“At Bristol Bears, we don’t call ourselves a rugby club. We are a marketing agency that plays rugby.”
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam and new chief operating officer Tom Tainton (Photo: Ryan Crockett/JMP)(Image: Ryan Crockett/JMP)
Bristol Bears’ chief executive has told a major sports coverage that the Gallagher Premiership club takes players’ off-field appeal into account during recruitment discussions.
Tom Tainton, speaking at SportPro London, likening the organisation to ‘a marketing agency that plays rugby’ in his comments where he said that off-field factors and marketabilitity are an important factor in recruitment decision.
Currently sitting fifth in the Premiership table as they push for a play-off spot this season, the Bears have made several high-profile additions to their squad in recent years, including Wales international Louis Rees-Zammit made his return to rugby from the NFL while Ilona Maher’s brief appearance in Premiership Women’s Rugby last season generated considerable attention for both the Bears and the league more broadly.
The CEO, who was previously chief operating officer and head of communications at the club, explained at SportPro London that ‘Bristol Bears are a marketing agency that plays rugby’, as reports the Independent.
“There is no point going to market and spending marquee money on a player and just expect them to do something between the white lines on a Saturday,” Tainton said.
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“At Bristol Bears, we don’t call ourselves a rugby club. We are a marketing agency that plays rugby. Yes, our players have to be competent and able to deliver on the field, but if they are not bringing any value off the field, that genuinely factors into our recruitment conversations.”
Tom Tainton is pictured as he is announced as CEO of Bristol Bears. (Photo by Rogan/Bristol Bears)
Tainton’s remarks arrive as the PREM shifts towards an expansion strategy having abolished promotion and relegation, and during a period of renewed investment within English rugby.
“I’d argue we have done the hard bit – the product is superb,” he added, as reports the Independent.. “There are young, articulate men and women playing the game. We’ve got a great base to grow from. We now have to take some bold risks to get out of our comfort zone and do things that the sport hasn’t previously done.”
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