Bristol Bears Women’s Head Coach Dave Ward Extends Contract for Two Years

Bristol Bears Women’s head coach Dave Ward has signed a new two-year agreement with the club, committing him until the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. Ward previously guided Bristol to their inaugural league final last season. Ward assumed his role in 2021 and, in the previous season, led the team to the Premiership Women’s Rugby final, a first in the club’s history. The team currently holds the fourth position in the league standings, having secured four victories and suffered two defeats in their six matches played to date. Tom Luke, Ward’s assistant coach, has also prolonged his contract for the identical duration. “It was a bit of a no-brainer, we’ve started something here and we want to finish it,” Ward informed BBC Radio Bristol. He added, “It’s exciting and we can’t wait to see what this year and the next couple of years looks like as well.” Ward further commented, “For me and Tom it’s a place where we genuinely come in every day smiling, we don’t know what we’re expecting. It was great for us to get sorted and start planning for next season.” The 39-year-old Ward is a former Harlequins hooker who participated in nearly 300 games throughout his playing career, which also included stints with Bath, Northampton, Sale, and Cornish Pirates. During his time as coach, he has also steered the Bears to two Premiership semi-finals. Gavin Marshall, Bristol Sport Group chief executive officer, stated, “Since they have taken over the programme and the team have gone from strength to strength. We believe that under their leadership we can become PWR champions and continue to inspire the next generation of young girls in the city.” Bristol is scheduled to compete against local rivals Gloucester-Hartpury at Kingsholm on Saturday, in a rematch of last season’s final, where Bristol was defeated 36-24. Ward expressed that the club has “unfinished business” and has been the “bridesmaid” on several occasions. “For us it’s about taking it one step further and delivering on what we set out to do,” he concluded.