'Really love the ambition': Bristol fans react to Springboks visit

Bristol fans have been singing the praises of their Bears after it was confirmed on Tuesday morning that Ashton Gate will play host to the Springboks in November, the first time since 2009 that the South Africans have arranged a match versus a Gallagher Premiership club. 

Arriving in England as the 2007 World Cup holders, the Springboks were defeated by Leicester and Saracens during their midweek tour matches 13 years ago and they will now visit Bristol as the current World Cup champions having won the trophy again in 2019. 

Representative fixtures are a rarity for Bristol as tour games in England before the dawn of professionalism were usually against county or regional selections. 

Having taken on a Canadian team in 1903, Bristol hosted the original All Blacks two years later and then had to wait 80 years before taking on Zimbabwe three times in 1983, twice on a close-season tour and once at the Memorial Ground. 

Bristol’s two most recent games against visiting countries were in 1997 when they defeated Tonga 35-15 and in 2003 when they beat the USA 31-21. Now, 19 years later, Bristol will host the Springboks and news of the fixture has been warmly received with tickets already on sale to season ticket holders.  

“I really, really love the ambition and outside-the-box thinking of @BristolBears (and @BristolBearsW!). They're properly restless when it comes to improving offerings and driving change. Boks at Ashton Gate? Sign me up,” wrote one fan.

Another tweeted: “£25 to sit with the rabble in the South stand is a bargain to watch an international team.”

The Springboks, whose team will be titled SA Select XV, are looking to add two more midweek games to a Test schedule that sees them play Ireland, France, Italy and England on successive November weekends.