There has been a long history of Welsh players in Bristol – Non Evans, Mel Berry, Clare Flowers all plied their trade at Clifton. These are faces Wales fly-half Elinor Snowsill remembers well when she was embarking on her career.
After eight seasons in the West Country, Snowsill now finds herself a senior squad member at Bristol Bears surrounded by younger players such as Manon Johnes, Lauren Smyth, Alisha Butchers and Kayleigh Powell, who form part of a contingent of nine Wales internationals at the club.
According to Snowsill, having a group of compatriots in one Premiership side will only improve the cohesion of the national team.
“On a personal level, having Keira Bevan there as a nine and Siwan Lillicrap at eight is crucial really. The more we get to play together the better it’ll be for Wales,” she said.
But it’s not just the proximity that makes Bristol appealing, it’s the close links it has to the men’s side. The women have access to watch them train, participate in meetings and observe analysis.
“A lot of what [Bristol boss] Pat Lam does filters down to us. I’ve learnt so much about culture and off pitch stuff from him.
“Some of the international girls scrummage against the academy boys and on the flip side they come into our training and do individual position specific workshops with us. I know it’s not the case in every club.
“Last year I had the opportunity to work with Ian Madigan. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) did something similar with Sam Warburton and it’s beneficial from both sides.”