Queen’s College is delighted to have become an official partner school of Bristol Bears, creating new opportunities for aspiring rugby players to develop their game and access pathways into professional rugby.

The new partnership will see Queen’s join the Bristol Bears partner school network, strengthening the College’s rugby programme and creating a closer connection between pupils and one of the country’s leading professional rugby clubs.

As part of the partnership, players at Queen’s will have opportunities to be monitored for talent identification and access enhanceddevelopment pathways, while gaining a greater insight into the standards, coaching and opportunities available within the professional game.

The partnership also builds on an existing connection between the two organisations through Queen’s Head of Rugby, Mr Smith, who also coaches with Bristol Bears.

Working across both Queen’s and Bristol Bears puts Mr Smith in a unique position to create a meaningful link between school and club, helping talented and ambitious players understand the pathways available to them and supporting their development as they work towards their rugby aspirations.

Tom Bell, Director of Sport at Queen’s College, said:

“We are incredibly proud to become part of the Bristol Bears partner school network. This is a fantastic opportunity for our pupils and an exciting next step for rugby at Queen’s.

“The partnership gives aspiring players the opportunity to be monitored for talent identification, access enhanced development pathways and gain valuable insight into the professional game.

“With Mr Smith working both as our Head of Rugby and as a coach with Bristol Bears, we have a genuine connection between the school and the club. Most importantly, it gives our players another clear pathway to develop, challenge themselves and pursue their ambitions beyond school.”

The partnership forms part of Queen’s continued investment in sporting opportunities and pathways, giving pupils access to high-level coaching, facilities and connections beyond the College.

While providing exciting opportunities for those with ambitions to progress within the game, the partnership will also support the continued development of rugby across Queen’s, helping pupils of different ages and abilities develop their skills, confidence and enjoyment of the sport.

Queen’s looks forward to working closely with Bristol Bears and seeing the partnership develop both on and off the field.