Pat Lam has no plans to significantly add further to his squad ahead of the 2023/24 season with Bristol Bears set to go into the new campaign with their smallest senior squad in years.
A third year of the reduced £5m baseline salary cap means that despite some big-name departures from Ashton Gate this summer, like marquee men Semi Radradra and Charles Piutau, the Bristol director of rugby has been left with little wiggle room to strengthen his squad.
Asked whether there was more recruitment to come following the confirmed departures of flanker Sam Jeffries and utility Welsh international back Ioan Lloyd last week, albeit after giving his now accustomed caveat that ‘recruitment is always on-going’ Lam said: “There are a whole load of spots I would like to fill but I don’t have room in my cap.
“We average about 45-47 senior players in our squad, next year we are looking at 40-41.
"Would I like to sign another five players? Yes. Do we have the money? Yes. Am I allowed to spend it? No.
Lam continued: “The lower salary cap has certainly taken out the depth of squads, every club has pretty much got a good 15 or 20 top players but ultimately when you are in a long season, it is the death and quality below that which is key, which clubs used to have. But that is the challenge.
“We will have the smallest senior squad we have had so we will have to fast tract some of the younger guys and you hope we have a good run of no injuries.”
Here is a look at how things stand in terms of ins and outs at Bristol Bears ahead of the 2023/24 season and which players' names we should be looking out for when the club officially confirms their retained list before the final home game with Gloucester on May 6, with the leavers being honoured in a ceremony on the pitch as had become a tradition.
Leaving at the end of the season
- Semi Radradra - Lyon
- Charles Piutau - unknown
- Ioan Lloyd - Scarlets
- Sam Jeffries - unknown
- Sam Bedlow - Sale Sharks
- Joe Joyce - Connacht
- Will Porter - Harlequins
- Andy Uren - Benetton
- Bryan Byrne - Newcastle Falcons
Departed during the season
- Luke Morahan - Bayonne
- Tom Whiteley - Leicester Tigers
- Jake Armstrong - Doncaster
- Elliott Stooke - Montpellier
Incoming
- Max Malins - full-back/winger/fly-half - Saracens
- Kalaveti Ravouvou - centre - Fijian Drua
- Kieran Marmion - scrum half - Connacht
- Gabriel Oghre - hooker - Bordeaux Bègles
- Sam Wolstenholme - scrum half - Leicester Tigers
Staying having signed contract extensions
- Steven Luatua
- Kyle Sinckler
- Harry Thacker
- Max Lahiff
- Yann Thomas
- Jake Woolmore
- Jake Heenan
- Piers O’Conor
- Ed Holmes
- Jay Tyack
- Joe Batley
- Jack Bates
- George Kloska
- Noah Heward
- Will Capon
- Joe Jenkins
- Deago Bailey
- James Dun
- Andrew Turner
- Aaron Tull
In contract/expected to stay
- Ellis Genge
- Harry Randall
- AJ MacGinty
- Callum Sheedy
- Dan Thomas
- James Williams
- Chris Vui
- Gabriel Ibitoye
- Magnus Bradbury
Futures still unclear
- Siva Naulago
- Henry Purdy
- Toby Fricker
- Fred Davies
- John Hawkins
- Joe Owen
- Martin Mulhall
- Oscar Lennon
- Rich Lane
- Sam Lewis
- Jake Kerr
- Rhys Charalambous
- Morgan Eames
- Charlie Powell
- Jono Benz-Salomon
- Aristot Benz-Salomon
Last May, Bristol confirmed contract extensions for lock Hawkins, hooker Kerr, winger/centre Powell, and rugby league convert Naulago as part of a tranche of 16 new deals, but the length of their contracts were not revealed.
