Bristol legend Agustin Pichot has backed the club to "create something special again" over the coming years under head coach Paul Hull.

The former Bristol Rugby and Argentina scrum-half still takes a close interest in his former club's progress through regular conversations with compatriot Mariano Sambucetti, the Bristol lock.

Pichot, 35, has now retired from playing rugby after six years in Paris with Stade Francais and Racing Metro 92.

And despite Bristol suffering relegation from the Guinness Premiership to the Championship earlier this year, Pichot can see a bright future for the club.

"I have been following Bristol since I left – and Sambucetti plays there, so it is good that there is still an Argentinian in the team," said Pichot.

"The ups and downs of the past few years perhaps did not surprise me, but I think the club now has a clean start.

"And if Bristol can really build up from scratch and create something special again, it would be great. And I think they can. I think Paul Hull will do a great job for Bristol, because he knows what the club is all about."

Pichot still has a house in Bristol – and visits the city whenever he can. And he still feels nothing but warmth towards his former club.

"I have a lot of friends in Bristol and I really enjoy going back to the city," he said.

"The people there have always been great to me and I miss the supporters there.

"Although I have spent the last few years in Paris winning championships, I still miss everything about Bristol.

"The people of Bristol did nothing but support me while I was there, so I still have great admiration for the club and the people there."

Pichot has most recently been involved in the International Rugby Board's successful bid to see sevens admitted to the Olympic Games from 2016.

And he was in Copenhagen yesterday when the International Olympic Committee finally gave rugby the Olympic rubber-stamp.

"I think it's a very important moment for rugby – and for me personally it has been a pleasure to be part of this process," he said. "This is definitely a historical moment for rugby – the sport we love. The expansion of the game through the Olympics is going to be amazing.

"And the fact the 2016 Olympics are in Rio is great for Latin America. Argentina is the leading rugby-playing country in the region, so this is a great moment for our country, too."

Bristol Rugby will aim to get their season back on track at Cornish Pirates after the setback of last weekend's home defeat to Exeter.

And head coach Hull said: "Every game we play will be a tough fixture for us – and I don't see Pirates being any less tough than Exeter.

"We're away from home and that will be another challenge in itself. They have been going well, but they also lost last weekend so they will be smarting from that. It will be an interesting contest."