Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Bears may have to lose a number of key players
Gate beyond this season. Attwood, 34, joined Bath on a two-year deal.
Former England number eight Nathan Hughes also confirmed this week that he is joining French Top 14 side Clermont next season and, earlier in the week, The Rugby Paper reported centre Antoine Frisch, winger Luke Morahan, fly-half Tiff Eden and back rower Mitch Eadie could all depart in the summer.
Bristol had already committed to signing England loosehead prop Ellis Genge, Sale fly-half AJ MacGinty and Scotland international back rower Magnus Bradbury for next season before the administrative error came to light in March.
It was during the first lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic that the Gallagher Premiership clubs voted to reduce the league’s salary cap from £6.4m to £5m from the 2021-22 season.
Bristol were one of the dissenters, but eventually went with the majority on the decision in light of the bleak financial landscape, with Exeter Chiefs – who pre-pandemic were the league’s only profit-making side – reporting this week they made a loss of more than £6.3m from June 2020 to June 2021, in which time they won the European Champions Cup and the Premiership title.
Despite the efforts to try to cut spending across the league, a lot of clubs, including the Bears, took advantage of a loophole that allowed them to count 75 percent of existing contracts against the revised cap providing they were agreed before a certain date.
Accordingly, on August 14, 2020, Bristol announced 33 contract renewals that had been completed in the small window before that date loophole date passed – with deals for players including Steven Luatua, Charles Piutau, Hughes, Chris Vui, Morahan, Kyle Sinckler, Andy Uren, Joe Joyce and Callum Sheedy.
The Telegraph reported that in Bristol’s case, the majority of players signed new “two plus one” deals, which is a two-year contract with an option of a third on the same terms unless either party decides to pull out by a set deadline.
To stay within budget next season it is reported Bristol intended to release six players whose contracts were worth an estimated £400,000, but the club have missed the deadline to release them, meaning the third-year has already kicked in.
To make matters worse for last season’s table-toppers, it is thought even if players are paid off, that would still count against the salary cap, so Bristol are now having to make savings wherever they can, which would mean Lam is having to lose players he did not want to.
The salary cap is being squeezed further ahead of next season, with clubs going down from two marquee players – whose wages count outside the salary cap – to one, and as such there are already murmurs that former All Black full-back Charles Piutau could be moving on. Piutau is widely reported to be one of the highest-paid players in the league.
Lam, and chief executive officer Mark Tainton, will certainly be doing everything within their power to ensure the club do not breach the salary cap, with Leicester Tigers found guilty of doing so just earlier this month, while Saracens’ previous issues are well-documented.
Andy Uren will make his longawaited return from injury for Bristol Bears’ round 22 Premiership clash with Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens this afternoon.
Scrum-half Uren is set for his first appearance since February 5, having recovered from a hamstring injury and partners Callum Sheedy at half-back.
Bears director of rugby Pat Lam makes seven changes from the defeat to Saracens at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend, with John Afoa and Jake Heenan starting in the pack and Semi Radradra, Charles Piutau and Siva Naulago returning to the back line.
Piutau makes his first start since January, having made his comeback from injury against Sarries, while Naulago returns from a four-game suspension. Radradra and Antoine Frisch line up in the midfield. Luke Morahan is another injury returnee, taking his place on bench.
Bristol Bears: