Bristol Bears will play a home game at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium next season in a decision that could anger loyal Welsh fans… as senior figures reveal they were not consulted before the deal was reached

• Bristol Bears to play at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium next season
• Key regional figures were not consulted over the controversial decision

Bristol Bears will play their home Gallagher Premiership game at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in May, a decision that has shocked all four regions of Wales and may well anger the country’s loyal fans.

Mail Sport revealed in July last year that the Ashton Gate outfit were in advanced talks to move a match across the border in a move designed to try and boost the club’s popularity.

While plans for Bristol to do so in the season just ended failed to materialise – partly due to anger at the Wales game – they will now do so in the 2024-25 season.

Pat Lam’s side will play at the Principality Stadium on May 10. Their opponents will be revealed on July 23 when the Premier League officially confirms its fixtures for next season.

Senior figures in the Welsh region were contacted by Mail Sport about the Welsh Rugby Union hosting a match in Bristol and it was clear they were not consulted about the match taking place.

The matter was not discussed by the Professional Rugby Council for Wales, which is made up of representatives from the four regions and the WRU.

“I was not aware this game was going to happen before the announcement and was surprised to hear about it,” a regional source said. “It is not something we have discussed at PRB level. I am seeking further information from the WRU and PRB before making any further comment.”

Bristol said: “By taking a home game to a 75,000-capacity international stadium, we will deliver a world-class event to help us reach new audiences and increase our commercial revenue.

‘Moving the event to the Principality Stadium – and becoming the first Premiership club to host a game in Wales – aligns with Premiership Rugby’s ‘Big Game’ strategy and follows in the footsteps of Harlequins and Saracens, who have both hosted commercially successful events at alternative stadiums. This event is a key component to becoming financially sustainable.’

Bristol say the match in Cardiff will be billed as a “Big Day Out”.

The Bears play their home games at the 27,000-capacity Ashton Gate, but are hoping to attract a much larger crowd than they can in the Welsh capital. The Principality Stadium can hold 74,500 spectators.

Harlequins and Saracens have become accustomed to playing one-off Premier League games 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, as English club rugby continues to struggle financially, the fact that Bristol will be playing on Welsh soil has already proved unpopular with locals.

Welsh rugby is also struggling, with its four national teams – Dragons, Cardiff, Ospreys and Scarlets – having their central funding from the WRU slashed.

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

The matches instead took place at Cardiff City Stadium, the home of Championship football team Cardiff City. There is a strong belief in many quarters that playing an English league game 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 has admitted that it has a £35 million cash shortfall over the next five years in regional budgets, which is why they are desperate to secure additional revenue. Under the terms of the Welsh Rugby Professional Rugby Agreement, commercial revenue earned by the WRU is then distributed to the regions.

The Cardiff game will be included in the season ticket price for Bristol fans. The WRU will receive a fee from Bristol for hosting the match.

But it is not yet clear how revenue from tickets and food and drink will be split between the two parties. Adult tickets for the match will cost between £25 and £75.

Bristol Sport Group chief executive Gavin Marshall said: “We are delighted to announce this game at the Principality Stadium, which is without doubt one of the finest rugby stadiums on the planet.

‘We are still recording significant losses and we need to find ways to generate new revenue streams. We believe this is one way to do that.

‘Harlequins and Saracens have shown there is an appetite for these games. We are all striving to make Premiership Rugby the best league in the world.

‘We hope Bristol Bears fans will support this match and travel in their droves. We also hope Welsh rugby fans will support it too.’