Rugby Rumours: Bristol Rugby to be rebranded with new name next season

It was first reported by Rugby Inside Line that Pat Lam's side will from next season be named the Bristol Bears.

They were promoted back to the Premiership last weekend after second-placed Ealing Trailfinders were beaten 50-19 at Doncaster.

They will have finished top of the regular-season table in each of the last four seasons they have been in the Championship.

Ealing, meanwhile, will remain in the second tier next term as the play-offs were scrapped in favour of automatic promotion for the league winners.

Head coach Lam told BBC Radio Bristol: "I'm extremely proud, for all the players, the management, the staff, the board, the Lansdowns and all Bristol people.

"Although people say it was a formality, you have to work hard for it, so I'm pleased that we're heading up and we continue on the journey towards getting Champions Cup rugby.

"This is only part of the journey, it's only the first step. We've just done the first part but there's a long way to go to get where we want to get to."