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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Sport
Max Baker

'Nothing that compares': Pat Lam explains ethos behind new multi-million pound training facility

'To inspire our community through rugby success'.

That's the message that adorns the wall of the reception in the Bristol Bears new £11m high-performance training facility, which has finally been completed after almost a year of building work.

Two outdoor pitches, an indoor barn with a Ashton Gate replica pitch, canteen, players lounge, operations office, academy office, gym, hydrotherapy room, changing rooms; all that and more has been erected with one thought in mind; to make Bristol a Champions Cup club and one of the world elite rugby clubs.

After promotion in 2018, the Bears finished 9th the following season and currently sit in 3rd place ahead of the season restart on August 14, but as you walk around the new facility it is clear that director of rugby Pat Lam has visions of much, much more for this side.

Inspirational quotes fill the walls in every room, ranging from 'our greatest tool we can develop in our coaching is raising self awareness' to 'enter Bears rugby programme, exit a better rugby player and a better person'.

It is clear that Lam has a clear ethos and has already implemented his ideals and philosophies on the club, owned by Bristol billionaire Steve Lansdown.

From every member of staff and players saying hello and asking about your day when you walk in, to Lam himself taking the media on tour and explaining each and every aspect, it is obvious that the Bears now have a world-class philosophy and now a facility to match that on their hands.

The club hierarchy, including Lam and CEO Mark Tainton, have visited sports training facilities far and wide to gather ideas for the training centre, and had help from Bristol City chairman Jon Lansdown when designing the walls covered in quotes, all aiming to achieve a three step plan; an ambition to win the Champions Cup, producing England internationals in their programme and being passionate about growing home grown players.

With the new high-performance centre now ready, the director of rugby has said that there are no excuses to not succeed.

Lam said: "It enhances the plan we have to achieve our vision. It certainly raises expectation but that's expectation we place on ourselves anyway. The thing I love is that it makes it very clear to everyone that's working here and everyone that comes here the demand and the requirement is to be world class.

"It's about the individuals improving daily and if we all improve improve collectively, everyone goes up another level. Its something I've said right from day one before we even had this centre, this just reinforces it really.

"There's nothing that compares to this. I think it's purpose built for the Bears programme, it's for rugby, you can't find this view at a rugby place. It's been well planned, well thought and it's an incredible place."

Lam was had a huge say on the design. The director of rugby said that he was handed the plans by Steve Lansdown and chairman Chris Booy when he arrived in Bristol in 2017, and was able to have a huge input into the plans indoors, in the indoor pitch and more.

Lam said he discussed the culture he wanted to employ at the Bears with the architects in the early planning stages to ensure every room was meticulously planned to enhance his ethos.

But the former Samoa international has said that while the new facility does put pressure on their shoulders to achieve, it's pressure that they already had on their shoulders.

"It's no pressure that's already been there, it just takes away excuses. When people were telling me we've got to survive, I was saying we've got to be in the top six.

"Nothing changes in our plan, this just enhances it. It's the same when you've got people saying you've got Kyle Sinckler and Semi Radradra. That doesn't change the plan, that just enhances the plan.

Pat Lam (jon Kent/Bristol Live)

"I think the first thing I wanted was the management team. There's some really good [coaches], right across the board. But that's ongoing, even though you get there the challenge is making sure that we high performance and world class.

"That's reviews of everybody, including myself. I believe now that we're in a genuine position now that is no excuses that we should be challenging.

"We set our our goal of top six and we want to be there. We want to be playing Champions Cup rugby. But as a team, we're in a position now where we should be some of our best rugby."

Bristol Bears CEO, Mark Tainton, has also been deeply involved in the planning right from the start, and his pride was mirrored in his excitement at the what the future holds for the club

Tainton said: "I've been involved with right from the very start. It's a massive change to when we first arrived here and when you grow with it, the most exiting thing is actually seeing the players. They came here earlier in the year when it was just a shell and we had a barbecue here.

"Then the players returned and seeing their faces looking at the facilities was amazing. I think they really appreciate what we've developed for them. You look around and it's a fantastic place to come and improve yourself.

"Obviously it's totally down to Steve Lansdown and the Lansdown family. He's allowed us to invest the CVC money into the site to build something that was going to last.

"We already had a fantastic stadium at Ashton Gate so the next thing was to build a world class performance centre."

When asked if this places Bristol among the elite in Europe, Tainton said: "I would say world rugby. We've been around to many facilities to see what other people have got. Football, American football, rugby, we've taken ideas from all of them and try to take the best of everything.

"With these facilities, pressure comes as well for the players to perform. Hopefully we've provided everything they need. We've got the ability to bring players to our facilities when we're looking to do recruitment and we can bring them here, show them what we've built, look at our facilities, it's going to be a massive bonus for us."

The Bears were on a club record winning run before the season was curtailed, by Lam is confident that upon their first game back on August 15, they will be able to carry on their momentum.

"I think it's about making sure that we understand how we did that. Its about making sure every individual is ready to do that and on the same page, There's all of our teamwork and everyone has had a breather now.

"I think the big thing is making no change around the way we prepare and the way we do things."

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