Celebrating IWD 2023: Everything you need to know!

Thursday, March 2nd 2023

Bristol Bears will celebrate International Women's Day when they take on Northampton Saints at Ashton Gate on Friday, March 3rd (7:45pm KO). Here’s everything you need to know!

BUY TICKETS

Throughout the week, we’ve been shining the spotlight on the inspirational women in Bear Country, while on matchday, supporters can enjoy a host of activities including pop-up bars, photobooth stations, Q&As with female role models and charity fundraising.

We’re teaming up with our friends at Her Game Too, after the Bears became the first rugby club to partner with the voluntary organisation, which focuses on ensuring women and girls are welcomed and respected equally within sport. Supporters can take advantage of our Mates Rates offer, with Season Ticket holders invited to bring two friends along for £15 each. All Season Ticket holders were sent their unique code on December 8th.

We’ll also be highlighting the incredible work of Bristol Bears Community Foundation in driving participation in girls' rugby across the city, with pupils from our award-winning Eagle Project and Bear in Mind programme joining us on the day.

MATCH DAY ITINERARY

Ticket booths will be open from 5pm-8pm, with turnstiles opening at 6:15pm.

We've got pop-up gin bars, question-and-answer sessions with Bears Women stars, activations with women's charities and the usual pre-match and half-time entertainment.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Q&A SESSION

Members of the Bears Women squad will take part in a question-and-answer session ahead of Friday night's International Women's Day clash against Northampton Saints at Ashton Gate.

England duo Sarah Bern and Abbie Ward will be joined by homegrown star Delaney Burns to answer a host of questions from the audience, including girls from the club's Centre of Excellence and community programmes.

The Q&A session will take place in the South Stand concourse underneath the clock from 6.45pm-7.15pm and is just one of the many matchday activations to mark International Women's Day.

Bristol Bears has also teamed up with a number of women's charities, including BUST Bristol and Missing Link, who will be in attendance at Ashton Gate on the night.

WOMEN'S CHARITIES

Staff and volunteers from two Bristol-based women's charities will be in attendance at Friday night's International Women's Day clash with Northampton Saints at Ashton Gate. Representatives from BUST - the Breast-cancer Unit Support Trust (BUST, Charity No. 1117508) is run by a volunteer committee, who have all been breast patients - and Missing Link - a mental health and housing service for women in Bristol will have information stands in the Lansdown Stand concourse on Friday night.

BUST BRISTOL

BUST was formed in 1991 by Frenchay Hospital patients Pamela Corrigan, Carol Thomas and Margaret Twiggs, when they learned from Consultant Surgeon, Mr Simon Cawthorn that his team needed a £20,000 ultra-sound scanner. The trio raised the money within two years and their impressive achievement led to the creation of the hospital’s specialist Breast Care Centre with its One Stop Clinic.

All members of the BUST Committee are unpaid volunteers. BUST is now the major funding partner for the Southmead Breast Care Centre and has also donated equipment to the Avon Breast Screening Service. The funds raised by BUST and its supporters enable the clinicians to buy advanced equipment before it is available through NHS funding. The Southmead Breast Care Centre is now widely recognised regionally and nationally as an excellent centre for Breast Care Services because of the dedication and caring attitude of its doctors, nurses and administrative staff and the work of BUST. The BUST Charity is now 27 years old and we have hit the £1,700,000 target.

MISSING LINK

Missing Link is a mental health and housing service for women in Bristol. Established in 1982 to provide a range of housing and support to women that either have acute or long term mental health needs.

Missing Link support women who are homeless, or have a history of sleeping rough or whose housing is at risk because of their mental health issues.

Missing Link strives to create a culture that encourages and values everyone’s differences and promotes mutual respect and shared understanding.

BEARS TV

Bears TV is back on Friday night, offering you a 30-minute pre-match show, as Lisa Knights is joined by Ed Holmes to bring you all of the build-up and analysis.

Resident DJ Seb Bailey will be bringing the tunes all day. Click here to see his playlist for the Firework Spectacular.

WATCH BEARS TV

GETTING TO THE GATE

CLEAN AIR ZONE - NOW LIVE

Bristol’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is now live and fans are encouraged to check whether they will be affected.

Non-compliant vehicles will be charged between £9 and £100 per day to drive through the zone in central Bristol.

Although Ashton Gate itself sits just outside of the zone, some roads near the stadium are within it and thus we encourage fans to carefully plan their journey.

Full details on the CAZ including maps, schedule of charges and a vehicle compliance checker can be found at www.cleanairforbristol.org/caz/.

The AG1, AG2 and AG3 will all operate between 1730 and 1930, with travel from £1 return.

AG1 Portway Park & Ride (via Portway) – approx. every 20 minutes
AG2 Brislington Park & Ride (direct service) – approx. every 30 minutes
AG3 Temple Meads (via Broadmead and the centre) – approx. every 20 minutes

All services drop-off and collect from Winterstoke Road, outside Ashton Gate. Full details including route maps, timetables, pricing and ticket information is available at www.bcfc.co.uk/travel. Last post-match departures at 23:30.

Full travel guide can be found here.

SUPPORTERS CLUB

The Supporters Club Gazebo is in the Fan Park and is located between the Sports Bar main entrance and the Ashton Gate Store. Please visit before or after home matches for all Supporters Club information, away match travel details and payments.

Or contact the Supporters Club at: admin@brissupportersclub.co.uk