Bristol Bears
Bristol is another city where rugby has a very strong following and the Bristol Bears play their home games at Ashton Gate, sharing the stadium with Bristol City Football Club.
This is very much a modern stadium rather than a traditional rugby ground, but it works extremely well for rugby. The redevelopment of Ashton Gate has produced a smart, comfortable stadium with four substantial stands and a capacity of around 27,000.It also regularly gets used for international rugby, which gives you some idea of the standard of the venue. Ashton Gate has hosted England women's internationals as well as other international fixtures, and the Bears have also welcomed touring sides such as Australia XV and South Africa A.
Personally, my favourite place is the upper tier of the Lansdown Stand.
The view from up there is excellent. You get a superb perspective over the whole pitch and, because the Lansdown Stand is particularly high, you can see the game developing in front of you rather better than you can from some of the lower seats.
There is just one small drawback.
If you don't like heights, don't look down.
Actually, if you suffer from vertigo, I'd probably suggest choosing somewhere nearer ground level. From the upper tier, the pitch looks a very long way down and there is a distinctly impressive drop between you and the players.The stadium itself is shared very successfully by the two clubs. It has all the facilities you would expect from a modern football stadium, including plenty of food and drink outlets, decent concourses and comfortable seating.
And while I generally prefer traditional rugby grounds, there is something to be said for watching rugby in a stadium designed to accommodate a sizeable crowd.
The Bears certainly get good support and the atmosphere can be excellent, particularly for the big West Country fixtures. There is a real rivalry with Bath, and when the two sides meet Ashton Gate can be a very noisy place indeed.
It is also a venue where you don't have to pay a fortune just to get through the door. Bristol Bears' current ticket listings have home matches starting from £20, although prices vary according to the fixture and where you sit.Another bonus is that Ashton Gate is a proper multi-purpose stadium rather than a ground used for rugby as an afterthought. It regularly hosts major events, and the Bears have made it very much their home since moving back there.
For me, the great attraction is still that Lansdown Stand.
Get yourself high enough up and you have a fantastic view of the rugby, although I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has a fear of heights.
Just remember that the higher you go, the further down the pitch is.
And that's quite a long way down!
Prices correct as at September 2026
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