Bristol coach in budget talks
PAUL Hull is expecting an imminent decision on the severity of the cuts to Bristol's rugby budget for next season.
Head coach Hull held talks with Steve Gorvett, the chief executive, last night – and the club could make an announcement as early as today regarding its future.
Forwards coach John Brain, one of the highest earners in Hull's back-room team, is understood to be on the verge of leaving the club as Bristol make the necessary cutbacks following their failure to win promotion back to the Guinness Premiership.
The identity of which players could follow him may take a little longer to emerge, however, as Hull digests the information passed to him by Gorvett and chairman Chris Booy. "I expect the board to communicate to me their plans going forward – and I am led to believe that by Tuesday they will inform the whole squad," said Hull.
"We are all waiting to find out what is going on and what the plan is, regarding budgets and stuff like that.
"Hopefully, by Tuesday, I will know – as will the players and management staff – what is going to happen."
Chairman and major shareholder Booy is understood to have spent the bank holiday weekend with his fellow directors and Gorvett finalising next season's budget. Bristol's 38-16 aggregate defeat to Exeter in the Championship play-off final has forced the club to follow its Plan B budget, as Plan A hinged exclusively on the club returning to the Premiership.
Centre Luke Eves was the first player to confirm he will be playing elsewhere next season after joining Newcastle – and further departures now seem inevitable.
"We will have to wait and see," said Hull. "Just like everyone else, I am waiting to find out.
"I have got some indication that there will be a bit of a reduction, but I don't yet know how severe it will be.
"Steve Gorvett is going to communicate to me what the board sorted out over the weekend – so I hope some of the questions that the players, staff and supporters have will soon be answered."
In addition to coaching Bristol's forwards, Brain, who joined the club three years ago, has more recently taken charge of defensive duties.
He has been linked with a return to his former club Worcester, where ex-Bristol boss Richard Hill was last week named head coach.
2 Comments
by Peter, Frome
Tuesday, June 01 2010, 6:55PM
“Recognising what the immediate future holds for Bristol Rugby makes this a very sad day. In spite of all we had hoped for from the season just ended we were simply not good enough when it mattered.
It is many years since Bris were the force in English rugby that they once were, but now it is time to rebuild.
I, and many other supporters, will be there with the the players, coaches and management as they carry out this process. May our future be as exciting and as glorious as our past.
C'mon Bris!”
by Graham Stones, Bristol
Tuesday, June 01 2010, 10:52AM
“Come on Bristol, we can do it. We will be back as a premiership club, but we have to do it without getting ourselves in a pickle. But we CAN do it. COME ON BRIS”