Cleve RFC are the featured Club Connexion club for Bears’ opening Investec Champions Cup clash against four-time champions Leinster at Ashton Gate on Sunday.
The local club from the Foundation’s Club Connexion programme will take centre stage as Pat Lam’s men host the Irish giants in Bear Country for Round 1 (5.30pm KO).
Club Connexion is our local club partnership offer which supports the community clubs with coach education workshops, player development camps and many other benefits.
All 30 local rugby clubs will enjoy a featured Bristol Bears home game at Ashton Gate throughout the 2024/25 season as part of the Club Connexion programme and you can find out more about the story of Cleve RFC and their work with the Foundation below.
CLEVE RFC
Based in North East Bristol, Cleve RFC is family orientated club with a rich history, providing rugby from Under-6 to Colts, plus three senior teams, with the first XV currently riding high in the Counties 1 Tribute North division.
Mark Hutton, Cleve Rugby Club junior chairman and U14s coach, said: “Club Connexion provides Cleve RFC the ability to give the young members of our club opportunities to engage with the Foundation and the wider Bears family.
“These opportunities allow them to see how they fit into the wider rugby family. With additional benefits such as Super Sundays, feature match and ticketing discounts for matches, there is a whole range of ways our members can engage.”
Cleve recent had their Super Sunday event at the Bristol Bears High Performance Centre, one of the many benefits of being part of the Club Connexion programme.
More than 90 young people from U7s to U15s participated in a morning of skill development and game-based learning at the home of the Bristol Bears.
“The Super Sunday is always a great day,” Hutton continued. “The children have the opportunity to learn from the great coaching staff at the Bristol Bears Community Foundation and the chance to meet some of their idols!”
As the featured club for the game against Leinster, youngsters from Cleve will be the flag bearers when the teams run out while the club will also take part in the Bear Run.
“The feature game is always a huge event,” Hutton added. “Giving the children the opportunity to stand on the Ashton Gate pitch whilst the Bears and Leinster players run past them will be incredible!
“The opportunity to work with Bristol Bears Community Foundation via the Club Connexion programme is really valuable. Not only are there the benefits and opportunities, but also the coaching CPDs which are a direct benefit to the age-grade coaches at Cleve, providing the chance to explore new coaching techniques or themes on specific elements of the game is incredibly useful.
“The support of the Community Foundation is incredibly important. Through BBCF, at Cleve we have been introduced to Star* Scheme and are really pleased to support the incredible work that they do in providing opportunities to children who might otherwise not have access to the safe and supportive environments that rugby can create.”
