Premiership: Bristol boss Pat Lam reassures fans that Bears will compete in 2022/23 amid rumours

Stan Wilson

06 Apr 2022 6:51 AM

Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has told fans not to worry about the club’s accounts or strength of side for the 2022/23 season amid rumours claiming that they were in financial trouble.

Bristol reported that they will still be operating under the £5m salary cap next season after it was reduced from £6.4 million in 2021/22 due to the pandemic.

The aforementioned statement from the Bears came as a response to claims that an administrative error with the contracts of six players is the reason behind the departure of Dave Attwood with Nathan Hughes set to follow.

Lam has reassured fans that the Bears are ambitious to compete in the 2022/23 Premiership season, with players like Ellis Genge, AJ MacGinty, Magnus Bradbury, James Williams and Gabriel Ibitoye on their way.

England international scrum-half Harry Randall has been re-signed along with Samoan forward Chris Vui.

“Everyone knows I do the majority of my main work before January,” the Bears director of rugby said.

“That’s when Gabriel was done, James Williams was done.

“It was done a lot earlier, we just hold announcements until the appropriate time. With the majority of our main work all done, the team and squad will be improved and be stronger.

“The club put the statement out to give our supporters absolute clarity. Everyone was worried about our squad, a ‘fire sale’ and stuff like that came out.

“So the message to the fans is, ‘Don’t worry, there’s no problem with the salary cap and don’t worry about the strength of the squad’.

“It will be improved and you’ve already seen that with Ellis Genge (signing), Harry Randall committing for four years, Chris Vui committing for four years, James and Gabriel joining. All of this was done way before. It’s business as usual.”

Kyle Sinckler, who has been absent for Bristol since his spell with England at the Six Nations, will return to the side along with Steven Luatua ahead of their trip to Sale in the Champions Cup round-0f-16, giving Bristol a much-needed boost.

The international prop has been battling concussion and back issues at the same time as club captain Luatua has been dealing with and rehabbing his dislocated wrist.

“Kyle has trained this week and he’s on the track. Steven will be available for selection this week,” Lam said.

“Steven reads the game exceptionally well and he brings the best out of the guys around him and he drives them.

“He is calm under pressure and that is why he has been superb for the Bears. A lot of guys have learnt from him, particularly when it comes to being calm.

“You don’t have to be going crazy emotionally, it is about being calm under pressure and making good decisions and that is what he brings to us.”

Bristol Pat Lam