Bristol Bears promise ‘Super Bowl vibe’ as Big Day Out clash with Bath set to draw in excess of 50,000 fans to ‘iconic’ Principality Stadium

Bristol Bears are promising a “celebration of rugby with a Super Bowl vibe” when they host table-topping West Country derby rivals Bath in Cardiff on Saturday.

The fourth-placed Bears have taken the ambitious step of moving their home game against the Premiership leaders to the 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium and expect to double their crowd.

The fixture usually attracts a sell-out of over 25,000 at Ashton Gate but, by crossing the border into Welsh territory, this weekend’s attendance is set to be around the 50,000 mark.

Ambitious venture

The ambitious venture – marketed as Big Day Out – follows the success of Harlequins and Saracens taking big games to Twickenham and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium respectively.

Bristol say the event – which has been three years in the making and will include live performances from Eats Everything and Maximo Park – will be a commercial success.

Next year they plan to make it a double-header with a Bristol Bears Women’s game.

Bears chief operating officer Tom Tainton told Planet Rugby: “We’re in a very strong place and expect to a draw a crowd in excess of 50,000 on Saturday.

“We’ve been really pleased by how well the Big Day Out concept has been received by Bears supporters and Bath fans but also by the Welsh audience.

“We haven’t gone out explicitly to tap into that Welsh audience.

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“But the fact is that there is a very well-educated, passionate hotbed of rugby support in Wales, so naturally it fits with taking a game to the Principality.

“Yes, we absolutely want Welsh supporters to attend the game but we also want supporters from Birmingham, London and further afield to come.

“We want it to feel like it’s a domestic rugby occasion that puts Bristol Bears and Premiership Rugby on the map.

“This is new territory for us, but we’re trying to be ambitious and do something different in line with the Bears’ values but also bring rugby back to the forefront as a sport that people can be excited about.

“People want to see showpiece events and the game itself is absolutely the main attraction but it’s also about the occasion and delivering on the big stage.

“It’ll be a celebration of rugby with a Super Bowl vibe to it with live acts, performances and light shows.

“We can show that Premiership Rugby fixtures can compete with other showpiece sporting events in the country.

“Taking a game to an iconic ground like the Principality gave us an opportunity not just from a commercial but also a brand standpoint.

“It ties in neatly with the Premiership’s strategy of big games with Harlequins having done it really well for a number of years at Twickenham and Saracens likewise at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“Now it’s our turn to jump on board and see if we can deliver something equally special.

“With so many top players on display, it’s a chance to watch some of the biggest names in the game.”

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As Pat Lam’s men bid to complete a league double over Bath and give their play-off hopes a massive boost, Tainton accepts that the 15-a-side code must be brave and innovative in order to attract new fans in a crowded market.

The RFU recently announced plans to turn the Premiership into a franchise league, possibly from next season, in a bid to attract investment and end the loss-making cycle that has cost the top flight three clubs in recent years.

Tainton added: “Long gone are the days when you go and watch a rugby match for eighty minutes and then go home – we have to deliver more.

“We’re now living in this world of instant gratification and social media and all of the competing entertainment factors of cinema, theatres and bars.

“Going to rugby has to feel like an event and the matchday experience for us at Bears is absolutely paramount to what we do and how we measure the success of our club.

“Whether you’re a family, young or old, we want people to feel safe, inclusive but most of all, we want it to be fun.

“Sport is an entertainment product and you’re there to enjoy yourself.

“It’s a bit of a rollercoaster ride of emotions and we want to tap into that and celebrate it.

“On Saturday, we’re going to do some pretty cool stuff with the big screen and we want people to leave thinking ‘wow, that felt like a real spectacle, not just a rugby game’.

“It’s authentic as well because Eats Everything is a Bristol boy with a cult following and he’ll bring loads of energy before the game.

“Maximo Park are a fantastic band who have played some of the biggest festivals in the country.

“They’ve got some really recognisable tracks and with the roof closed at the Principality – and those guys going for it – the fans are going to feel really energised.”

Commercial driver

Asked if Bristol would make money from the venture, Tainton replied: “Absolutely – this is a huge commercial driver for us.

“This is a big opportunity for us from a revenue perspective in terms of what we can do with tickets and hospitality.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to owners, the Lansdown family, for everything they have done for the rugby club over many years.

“It’s our job to ensure that the club is sustainable and that people can enjoy Bristol Bears for many years to come.

“We have to look at ways of generating new revenues and eyeballs on the sport to ensure that we can be as self-sustainable as possible.”

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