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Bristol Bears (officially Bristol Rugby Club or Bristol Rugby) are a professional
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
club based in
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, England. They play in
Premiership Rugby Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition. The Premiership has consisted of thirteen clubs since 2021, and is the ...
, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded as Bristol Football Club in 1888; between 1921 and 2014, home matches were played at the
Memorial Ground The Memorial Stadium, also commonly known by its previous name of the Memorial Ground, is a sports ground in Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol Rovers F.C. It opened in 1921 dedicated to the memory of local rugby union players killed d ...
, since when they have been played at Ashton Gate Stadium in the south-west of the city. The current head coach is
Pat Lam Patrick Richard Lam (born 29 September 1968) is a rugby union coach and former player. He is currently Director of Rugby at Bristol Bears in England's Premiership Rugby. Born in New Zealand, he represented New Zealand in schools and under-21 ...
who was appointed in 2017. In the 2021-22 Premiership Rugby season Bristol finished 10th entitling them to compete in the 2022-23 European Rugby Challenge Cup. In 2018, the club rebranded as Bristol Bears; between 2001 and 2005 the club were known as Bristol Shoguns due to a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi. Bristol won the 1983 John Player Cup and have also won England's second division four times, most recently in 2017–18. In 2019-2020, Bristol won The European Challenge Cup for the first time.


History


Formation and early history

Bristol Football Club was formed in 1888 when the Carlton club merged with rival club Redland Park to create a united Bristol team.Rugger - The History, Theory and Practice of Rugby Football
Wakefield, W. 1928 Westbury Park having refused to merge then folded and many of its players subsequently joined Bristol. The County Cricket Ground at Nevil Road was leased for home matches. The first match was a heavy away defeat to Cardiff and although the first season was relatively successful the second was not with only three games won. The club went from strength to strength over the next few years under the captaincy of W. Tommy Thomson. It turned the corner and in 1891–92, now wearing the more familiar navy and white hooped shirts, the Bristol team won 20 games out of 24. Over the ensuing seasons the fixture list went from strength to strength, consisting of most of the top English and Welsh sides. In 1900 J. W. Jarman became Bristol's first
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
cap. Two major touring sides played Bristol during this period. The first New Zealand
All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
defeated the club 41–0 in 1905 and in 1909 a combined Bristol and Clifton RFC team, captained by
Percy Down Percy John Down (14 October 1883 – 24 June 1954)
Scrum.com was an
, lost to Australia 11–3.


World Wars

The club was beginning to bring on a new generation of players when the First World War halted all rugby. After the war a Bristol United side was formed to provide rugby for returning servicemen and this led to the rebirth of Bristol in 1919. The County Ground was no longer available for home games so the club rented a field at Radnor Road,The End of the Line
ESPN, Huw Richards, 04/06/14 Horfield although occasional matches were staged at the
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
and
Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...
grounds. The Radnor Road seasons were good ones for the club and a new crop of stars appeared. The
Memorial Ground The Memorial Stadium, also commonly known by its previous name of the Memorial Ground, is a sports ground in Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol Rovers F.C. It opened in 1921 dedicated to the memory of local rugby union players killed d ...
stadium was built on an area of land called Buffalo Bill's Field which was previously occupied by allotments in 1921. Bristol defeated Cardiff 19–3 in the opening match in front of a large crowd. The fiftieth anniversary was celebrated in 1938 but the next few years saw a fall in performances and the final inter-war season was a poor one. During World War II a Bristol Supporters team kept
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
going in the city. Thus Bristol had readily available players when peacetime rugby union resumed in 1945.


1950s

The playing record in the early fifties was mixed, but there was a huge improvement under the captaincy of first Bert MacDonald, and then Dick Hawkes. Records were broken in 1956–57 and even better was to follow in what has been called 'The Blake Era'. Fly half John Blake became captain in 1957 and under his leadership the club developed an entertaining running style of rugby involving backs and forwards, which was years ahead of its time. The Bristol club set and broke new records for wins in a season and points scored and goal kicking forward Gordon Cripps rewrote the individual points scoring records.


1960s–1980s

The 75th anniversary was celebrated in 1962–63 and floodlights were installed in the following season. Club form peaked in 1965–66 under Derek Neate's captaincy when 39 games were won, and again in 1971–72 under Tony Nicholls. This was the club's best ever season with a thousand points being scored for the first time and the team being crowned unofficial English and Anglo-Welsh champions. Under Mike Rafter's captaincy, the club won the John Player Cup in 1983, defeating Leicester 28–22. During this period Alan Morley established a world record of 479 tries in senior rugby. The centenary season with Nigel Pomphrey as captain was celebrated in style with a game against the Barbarians and a narrow defeat in the cup final.


1990s

In 1996,
Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...
moved into the Memorial Stadium as tenants of Bristol Rugby, and later took over ownership of the stadium through the Memorial Stadium Company. 1998–99 ( Premership Two)
Relegation to Premiership Two in 1998 was not the worst of Bristol's problems. Only an eleventh hour rescue by Malcolm Pearce saved the club from potential oblivion. Bristol also lost control of the Memorial Stadium Company to
Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...
and were tenants thereafter until their eventual departure from the stadium at the conclusion of the 2013–14 season. Bristol's first season outside the top flight brought with it a number of first-time visits to clubs. Bristol went on to win the Premiership Two title and promotion back to Premiership One, sealing the win with a 22–11 victory over
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
.


2000s

The
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
disrupted the early part of the 1999–00 season, with a number of players missing the first few games. Under the captaincy of Dean Ryan the team finished sixth, just missing out on European Cup qualification. At the end of the season Dean Ryan took over as head coach from Bob Dwyer. After an opening day victory over newly promoted
Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
, Bristol had a disappointing 2000–01 season finishing ninth. Off the field,
Jack Rowell Jack Rowell OBE (born 1937) is an English rugby union coach and executive. He is the former coach of Bath and England. Rugby career Coaching Between 1978 and 1994 Rowell coached Bath during their ''golden era'', winning eight John Player/Pilki ...
became managing director, and successful community initiatives saw the attendance figures rise. Chief Executive
Nicholas de Scossa Nicholas John Noel de Scossa (born December 1957) is a Swiss-based financier. de Scossa is a former chief executive and chairman of Bristol Rugby Club. In 2000 de Scossa was involved in debates about top clubs separating from the Rugby Footbal ...
was involved in debates about top clubs separating from the Rugby Football Union and forming a new Premier League. The 2001–02 season brought a new name, Bristol Shoguns, following a five-year £2-million sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors. The Shoguns finishing the season with the most bonus points in the
Zurich Premiership Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition. The Premiership has consisted of thirteen clubs since 2021, and is the ...
, three players in the top try scorers chart, a place at
Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
in the final of the play-offs (the year before winning the play-offs constituted winning the English title), and also a place in the Heineken Cup for the 2002–03 season. In the close season head coach Dean Ryan moved to
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
,
Jack Rowell Jack Rowell OBE (born 1937) is an English rugby union coach and executive. He is the former coach of Bath and England. Rugby career Coaching Between 1978 and 1994 Rowell coached Bath during their ''golden era'', winning eight John Player/Pilki ...
resigned as Director of Rugby whilst skipper Jason Little retired.
Peter Thorburn Peter Robert Tyler Thorburn (19 March 1939 – 26 January 2021) was a New Zealand rugby union player and coach. He played his entire career as a number eight for from 1965 to 1970. He became a coach after his playing career ended, coachin ...
took over as coach. League results were mixed, but there were more wins than defeats including a first ever league win away at Bath. At Christmas 2002 owner Malcolm Pearce announced that he would quit at the end of the season. Rumours circulated that Bristol could be sold to
Firoz Kassam Firoz Kassam (born 1955) is a British businessman. Born and brought up in Tanzania, of Indian descent, he came to Britain at the age of 19. He owned Oxford United F.C. from 1999 to 2006, and was named the 309th wealthiest person in the UK in t ...
and play out of
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, and a merger with rivals Bath had been mooted. Neither event came to pass, but Bristol were relegated at the end of the season as off-field distractions took their toll. Before the start of the 2003–04 season Martin Haag and a week later Richard Hill joined as first team coach and head coach respectively. While the board were raising money to stabilise the club Haag and Hill implemented a 'three-year plan' to rebuild Bristol and put them back in the Premiership. They won National League One the following year and were promoted. The club's deal with Mitsubishi expired in July 2005, and the club started 2005–06 in the Premiership as Bristol RFC. Bristol elected to play two 2006–07 games at Ashton Gate, home of
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
side
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
. The local derby against Bath and the game against
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
were moved from the 11,750 capacity Memorial Stadium to Ashton Gate's 21,500 capacity to allow more fans the chance to watch the team. The precedent for this was established for a crucial relegation fixture against Bath in May 2003. Bristol finished third in
the league ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football leagu ...
, securing a Heineken Cup place for only the second time, and then reached the semi-finals of the
play-offs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, losing 26–14 at
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
. Martin Haag was released as Bristol's forwards coach in June 2007 and replaced by
John Brain John Brain (9 February 1905 – 21 June 1961) was an Australian cricketer. He played two first-class matches for Tasmania between 1930 and 1931. See also * List of Tasmanian representative cricketers This is a list of cricket players w ...
. Bristol could not replicate the success of the previous season and ended the 2007–08 season in 9th place. They also failed to progress from their Heineken Cup group, despite a home win against Stade Français. The following season Bristol struggled, winning only two games, and were relegated from the premiership. Richard Hill stepped down as coach in February 2009, with two months and eight games of the season remaining.
Paul Hull Paul Anthony Hull (born 17 May 1968) is an English former rugby union international full back. He was head coach of Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and un ...
took over as Bristol's head coach.


2010–2015

Following a failed attempt to immediately return to the Premiership, losing to Exeter Chiefs in the final of the play-offs, a number of first team players quit the club and financial pressures caused significant worries at the club once more. With a more modest squad of players, Bristol struggled to find winning form in the 2010–11 season finishing eighth in the championship and failing to reach the playoff finals. In 2011, following a lack of success
Paul Hull Paul Anthony Hull (born 17 May 1968) is an English former rugby union international full back. He was head coach of Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and un ...
in mutual agreement with club left Bristol Rugby and was replaced by academy coach
Liam Middleton Liam Middleton (born June 19, 1977) is a Rugby Union coach in both the 15-a-side and 7 a-side versions of the game. A Level 4 qualified coach and coach educator. Rugby Union coaching career Coaching career October 16, 2013, the Zimbabwe Rug ...
. In Middleton's first full season in charge Bristol finished top of the championship table but failed to progress to the play-off finals, losing to
Cornish Pirates The Cornish Pirates ( kw, An Vorladron Gernewek) are a professional rugby union team who play in the Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. Formerly known as Penzance & Newlyn ...
in the semi-finals. From the 2008–09 season businessman
Stephen Lansdown Stephen Philip Lansdown CBE (born 30 August 1952) is an English-born Guernsey billionaire. He co-founded the British financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown with Peter Hargreaves. He is a founder of Bristol Sport and majority shareholder of ...
financed Bristol Rugby, this only became public knowledge when Lansdown formalised his ownership of the club in 2012. In the 2012–13 season Bristol missed out on the play-off finals, finishing fifth in the championship. At the end of the 2012–13 season it was announced that former Ospreys head coach Sean Holley would join Bristol Rugby as the first team coach.
Andy Robinson Richard Andrew Robinson OBE (born 3 April 1964) is an English rugby union coach and retired player. He was the director of rugby at Bristol until November 2016. He is the former head coach of Scotland and England. From September 2019 to Dec ...
joined Bristol Rugby as director of rugby in March 2013, at first working with head coach
Liam Middleton Liam Middleton (born June 19, 1977) is a Rugby Union coach in both the 15-a-side and 7 a-side versions of the game. A Level 4 qualified coach and coach educator. Rugby Union coaching career Coaching career October 16, 2013, the Zimbabwe Rug ...
but following a poor run of results Middleton was sacked by the club following an internal review later in March 2013. The 2013–14 season brought a return to form with Bristol Rugby finishing top of the championship table. However, Bristol failed to secure promotion to the premiership, losing both legs of the play-off finals to London Welsh. In the close season a number of players were signed to the club in expectation of promotion for the 2014–15 season, including Samoan Internationals
Anthony Perenise Anthony Perenise (born 18 October 1982 in Porirua, Wellington Region, New Zealand) is a rugby union player who plays at Rugby union positions#1. Loosehead prop & 3. Tighthead prop, prop for Rouen Normandie Rugby, Rouen in the French Pro D2 and i ...
Jack Lam Jack Tafa Lam (born 18 November 1987) is a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised rugby player who plays as a flanker for Moana Pasifika and internationally for Samoa. Lam played seven matches for Tasman in 2008 before moving north to Waikato in ...
&
David Lemi David Lemi (born 10 February 1982) is a professional rugby player who plays on the wing for Rouen. Weighing 75 kg and only 1.75m tall, he is one of the smaller professional rugby players. However, his electric pace and low centre of gravi ...
, Welsh internationals Matthew Morgan, Ian Evans,
Ryan Jones Ryan Paul Jones (born 13 March 1981) is a Wales former international rugby union player who played at number eight, blindside flanker or second row. He was involved in three Grand Slam wins, in 2005, as captain in 2008, and 2012. He is one ...
and
Dwayne Peel Dwayne John Peel (born 31 August 1981) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. He was the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team with 76 caps, until his record was surpassed by Mike Phillips on 16 March 2013. Yo ...
and Wing George Watkins return from
Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby ( cy, Rygbi Caerdydd) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms ...
mid season. Further signings for the 2014–15 season would feature
Gareth Maule Gareth Maule (born in Pontypool, Wales on 4 December 1987) is a Welsh rugby union player currently playing at Centre. He attended New College School Cardiff and St Albans RC High School. He is 191 cm tall and weighs 95 kg. Maule has ...
,
Jack O'Connell Jack O'Connell may refer to: * Jack O'Connell (actor) (born 1990), English actor * Jack O'Connell (Australian politician) (1903–1972), member of the Victorian Legislative Council * Jack O'Connell (diplomat) (1921–2010), American diplomat and C ...
,
Darren Hudson Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...
and
Gavin Henson Gavin Lloyd Henson (born 1 February 1982) is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played as a fly-half, fullback and inside centre. Between 2000 and 2019 he played for Llanelli, Swansea RFC, the Ospreys, Saracens, Toulon, Ca ...
. Bristol Rugby moved from the Memorial Stadium to Ashton Gate Stadium, the home of
Bristol City Football Club Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
. Ashton Gate Stadium had a capacity of 21,497. In the run-in to the end of season play-off's the club signed high-profile players in Hooker
Ross McMillan Peter Ross McMillan (born 2 June 1987) is a professional rugby union player. His position is hooker. McMillan has previously played professionally for Nottingham, Gloucester, Moseley, Coventry, Birmingham & Solihull, Northampton, Bristol and ...
, Italian Centre Tommaso Benvenuti and Welsh international
Gavin Henson Gavin Lloyd Henson (born 1 February 1982) is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played as a fly-half, fullback and inside centre. Between 2000 and 2019 he played for Llanelli, Swansea RFC, the Ospreys, Saracens, Toulon, Ca ...
. End of the season saw the departure of Forwards Coach Danny Wilson to
Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby ( cy, Rygbi Caerdydd) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms ...
. The Club again failed to earn promotion to the Premiership for the 2015–16 season losing by one point to
Worcester Warriors Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby union club, based in Worcester, England, that is currently in administration and which has been suspended and will be relegated from Premiership Rugby, the top division of domestic ...
in the Play-off Finals. At the end of the season Wales international fly half Nicky Robinson leaves the club to take up a fresh challenge in France with
Oyonnax Oyonnax () is the second most populated commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. Oyonnax lies in a valley of the Jura Mountains in the far north of Ain. It is near the Parc naturel régional du Ha ...
.


2015–2018

Much of the squad from the previous season remained with Andy Robinson bolstering his options for the new campaign by signing ex-England winger
Tom Varndell Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...
. On 4 February it was announced that New Zealander Mark Bakewell would replace Borthwick. The new year saw the announcement that Matthew Morgan to further his international chances was to be leaving the club at the end of the season and joining Danny Wilson at Cardiff Blues. However, Bristol were able to clinch promotion to Aviva Premiership with a 60–47 aggregate win over
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
. February 2016 saw the signing of Wales International scrum half
Rhodri Williams Rhodri Ogwen Williams (born 10 May 1968) is a Welsh sports journalist from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. He is currently employed by Qatar's Al-Kass Sports Channel and anchors the network's English-speaking studio. TV career Williams was a ...
from
Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup (which ...
for the 2016–17 season. Tusi Pisi signed for the club from Japan's
Sunwolves The Sunwolves (Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or ...
Super Rugby franchise in March. Head coach
Sean Holley Sean Holley (born 6 November 1970) is a Broadcaster and Rugby Union Coach Rugby career After a year in Australia playing sport Holley played for Maesteg RFC at centre and full back. He studied for a degree in Physical Education & Sports Science ...
resigned from his position at the club. Former Welsh Internationals
Jonathan Thomas Jonathan Thomas (born 27 December 1982, in Pembroke) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player, he played mainly at flanker having also played at number eight and lock. He was previously head coach of Worcester Warriors. On January 17t ...
appointed first team Defence Coach &
Dwayne Peel Dwayne John Peel (born 31 August 1981) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. He was the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team with 76 caps, until his record was surpassed by Mike Phillips on 16 March 2013. Yo ...
Backs and Skills Coach. Further signings include USA International Centre
Thretton Palamo Thretton Palamo (born September 22, 1988) is an American rugby union player who plays centre for Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby (MLR). When he appeared in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he became the youngest ever player to have played in the Rug ...
from Saracens and Tongan International Prop Forward Soane Tonga'uiha from French side
Oyonnax Oyonnax () is the second most populated commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. Oyonnax lies in a valley of the Jura Mountains in the far north of Ain. It is near the Parc naturel régional du Ha ...
. November 2016 saw the sacking of Director of Rugby Andy Robinson due to poor results and 'lost confidence' from the board. Club stalwart and top points scorer Mark Tainton was appointed interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Further signings announced by club included
Siale Piutau Siale Piutau (born 13 October 1985) is a New Zealand-born Tongan rugby union player who plays at centre. Although born and educated in New Zealand, he represented Tonga internationally from 2011 to 2019. He is the elder brother of New Zealand ...
from
Yamaha Jubio Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
, Irish international lock forward
Dan Tuohy Dan Tuohy (born 18 June 1985) is an English-born Ireland international rugby union player, currently playing for Vannes after leaving Stade Français. He plays as a lock. He also captained the Barbarians in their 2016 tour against the Czech ...
, All Black international scrum half Alby Matthewson and Shane Geraghty from
London Irish London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...
. On New Year's Day, 2017, Varndell equalled Mark Cueto's premiership tries record of 90 tries by scoring against Sale Sharks. This followed a hat-trick in the previous week against
Worcester Warriors Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby union club, based in Worcester, England, that is currently in administration and which has been suspended and will be relegated from Premiership Rugby, the top division of domestic ...
. On 10 February Varndell became the leading try scorer in the Aviva Premiership when he scored against Harlequins at Ashton Gate. Ultimately, Bristol finished bottom of the Premiership in their returning year, having been relegated with 2 weeks to go after a 21–36 loss against Wasps at Ashton Gate. They finished 12th with only 3 wins and 20 accumulated points, 13 behind 11th placed Worcester Warriors. Their three victories involved beating Worcester 28–20 at Ashton Gate, beating Sale 23–24 at the
AJ Bell AJ Bell is a British public limited company that provides online investment platforms and stockbroker services. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History The company was formed in Manchester ...
, and dramatically defeating longstanding rivals Bath Rugby 12–11 at home. Following their relegation, several notable signings moved away from the club, including
Jason Woodward Jason Christopher Woodward (born 17 May 1990 in Wellington, New Zealand) is a professional rugby union player who plays for Sale Sharks in the Premiership Rugby. Early career Woodward played for the Upper Hutt Premier team, and was a regular ...
to
Gloucester Rugby Gloucester Rugby are a professional rugby union club based in the West Country city of Gloucester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby, as well as in the European Rugby Champions Cup. The club was formed in ...
and Gavin Henson to
Newport Gwent Dragons Dragons RFC ( cy, Dreigiau) are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport and at other grounds around the region. They play in ...
. On 5 December 2016, it was announced that
Pat Lam Patrick Richard Lam (born 29 September 1968) is a rugby union coach and former player. He is currently Director of Rugby at Bristol Bears in England's Premiership Rugby. Born in New Zealand, he represented New Zealand in schools and under-21 ...
would become the new head coach for Bristol Rugby after leaving the Irish region
Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
ahead of the 2017–18 season. Notable signings ahead of the new season were Australian International
Luke Morahan Luke Morahan (born 13 April 1990) is an Australian rugby player currently playing for the Bristol Bears in the Premiership Rugby, English Premiership since 2017. Morahan's main position is on the Wing (rugby union), wing, however, he does also p ...
from
Western Force The Western Force is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia, currently competing in Super Rugby Pacific. They previously played in Super Rugby from 2006 until they were axed from the competition in 2017. F ...
and All Black Steven Luatua from
Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
. Bristol secured promotion in the 2017-18 RFU Championship with two games to spare on 7 April 2018 and ultimately finished top with only one defeat at the hands of
Jersey Reds Jersey Reds is a rugby club based in Jersey, Channel Islands that currently competes at the RFU Championship, which is the second tier of English professional rugby. Until season 2022/23, the professional arm of Jersey Reds was part of Jers ...
on 4 March 2018. Bristol finished 20 points ahead of
Ealing Trailfinders Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team are the current champions of the RFU Championship but will remain in that league due to ineligibility for promotion to Premi ...
and a further 15 points ahead of third placed Bedford Blues. The scrapping of the promotion playoffs that season meant that the team at the top of the table after the regular season was promoted. This greatly played into the club's hands as the playoffs have dramatically turned against them in the past; in the 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons, Bristol finished first in the table, only to be eliminated by
Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played its home m ...
,
Cornish Pirates The Cornish Pirates ( kw, An Vorladron Gernewek) are a professional rugby union team who play in the Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. Formerly known as Penzance & Newlyn ...
,
London Welsh London Welsh Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain) was a rugby union club formed in 1885. Based in Old Deer Park, Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in the English Premiership in the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seaso ...
and
Worcester Warriors Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby union club, based in Worcester, England, that is currently in administration and which has been suspended and will be relegated from Premiership Rugby, the top division of domestic ...
respectively, three of whom secured promotion instead.


2018–2019: Return to Premiership and rebrand

On 1 June 2018, Bristol Rugby was re-branded as the Bristol Bears following their return to the Premiership. The club announced a raft of new signings including the
All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
full back
Charles Piutau Salesi Tu'ipulotu "Charles" Piutau (born 31 October 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the fullback (and occasionally wing) position for England club Bristol Bears in the Premiership, and formerly for New Zealand's national ...
from
Ulster Rugby Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch, which is one of ...
, former All Blacks
Prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...
John Afoa Ioane Fitu "John" Afoa (born 16 September 1983) is a New Zealand professional rugby union player. His position of choice is at prop. Afoa currently plays for Crusaders in Super Rugby. Personal life Afoa was a student at Auckland's Papakura Hig ...
from
Gloucester Rugby Gloucester Rugby are a professional rugby union club based in the West Country city of Gloucester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby, as well as in the European Rugby Champions Cup. The club was formed in ...
and Hooker Harry Thacker from Leicester Tigers. The opening match of the 2018–19 Premiership Rugby season was against fierce rivals Bath Rugby at Ashton Gate. A crowd of over 26,000 watched Bristol Bears run out 17-10 victors over their old foe. The winning try was scored by
Alapati Leiua Alapati Leiua (born 21 September 1988) is a Samoan professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Japan Rugby League One club Shizuoka Blue Revs and the Samoa national team. Professional career Born and raised in Samoa, Leiua ...
with four penalties scored by
Irish International The Irish Future Series or ''Irish International'' is an international badminton tournament held in Ireland. This tournament has been a BWF Future Series, Future Series level, another tournament for higher tournament level is Irish Open (badminton) ...
fly half In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards (wearing jerseys numbered 1–8) and seven backs (numbered 9–15). In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16– ...
Ian Madigan Ian Madigan (born 21 March 1989) is an Irish professional rugby union player for Ulster. His primary position is at fly-half, although he can also play at centre and full-back. Club career Madigan made his senior debut for Leinster in a Celtic L ...
. Bristol finished the season in 9th place including nine victories (one over Bath, Harlequins,
Northampton Saints Northampton Saints (officially Northampton Rugby Football Club) is a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. They were formed in 1880 as "Northampton St. James", ...
,
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
and Saracens and two over Leicester Tigers and
Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union. The club was established in 1877 as the Gosforth Football Club. Around 1882 the club merged with the Northumberland Football Cl ...
). In Europe, Bristol were drawn in Pool 4 of the Challenge Cup with the other teams being Stade Rochelais,
Zebre Zebre Parma (, meaning "Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by the ...
and
Yenisey-STM Krasnoyarsk Yenisey-STM Rugby Club is a Russian rugby union club founded in 1975. It is one of the two powerful Krasnoyarsk clubs, the other being their cross town rivals Krasny Yar. They participate in the Professional Rugby League, the premier rugby cham ...
. On 15 December 2018, Bristol recorded a surprise win over Stade Rochelais in a 3–13 at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre through a try by forward Jordan Crane and a dogged defensive display. They finished second in their group before losing 39–15 to Stade Rochelais in the quarter finals, ending their run in the tournament. On 29 November, it was confirmed that the Bears would be signing
Semi Radradra Semi Radradra Turagasoli Waqavatu (born 13 June 1992) is a Fijian professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. He currently plays rugby union for the English club Bristol Bears and the Fiji national team. Nicknamed 'Semi Trailer ...
ahead of the 2020/21 season, joining on a 3-year deal from Bordeaux Bègles, creating one of the most dangerous back three in Rugby Union, alongside
Charles Piutau Salesi Tu'ipulotu "Charles" Piutau (born 31 October 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the fullback (and occasionally wing) position for England club Bristol Bears in the Premiership, and formerly for New Zealand's national ...
and
Luke Morahan Luke Morahan (born 13 April 1990) is an Australian rugby player currently playing for the Bristol Bears in the Premiership Rugby, English Premiership since 2017. Morahan's main position is on the Wing (rugby union), wing, however, he does also p ...
.


2019–Present: European success

Bristol signed England internationals Nathan Hughes and
Dave Attwood Dave Attwood (born 5 April 1987 in Bristol, England) is a rugby union player who plays at Lock for Bath in Premiership Rugby. In 2017 he was described as a "big traditional tight-head lock, a master of the set piece, indeed arguably the best ...
in advance of the 2019/2020 season and also Henry Purdy from Coventry Rugby to bring a total of 15 new signings. Players released included Tusi Pisi,
Jack Lam Jack Tafa Lam (born 18 November 1987) is a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised rugby player who plays as a flanker for Moana Pasifika and internationally for Samoa. Lam played seven matches for Tasman in 2008 before moving north to Waikato in ...
and George Smith. Bristol started their second year in the Gallagher Premiership with a home tie against Bath Rugby. This resulted in a 43-16 win for the Bears and included a try on his senior debut for Ioan Lloyd who came on as a replacement at full back. The season continued with a loss to Harlequin F.C. away before a home win against Sale and a memorable away win at
Sandy Park Sandy Park is a rugby union stadium and conference and banqueting centre in Exeter, England. It is the home ground of Exeter Chiefs, who from the 2010–11 season have been playing in the Gallagher Premiership, the top flight of the English rug ...
against the eventual champions,
Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played its home m ...
. December brought a dip in form on the domestic front with a home draw with
London Irish London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club which competes in the Premiership, the top division of English rugby union. The club has also competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup. While ...
and defeats to Saracens and
Wasps A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...
. In the
European Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...
, Bristol were drawn against
Zebre Zebre Parma (, meaning "Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by the ...
, CA Brive and Stade Français. Bristol won all but one of these fixtures home and away with the only non win being the 7-7 away draw with Zebre. A return to the premiership resulted in back to back wins against Gloucester, Northampton Saints, Bath and Harlequins. However, the season was then interrupted by the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
pandemic and all rugby was suspended by the
RFU The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It pro ...
on 17 March 2020. The season resumed on 15 August without any spectators with a home win against . By this time, the club had been joined by the new signings of
Semi Radradra Semi Radradra Turagasoli Waqavatu (born 13 June 1992) is a Fijian professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. He currently plays rugby union for the English club Bristol Bears and the Fiji national team. Nicknamed 'Semi Trailer ...
, England prop Kyle Sinckler from Harlequin F.C. and the Saracens loanees of
Ben Earl Benjamin Arthur Earl (born 7 January 1998) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Saracens and the England national team. Early life Earl's mother worked as a retail industry CEO an ...
and
Max Malins Maxim Hugo Malins (born 7 January 1997) is an English professional rugby union player who primarily plays wing for Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership. He has also represented England at international level, having made his test debut agains ...
. Eventually Bristol finished third in the Premiership meaning an away semi final against Wasps. Bristol lost this 47-24 to finish with a domestic record of 14 wins, 1 draw and 7 losses. A total of 561 points were scored and 457 conceded. In the Challenge Cup, Bristol finished top of their group and were given a home quarter final against welsh side
Dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
. Bristol ran in seven tries to win 56-17. This set up a home semi final against Bordeaux Bègles which was won by the home side 37-20 after extra time. In the final they faced former European Champions,
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
a
Stade Maurice David
in Aix-en-Provence. Bristol scored the fastest try in European Rugby final after just 15 second through a try from scrum half Harry Randall. A second try from
Max Malins Maxim Hugo Malins (born 7 January 1997) is an English professional rugby union player who primarily plays wing for Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership. He has also represented England at international level, having made his test debut agains ...
and points from the tee came from the two conversions and six penalties from the boot of
Callum Sheedy Callum Michael Sheedy (born 28 October 1995) is a professional rugby union player for Bristol Bears in Premiership Rugby and for the Wales national rugby union team. His usual position is fly-half. Club career Sheedy has previously played on lo ...
to give Bristol the cup with a 32-19 win and their first ever major European title


Season summaries

Gold background denotes champions
Silver background denotes runners-up
Pink background denotes relegated


Club honours


Bristol Bears

*
European Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...
** Champions: (1) 2019–20 *
RFU Championship The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising twelve clubs. It is the second level of men’s English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed since 1987, when ...
**Champions: (4) 1998–99, 2004–05, 2015–16, 2017–18 * Anglo–Welsh Cup **Champions: (1) 1982–83 **''Runners–Up: (3) 1972–73, 1983–84, 1987–88'' * British and Irish Cup **Champions: (1) 2010–11 *EDF Energy Trophy **Champions: (1) EDF Energy Trophy, 2003–04 *Anglo-Welsh Merit Table Winners **Champions: (3) 1965–66, 1971–72, 1973–74 *RFU South West Merit Table Winners **Champions: (3) 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82


Current squad


Senior squad

The Bristol Bears squad for the 2022–23 Premiership Rugby, 2022–23 season is:


Academy squad

The Bristol Bears Academy squad is:


Club staff

Management *Owner –
Stephen Lansdown Stephen Philip Lansdown CBE (born 30 August 1952) is an English-born Guernsey billionaire. He co-founded the British financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown with Peter Hargreaves. He is a founder of Bristol Sport and majority shareholder of ...
*Chairman – Chris Booy *Head of Operations – Tom Tainton First team coaching *Director of rugby –
Pat Lam Patrick Richard Lam (born 29 September 1968) is a rugby union coach and former player. He is currently Director of Rugby at Bristol Bears in England's Premiership Rugby. Born in New Zealand, he represented New Zealand in schools and under-21 ...
*Assistant coach – Conor McPhillips *Scrum coach – Mark Irish *Defence coach - Jordan Crane *Forwards coach - John Muldoon *Skills Coach – Sean Marsden *Kicking Coach - Dave Alred *Mental Skills Coach - Tom Bates *Academy transition coach – Danny Grewcock *Head of performance – Paul Bunce Academy *Senior academy manager – Gethin Watts *Junior academy manager – Gary Townsend *Junior Academy Coach - Keith Leaker *Senior Academy Coach - Brad Barnes Bristol Bears Women *Head Coach - Dave Ward *Assistant Coach - Tom Luke


Head coaches/directors of rugby


Notable and former players


Lions Tourists

The following Bristol players have been selected for the British & Irish Lions, Lions tours while at the club: * Wallace Jarman (1899 British Lions tour to Australia, 1899) *
Percy Down Percy John Down (14 October 1883 – 24 June 1954)
Scrum.com was an
(1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia, 1908) * Maurice Neale, Maurice Edward Neale (1910 British Lions tour to South Africa, 1910 Tour to South Africa) * Jack Spoors (1910 British Lions tour to South Africa, 1910 Tour to South Africa) * Tom Richards (rugby union), Tom Richards (1910 British Lions tour to South Africa, 1910 Tour to South Africa) * John Pullin (1968 British Lions tour to South Africa, 1968 & 1971 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia, 1971) * Alan Morley (1974 British Lions tour to South Africa, 1974) * Mark Regan (1997 British Lions tour to South Africa, 1997 & 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, 2001) * Simon Shaw (1997 British Lions tour to South Africa, 1997) * Kyle Sinckler (2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, 2021)


Rugby World Cup

The following are players which have represented their countries at the Rugby World Cup whilst playing for Bristol: *


Archives

Records relating to Bristol Rugby Club are held at Bristol Archives (Ref. 41582)
online catalogue
and (Ref. 44624)
online catalogue
.


References


External links

*
Bristol Rugby Independent Supporters' Trust

Independent Bristol Rugby Online

Bristol Rugby Web Site Directory

Premiership Rugby Official Website
{{Bristol Bears squad Bristol Bears, Premiership Rugby teams English rugby union teams Rugby clubs established in 1888 Rugby union in Bristol Sport in Bristol 1888 establishments in England