Bristol Bears to play a home match at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium next season in move that could anger loyal Welsh fans… as senior figures reveal they were not consulted before agreement was reached

Bristol Bears will play a home game in the Gallagher Premiership at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff next May, a decision that has shocked the four regions of Wales and could send the country’s loyal fans into disarray.

Mail Sport reported in July last year that the Ashton Gate club were in advanced talks to move a match abroad in a bid to boost the team’s popularity.

Although Bristol’s plans to do so last season did not come to fruition – partly due to the fury in the Welshmen’s play – they will now do so in the 2024-25 season.

Pat Lam’s team will play at the Principality Stadium on May 10. The opponents will be announced on July 23, when the Premier League officially confirms fixtures for the upcoming season.

Mail Sport contacted leading Welsh regional figures about the Welsh Rugby Union hosting a match in Bristol, and it was made clear that they had not been consulted about the match.

It’s good news for the Bristol Bears as they will attract a much bigger crowd, but it could also anger some loyal Welsh fans.

The issue was not discussed by Welsh rugby’s Professional Rugby Board, which is made up of representatives from the four regions and the WRU.

“I didn’t know this match was going to happen before the announcement and was surprised to hear about it,” a regional source said. “It’s not something we’ve discussed at PRB level. I’m seeking more information from the WRU and PRB before I comment further.”

Bristol said: “By moving a home game to an international stadium with a capacity of 75,000, we are creating a world-class event that will allow us to reach new audiences and increase our commercial revenue.

‘Moving the match to Principality Stadium – and becoming the first Premiership club to host a match in Wales – fits with Premiership Rugby’s “Big Game” strategy and follows in the footsteps of Harlequins and Saracens, who have staged commercially successful events at alternative stadiums. This fixture is a key part of becoming financially sustainable.’

Bristol say their match against Cardiff will be marketed as a ‘Big Day Out’.

The Bears play their home games at the 27,000 capacity Ashton Gate stadium, but hope to attract a much bigger crowd than the Welsh capital. The Principality Stadium can hold 74,500.

Harlequins and Saracens have become accustomed to playing one-off Premiership matches at Twickenham and Tottenham Hotspur stadiums respectively and Bristol are now following suit.

While the idea of ​​moving matches to larger stadiums is to be welcomed, given that English club rugby continues to struggle financially, the fact that Bristol are playing on Welsh soil has already proven unpopular with the country’s residents.

Welsh rugby itself is struggling as central WRU funding for the four national teams – Dragons, Cardiff, Ospreys and Scarlets – is reduced.

The WRU, which owns the Principality Stadium, did not stage its annual Judgement Day matches (where the four regions play each other) at the home stadium of Welsh rugby last season due to a conflict with a concert.

The matches were instead held at Cardiff City Stadium, home of Championship football club Cardiff City. There is a strong belief in many quarters that playing an English league match on Welsh soil risks Wales losing some of its already small domestic support to teams across the border, such as Bristol and others including Bath and Gloucester.

The WRU have admitted that they have a £35 million deficit in regional budgets over the next five years, and are therefore desperate for additional revenue. Under the terms of Welsh rugby’s Professional Rugby Agreement, the WRU’s commercial income is then distributed to the regions.

The WRU receives compensation for hosting the match at their national team’s stadium

Pat Lam’s team play in Cardiff in May, but they have yet to learn who their opponents will be

The Cardiff match is included in the season ticket price for Bristol fans. The WRU receives a fee from Bristol for hosting the match.

But it remains unclear how ticket revenue and food and drink revenue will be split between the two sides. Adult tickets for the match will cost between £25 and £75.

Gavin Marshall, CEO of Bristol Sport Group, said: “We are delighted to announce this match at the Principality Stadium, which is arguably one of the best rugby stadiums in the world.

“We are still making significant losses and we need to find ways to tap into new revenue streams. We believe this is one way we can do that.

‘Harlequins and Saracens have shown there is a hunger for these games and we are all committed to making Premiership Rugby the best competition in the world.

‘We hope that Bristol Bears fans will support this game and travel in large numbers. We also hope that Welsh rugby fans will support this too.’