Alex Crockett is ready to resurrect his rugby career at Bristol after signing a short-term contract with the Championship promotion-chasers.

The former Bath captain, who was banned from rugby in August for failing or refusing to take two drugs tests, is free to play again on March 1.

He is expected to link up with his new team-mates at Bristol on January 1 – and will be available to make his debut at Nottingham in the British & Irish Cup on March 7.

The 28-year-old centre – who made 91 Guinness Premiership and 33 European appearances for Bath – will then be available for the entirety of Bristol's Championship play-off campaign.

He is understood to have turned down offers from clubs in South Africa in order to join Bristol Rugby's push for an instant return to the Premiership.

Crockett, along with former Bath team-mates Michael Lipman and Andrew Higgins, was banned from rugby for nine months in August.

The trio were found guilty of "failing and/or refusing to submit to internal club drugs tests without reasonable excuse on two occasions" – but they have always proclaimed their innocence.

They were initially charged with taking illegal drugs or giving the impression they had taken illegal drugs – but those charges were dropped at the outset of the Rugby Football Union's disciplinary investigation.

Crockett, however, has seen his reputation tarnished as a result of his suspension.

Two of his former Bath team-mates, prop Matt Stevens and

lock Justin Harrison, were banned for taking cocaine in separate incidents earlier this year – and the names of Crockett, Lipman and Higgins are regularly thrown in alongside those two.

But Crockett remains determined to clear his name – and hopes his move to Bristol can get people talking about his rugby once again.

"I just want to get back into rugby now," he said. "It's been a while since I played – and if you play rugby pretty much every day for 10 years, you soon miss it."

Tomorrow: I've never taken drugs and I never will – Crockett