Rugby / Bristol Bears

Rees-Zammit helps Bristol start Prem season with win

By Martin Booth  Sunday Sep 28, 2025

Men’s rugby returned to Ashton Gate on Sunday afternoon with Bristol Bears beating Leicester Tigers 42-24 in their first game of the newly rebranded Prem.

There were no posts lighting up after each score as happened in the Women’s Rugby World Cup matches played here but Louis Rees-Zammit – otherwise known as Rees-Lightning – did make his home debut and capped it off with a try in the last play of the game, racing more than half the length of the field down the right wing.

Bears captain Fitz Harding, playing in his 100th game for Bristol and 50th as captain after joining the club straight from Durham University, scored first in front of a record Sunday crowd of 20,796.

“Playing here is so special,” said Harding on the pitch at the end of the match when he was presented with a cap to mark his centenary of appearances.

Bristol’s other tries were from Gabriel Ibitoye, Gabriel Oghre and Josh Carrington on his Prem debut having also joined Bristol straight from university, Cardiff Met in his case; with Tom Jordon kicking like a metronome in a player-of-the-match performance.

Talking of Cardiff, Bears will be heading back to the Principality this season for a men’s and women’s double-header against Harlequins whose women’s team features the World Cup winning Ellie Kildunne.

While Rees-Zammit had little of the ball on Sunday until his 79th minute try, his opposite wing Ibitoye looked like a basketball player at times during this match, running backwards during one attack and holding the ball with one hand over his head in another.

But one worrying sign among the razzmatazz was three Bears players limping off the field: AJ Macginty, Harry Randall and Ibitoye.

Let’s hope they can return to the field soon alongside their lightning quick new compatriot.

Main photo: Bristol Bears

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