'We must trust the vision and the long-term strategy' - Lansdown

Monday, April 16th 2018

I’M PROUD to be the owner of Bristol Bears: the city’s only professional rugby club in an inclusive sport that brings the entire region together.

The rebranding is not a knee-jerk decision – it’s a process that we have been exploring for a number of years and everybody involved has worked tirelessly to deliver a strategy that we trust and believe will result in success.

Since the turn of the professional era, we have seen supporters migrate to more successful, local competitors, homegrown talent move away and Bristol fall behind, both commercially and on the field.

I’m tired of hearing about Bristol’s status as a ‘sleeping giant’. Now, we want to see rugby realise its fantastic potential in one of the UK’s most dynamic cities. Our return to the Premiership, coupled with a clear vision of success and world class facilities at Ashton Gate and the new training ground, signals a fantastic opportunity to reshape our future.

In order to achieve success and to meet the demands of this highly competitive environment, we must be bold in our thinking. We must shake up the established status quo. We cannot afford to tread water and wonder ‘what if?’.

"In order to achieve success and to meet the demands of this highly competitive environment, we must be bold in our thinking."

Steve Lansdown, Owner

We must trust the vision and the long-term strategy. In the ten years that I have been involved with the club, we have endured significant challenges on and off the field, including the very real threat of extinction. Those days are a distant memory and – at Ashton Gate – we have a bright future to look forward to.

But we need to do much more. The burning ambition is to see 27,000 supporters at Ashton Gate and, to fulfil this desire, we must continue to appeal to new fan bases and broaden our reach. Our aspirations are to reach the very top. We believe the Bristol Bears brand will open up new markets – both domestically and abroad – as we embark on an exciting new era.

We all want the same thing for Bristol: success on the field, a core of homegrown players that the city can be proud of and an infrastructure off the field that can attract the finest talent from across the globe.

Myself, the board and the club management are committed to delivering this and we hope that you stay committed to being part of the journey.

Together we rise.

Steve Lansdown.