Veteran half-back Joe Keyes has joined French Super XIII outfit Avignon for their 2026/27 campaign following his departure from Super League side Bradford Bulls.

Keyes – who turned 31 last month – returned for a second stint at Bradford ahead of the 2025 campaign, and featured 28 times over the course of the two seasons which followed.

As the Bulls returned to Super League in 2026 though, injuries restricted him to just four appearances across all competitions – with the last of those coming in a heavy defeat at Leigh Leopards back in August.

Come the end of the season after Kurt Haggerty’s side had taken the wooden spoon by finishing bottom of the pile in Super League, Keyes was released and is among ten to have departed Odsal ahead of 2027 as things stand.

He has now found himself a new home across the Channel at Avignon though, with the 2026-27 Super XIII campaign having started this weekend.

Released Bradford ace Joe Keyes lands new club with Avignon move confirmed

Enfield-born Keyes represented England at Academy level during his youth, but is now a 12-time Ireland international, eligible to represent the Wolfhounds via his heritage.

This move marks the first time in his career he’ll have played outside the UK having previously donned a shirt for London Broncos, London Skolars, Bradford, Hull KR, York Knights, Halifax Panthers and Bradford.

Including his 12 caps for Ireland on the international stage, the veteran playmaker has amassed 215 professional career appearances to date: scoring 77 tries and kicking 352 goals as well as five drop goals..

Avignon announced his arrival via social media earlier this week, with Keyes potentially in line to make his debut as they begin their campaign on Sunday away against Villefranche.

The Bisons finished fifth on the ladder at the end of last season in the Super XIII and made it into the play-offs, but fell at the first hurdle, being beaten 11-10 by Albi.

Pia went on to be crowned champions for the first time since 2013 after beating Carcassonne in Golden Point extra time, prevailing 31-30, with Theo Fages the man of the moment with the winning drop goal.

That Grand Final triumph, of course, came at the Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris back in June and acted as a curtain-raiser to the Super League clash between Catalans Dragons and Wigan Warriors in the French capital.