Bristol Bears facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bristol Bears

Full name	Bristol Rugby Club
Union	Somerset Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)	Bears, Bris
Founded	1888; 137 years ago (1888)
Location	Bristol, England
Ground(s)	Ashton Gate Stadium (Capacity: 27,000)
Chairman	Chris Booy
Director of Rugby	Pat Lam
Captain(s)	Fitz Harding
Most appearances	Darren Crompton (138)
Top scorer	Felipe Contepomi (573)
Most tries	Harry Thacker (35)
League(s)	Premiership Rugby
2023–24	5th
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
Current season

The Bristol Bears are a professional rugby union team from Bristol, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, which is England's top rugby league.

The club started in 1888 as Bristol Football Club. For many years, from 1921 to 2014, they played their home games at the Memorial Ground. Now, they play at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol. The team's head coach, Pat Lam, joined in 2017. In the 2023–24 season, Bristol finished 5th, which means they can play in the 2024-25 European Rugby Champions Cup.

In 2018, the club changed its name to Bristol Bears. Before that, from 2001 to 2005, they were called Bristol Shoguns because of a sponsorship deal. Bristol won the John Player Cup in 1983. They have also won England's second division four times, most recently in 2017–18. In the 2019–2020 season, Bristol won The European Challenge Cup for the very first time.

History of the Bristol Bears

How the Club Started

Bristol Football Club was formed in 1888. Two clubs, Carlton and Redland Park, joined together to create one strong Bristol team. They played their first home games at the County Cricket Ground.

Their first match was a tough loss to Cardiff. But the team quickly got better, especially under captain W. Tommy Thomson. By 1891–92, wearing their famous navy and white striped shirts, Bristol won 20 out of 24 games! Over the years, they played against many of the best English and Welsh teams. In 1900, J. W. Jarman became the first Bristol player to play for the England national team.

Rugby During the World Wars

The First World War stopped all rugby games. After the war, a team called Bristol United was formed to help returning soldiers play rugby. This led to the Bristol club starting up again in 1919. They moved to a new field at Radnor Road, Horfield, for their home games.

The Memorial Ground stadium was built in 1921. Bristol played their first game there, beating Cardiff 19–3 in front of a big crowd. The club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1938. During World War II, a Bristol Supporters team kept rugby alive in the city. This meant Bristol had players ready when rugby started again in 1945.

The 1950s: A New Style of Play

In the early 1950s, the team's performance was a bit up and down. But things got much better under captains Bert MacDonald and Dick Hawkes. Even more success came during what was called 'The Blake Era'.

John Blake became captain in 1957. Under his leadership, the team played an exciting, attacking style of rugby. They broke records for wins and points scored in a season.

From the 1960s to the 1980s

The club celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1962–63. In 1965–66, under Derek Neate's captaincy, they won 39 games, which was amazing! In 1971–72, led by Tony Nicholls, they scored over a thousand points for the first time and were seen as the best team in England and Anglo-Wales.

In 1983, with Mike Rafter as captain, Bristol won the John Player Cup, beating Leicester 28–22. During this time, Alan Morley set a world record by scoring 479 tries in senior rugby. The club's 100th anniversary was celebrated in 1988 with a special game.

The 1990s: Challenges and Comeback

In 1996, the Bristol Rovers football team started sharing the Memorial Stadium with Bristol Rugby. In 1998, Bristol Rugby was relegated to the second division. The club faced big financial problems, but Malcolm Pearce stepped in to save them. Bristol won the second division title in 1998–99, earning promotion back to the top league.

The 2000s: New Names and Ups and Downs

Bristol playing Northampton during the 2007–08 Premiership.

The Rugby World Cup affected the start of the 1999–00 season, as some players were away. The team finished sixth that season. In 2001–02, the club changed its name to Bristol Shoguns because of a sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors. The Shoguns had a good season, finishing high in the league and qualifying for the European Cup.

However, in 2002–03, Bristol was relegated again. Before the 2003–04 season, Richard Hill became the head coach. He worked to rebuild the team, and they won the second division in 2004–05, getting promoted back to the Premiership.

In 2005, the club went back to being called Bristol RFC. They played some big games at Ashton Gate Stadium, the home of Bristol City football club, to let more fans watch. In 2006–07, Bristol finished third in the league and reached the semi-finals of the play-offs. But in 2008–09, Bristol struggled and was relegated from the Premiership again. Paul Hull took over as head coach.

2010–2015: Trying to Get Back to the Top

Bristol tried to get back into the Premiership right away but lost in the play-off final. Many players left, and the club faced money problems again. In 2011, Liam Middleton became the head coach. Bristol finished top of the Championship league in 2011–12 but lost in the play-off semi-finals.

In 2012, businessman Stephen Lansdown became the owner of Bristol Rugby. Andy Robinson joined as director of rugby in 2013. In the 2013–14 season, Bristol finished top of the Championship again but lost in the play-off finals. They signed many new players for the 2014–15 season, hoping for promotion.

Bristol Rugby moved from the Memorial Stadium to Ashton Gate Stadium in 2014. The stadium had a capacity of 21,497 fans. The club again failed to get promoted in 2014–15, losing by just one point in the play-off finals.

2015–2018: Promotion and Relegation

In 2015–16, Bristol finally won promotion to the Aviva Premiership! They beat Doncaster Knights in the play-off final. However, in their first year back in the Premiership (2016–17), Bristol finished last and were relegated again. They only won 3 games that season.

In December 2016, it was announced that Pat Lam would become the new head coach for Bristol Rugby for the 2017–18 season. He brought in some big new players. Bristol secured promotion back to the Premiership in the 2017-18 RFU Championship with two games to spare. They finished 20 points ahead of the second-place team. This time, there were no play-offs for promotion, which was good for Bristol as they had lost many play-off finals in the past.

2018–2019: The Bristol Bears Are Born

On June 1, 2018, Bristol Rugby officially changed its name to the Bristol Bears as they returned to the Premiership. They signed famous players like All Blacks full-back Charles Piutau and Prop John Afoa.

Their first game as Bristol Bears was against their rivals Bath Rugby at Ashton Gate. Over 26,000 fans watched Bristol Bears win 17–10! They finished the season in 9th place, winning nine games. In Europe, they played in the Challenge Cup. They had a good run but lost in the quarter-finals.

2019–Present: European Champions!

Bristol signed more England international players for the 2019–2020 season. They started the season with a big 43–16 win against Bath Rugby. The season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and all rugby was paused.

When the season restarted in August, new players like Semi Radradra and Kyle Sinckler joined the team. Bristol finished third in the Premiership but lost in the semi-finals. However, they had amazing success in the Challenge Cup! They won all but one of their group games. They then beat Dragons and Bordeaux Bègles to reach the final.

In the final, they faced Toulon. Bristol scored the fastest try ever in a European Rugby final, after just 15 seconds! They went on to win the cup 32–19, earning their first major European title! In the 2020–21 season, Bristol finished first in the Premiership but lost in the semi-finals again.

Season Summaries

Gold background means the team were champions
Silver background means the team were runners-up
Pink background means the team was relegated

Club Honours (Trophies Won)

Bristol Bears Major Wins

• European Challenge Cup
  • Champions: (1) 2019–20
• RFU Championship (England's second division)
  • Champions: (4) 1998–99, 2004–05, 2015–16, 2017–18
• RFU Knockout Cup
  • Champions: (1) 1982–83
• British and Irish Cup
  • Champions: (1) 2010–11
• EDF Energy Trophy
  • Champions: (1) 2003–04

Current Squad

Senior Squad Players

The Bristol Bears team for the 2024–25 season includes:

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Will Capon Hooker England Tom Doughty Hooker England Gabriel Oghre Hooker England Harry Thacker Hooker England Lovejoy Chawatama Prop Zimbabwe Ellis Genge Prop England Sam Grahamslaw Prop England George Kloska Prop England Max Lahiff Prop England Joe Owen Prop England Yann Thomas Prop England Jake Woolmore Prop England Steele Barker Lock England Joe Batley Lock England Josh Caulfield Lock England James Dun Lock England Kofi Cripps Back row England Benjamín Grondona Back row Argentina Santiago Grondona Back row Argentina Fitz Harding Back row England Jake Heenan Back row Australia Steven Luatua Back row Samoa Viliame Mata Back row Fiji

Player Position Union Sam Edwards Scrum-half England Kieran Marmion Scrum-half Ireland Harry Randall Scrum-half England Sam Wolstenholme Scrum-half England AJ MacGinty Fly-half United States Jack Bates Centre England Benhard Janse van Rensburg Centre South Africa Kalaveti Ravouvou Centre Fiji Deago Bailey Wing England Toby Fricker Wing United States Noah Heward Wing England Gabriel Ibitoye Wing England Ratu Naulago Wing Fiji Benjamín Elizalde Fullback Argentina Richard Lane Fullback England Max Malins Fullback England

Academy Squad (Younger Players)

The Bristol Bears Academy squad includes:

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Tomas Gwilliam Hooker Wales Andrew Turner Prop England Louie Trevett Prop Wales Jimmy Halliwell Prop England Will Pearce Prop England Sam Scott Prop Wales George Taylor Lock England Kenzie Jenkins Lock Wales Ethan Surrey Lock England Paddy Pearce Back row England Aaron Tull Back row England Ed Harvey Back row England

Player Position Union Sam Worsley Fly-half England Jacob Cusick Centre England Gethin O'Callaghan Centre England Toby Baker Centre England Joe Jenkins Centre England Harry Rowson Wing England Aidan Boshoff Wing Wales Sami Hamid Fullback England

Club Staff

Management

• Owner – Stephen Lansdown
• Chairman – Chris Booy
• Chief Operating Officer – Tom Tainton

First Team Coaches

• Director of Rugby – Pat Lam
• Forwards Coach – Mark Irish
• Senior Backs & Skills Coach – Dave Walder
• Defence Coach - Jordan Crane
• Assistant Forwards Coach - Chris Morgan
• Assistant Backs & Skills Coach – Sean Marsden
• Kicking Coach - Dave Alred
• Mental Skills Coach - Tom Bates
• Head of Athletic Performance – Kevin Geary

Academy Staff

• Senior Academy Manager – Gethin Watts
• Junior Academy Manager – Gary Townsend
• Academy Transition Coach – Danny Grewcock
• Academy Transition Coach – Glen Townson
• Senior Academy Coach - Brad Barnes
• Junior Academy Coach - Keith Leaker

Bristol Bears Women

• Head Coach - Dave Ward
• Assistant Coach - Tom Luke

Head Coaches and Directors of Rugby

Famous Players and World Cup Stars

Players Who Played for the British & Irish Lions

The British & Irish Lions is a special team made up of the best players from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. These Bristol players were chosen for the Lions tours while playing for the club:

• Wallace Jarman (1899)
• Percy Down (1908)
• Maurice Edward Neale (1910)
• Jack Spoors (1910)
• Tom Richards (1910)
• John Pullin (1968 & 1971)
• Alan Morley (1974)
• Mark Regan (1997 & 2001)
• Simon Shaw (1997)
• Kyle Sinckler (2021)

Players at the Rugby World Cup

These players represented their home countries at the Rugby World Cup while playing for Bristol:

Tournament	Players selected	England players	Other national team players
1987	2	Richard Harding, Jonathan Webb
1991	0
1995	1	Kyran Bracken
1999	8	Garath Archer, Kyran Bracken, David Rees	Jamie Mayer , Pablo Lemoine , Al Charron (vc) , Agustín Pichot, Eduardo Simone
2003	1		Ross Beattie
2007	5	Mark Regan, Shaun Perry	Alfie To'oala, David Lemi , Marko Stanojevic
2011	1		William Helu
2015	4		Matthew Morgan , Anthony Perenise, Jack Lam , Tommaso Benvenuti
2019	5		James Lay, Jordan Lay, Chris Vui, Alapati Leiua , Siale Piutau (c)
2023	7	Ellis Genge (vc), Kyle Sinckler, Max Malins	Kalaveti Ravouvou , Santiago Grondona , Chris Vui (c), Steve Luatua

Images for kids

• 

  The Bristol Bears logo.

See also

In Spanish: Bristol Bears para niños