Bristol Bears will host an Argentina XV at Ashton Gate in the Autumn with a promise to have learned from past mistakes after the club’s latest exhibition game fell flat.
Bristol will face the Pumas on Friday, November 7, 2025, which falls on a free weekend in the domestic rugby calendar next season, ensuring there will not be any double-game weekends in 2025/26. Two games on consecutive days caused Pat Lam’s reduced squad significant headaches this season with the club facing an Australia XV before travelling to Bath the next day in the Premiership Rugby Cup in November, and then playing the Queensland Reds the day before taking on Ampthill back in January. The result was a thrashing away at the Rec and at the hands of the Australian Super Rugby side and lots of tired players.
November’s meeting with Bristol legend Felipe Contepomi’s side is the latest in a series of historic exhibition fixtures at Ashton Gate, with the Bears having also faced South Africa XV, the Crusaders and Barbarians in recent seasons.
The fixture was confirmed earlier today as part of the club’s launch of the 2025/26 Season Ticket package ( click here for full info on 2025/26 Season Tickets ) and further ticketing information for this fixture will be released in due course.