Professional rugby at crossroads - Bristol chief

Bristol Bears will play a home game at Cardiff's Principality Stadium during 2024-25

Professional rugby is at a "crossroads commercially" and clubs have to "think differently" says Bristol Bears' chief operating officer, Tom Tainton.

The long-term stability of English domestic rugby has been under the spotlight ever since the collapse of Wasps, Worcester Warriors and London Irish during the 2022-23 campaign.

The Bears will play a home match against Bath at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff next season, as part of a plan to grow their audience and revenue.

“It has been a really challenging time and we can’t continue down this path, we have to think differently, we have to put our head above the parapet and take some calculated risks,” Tainton told BBC Radio Bristol.

“For me this is a key time for professional rugby, and it’s probably at a crossroads commercially and there is an opportunity to get more eyeballs on it and get a younger demographic interested in the sport.

“To do that then TV is king and eyeballs are king and we need to tell the story and tell the narrative of what makes rugby special.”

Last season was one of the closest contests in Premiership history with seven teams still in contention for a top four play-off spot going into the final day of matches.

Northampton became the fifth different club to be crowned champions in the last five campaigns, after Saracens, Leicester, Harlequins and Exeter.

The 2024-25 season will see every match broadcast on TNT Sports as part of a new television deal, while other ideas have seen players wearing microphones and referees wearing cameras during games to generate more insight for audiences watching.

"There is something really entertaining about the product," Tainton said.

"We want as many people to see and love the game and there’s never been an issue with the product in the Premiership, you look at last season you look at how tight it was.

"I’d love for us to be able to add more value."

'Nothing is off the table'

Tom Tainton (right) was born and grew up in Bristol

Tainton, 35, has worked at Bristol for more than a decade before being made chief operating officer in 2022.

Bristol's match in Cardiff marks the first time one of their home Premiership matches has been played away from Ashton Gate.

It follows similar initiatives by other clubs to play at international stadiums during the league season, with Saracens playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Harlequins at Twickenham during recent campaigns.

Tainton said while there were "no immediate plans” for any games to be played internationally, he "would not rule anything out" in the future.

"What I will say of the Premiership and new executive there, they have come in with a freshness and a purpose and new ideas. I don't think anything is off the table,” Tainton said.

“We value Ashton Gate and we value our season ticket holders and we value home games – [it’s] certainly not something we’re cooking away in the background in terms of a Premiership game.

“We are very much aligned with Premiership Rugby and their strategy to grow the game to get more eyeballs on rugby.”