I’ve loved my time at Bath - Gallagher
MATT Gallagher admits it will be a wrench to leave Bath at the end of the season and is doing so to pursue his dream of playing international rugby.
The 27-year old fullback/wing is eligible for three countries – England, where he was born, Ireland, through grandparents and Italy, where he is bound in the summer, through a grandfather who was born in Trentino.
Gallagher, whose father John won 18 caps for New Zealand at the end of the 1980s and was never on the losing side, came through the academy at Saracens before joining Munster and then following their head coach Johann van Graan to Bath in 2022.
He has signed a threeyear contract with ambitious Treviso who have also recruited wing Louis Lynagh from Harlequins – he made a try-scoring debut against Scotland earlier this month.
“I have loved my time at Bath and it will be emotional to leave,” said Gallagher who was on the left wing when England won the U20 World Championship against an Ireland side that included Hugo Keenan, Andrew Porter and James Ryan. “It was a tough decision but it was an opportunity that does not come around too often and I took it. I would love to play for Italy in the future and will have the opportunity to see if they want me.
“It is an exciting time for the game there. Italy had a good Six Nations which was fantastic to see and Treviso have an ambition to push forward. They have made some big signings and the weather there should be better than it is in England!
“It will be difficult to leave a club like Bath but as Johann says you are on a train and sometimes it is your turn to jump off. It was amazing to come back to the Premiership and I have loved every minute.”
Gallagher has vied for the full-back position at Bath with Tom de Glanville, regularly playing on the wing when not at 15, but is set to be the last line of defence for the remainder of time at the club with de Glanville unlikely to play again this season because of injury.
“I played a bit more than Tom last season but he has pushed on a lot and been in top form,” said Gallagher. “It has been a tough battle but I have loved it and we ge
