Mark Regan has warned Bristol to expect a "right old slog" in the Championship next season.

But the former England and Lions hooker, who retired at the weekend, sees no reason why they cannot win promotion back to the Guinness Premiership at the first attempt.

Regan finally brought the curtain down on his 18-year professional career after Bristol's 73-3 defeat at Leicester in their final Premiership match before relegation.

And the 37-year-old has vowed to be a regular in the Memorial Stadium stands next season as Paul Hull's team aim to bounce back to the top flight.

"Bristol are in good hands – there's a good set-up there," said Regan.

"Hully is in charge, there's a good board and some good players. But can we come straight back up? That's another question."

Regan sees Exeter Chiefs as the main threat to Bristol's bid for an instant return to the big time, but also rates sides such as Doncaster and Cornish Pirates as difficult opponents, particularly on their own grounds.

"I look at Exeter, who are always the bridesmaid but never the bride, and they have great facilities and have been there and done it," he said.

"They have won an awful lot of games at that level and they often come very close to winning the league. They are obviously a threat to Bristol.

"It will be tough in that league, travelling up to Doncaster, travelling down to Penzance. It's not going to be easy, it's going to be a right old slog.

"No one quite knows how the league will be set up, but it seems that if you come in the top eight you go into a play-off, home and away.

"But if you look at the team Bristol will have – they have kept the majority of this season's squad together and signed some good players – then it's definitely achievable."

Saturday's heavy defeat at Walkers Stadium saw Regan, Dan Ward-Smith, David Lemi and Shaun Perry make their final appearances for Bristol, while Matt Salter and Scott Linklater are also expected to leave the club over the summer.

And skipper Joe El Abd, who missed the trip to Leicester through injury, is also on his way out of the Memorial Stadium after agreeing to move to French club Toulon.

Bristol have strengthened ahead of their Championship campaign by signing Cardiff Blues pair Jason Spice and Ross Johnson, Gloucester duo Jack Adams and Dan Norton, Bertrand Bedes from Cornish Pirates, Nottingham's Dan Montagu, United States scrum-half Robbie Shaw and Welsh flanker James Merriman.