Joy as Lam pens a new deal at Bears

Lansdown: He has given the city of Bristol a rugby club we can be proud of

BRISTOL Bears owner Steve Lansdown and chairman Chris Booy are celebrating a victory bigger than any they might achieve on the field this season after securing the services of rugby director Pat Lam until the end of the 2027/28 season.

With a new Premiership season kicking-off at Ashton Gate last night – although the Bears’ match with Saracens came to an end after the Daily Press deadline – Bristol have confirmed Lam, pictured, has signed a new five-year contract following the completion of his existing deal, keeping him at the club until 2028.

Owner Lansdown explained why he has locked down the former Samoa international on such a long contract. He said: “What Pat and his team have achieved in a short space of time at Bristol Bears is excellent, but it’s not just the way that the team have performed on the field, it’s the culture and standards he has set to drive the organisation forward.

“Bristol Bears are on an exciting journey, and we are delighted to have Pat at the forefront of that.

“He has embraced the rebrand and our vision of ‘Inspiring Our

Community Through Rugby Success’. From the Academy to our women’s team, Pat lives and breathes our mission every day. He has given the city a rugby club we can be proud of.”

Bristol won the Championship in Lam’s first season at the club in 2017/18, having arrived in the West from Irish side Connacht, and the next season they finished ninth in the Premiership with the highest points tally for a newly-promoted club in 12 years.

A year later, Bristol clinched a third-placed finish in the Gallagher