that I can be part of something similar again moving forward. You can see from the outside that Bedford are a quality outfit and it’s the type of environment that you want to be involved in as a rugby player.”
Taking a rugby scholarship at King’s School in Gloucester, Davies-King linked up with Cardiff and featured in every competition available to him – the United Rugby Championship, both Champions and Challenge Cups and the Rainbow Cup during the COVID-19 period. Capped for Wales U20s in the 2018 Junior World Championship, he was called into the wider senior Welsh training squad ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, also making a short loan move to Northampton Saints last term to assist in their PREM Rugby Cup campaign.
Director of Rugby Mike Rayer added: “We have been looking for another quality tighthead for some time. Will really came to our attention when he was on loan at Northampton, they obviously had a good look at him and recommended we did as well. I know he was well thought of early in his career in Wales and now he has a chance to re-ignite that with us. We all know having quality front row available is crucial across any season."