Rugby / Bristol Bears

Bristol celebrate 1000th competitive game with win against Worcester

By Martin Booth  Saturday Nov 6, 2021

Quiz question: who holds the world record for the number of tries scored in first class rugby?

Answer: Alan Morley with 479, of which 384 of these were scored for Bristol.

It was fitting therefore to have Morley on the Ashton Gate pitch at half-time as Bristol marked the club’s 1000th game of competitive rugby with a much-needed bonus point win against Worcester.

Independent journalism
is needed now More than ever
Keep our city's journalism independent. Become a supporter member today.

Seventy-one-year-old Morley, who played for Bristol between 1968 and 1986, modestly said that his work was made easy by his teammates.

How would he fare in today’s professional era? As a winger, he would most definitely have approved of the play of the day which saw Worcester’s one try scored acrobatically by  Noah Heward, sensationally leaping over Charles Piatau to touch down before hitting the corner flag.

From Bristol Rugby Club to a brief spell as Bristol Shoguns and now Bristol Bears, Bristol’s home since 2014 has been Ashton Gate, where on Saturday they recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Bristol’s tries on this historic occasion came courtesy of two from Toby Fricker, and one each for Sam Jeffries and Tom Whiteley.

The Bears travel to Exeter and Worcester in the Premiership Rugby Cup, before returning to Ashton Gate to host Northampton on the evening of Friday, November 26.

Main photo: JMP

Read more: Ice hockey returns to Bristol after almost a decade

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:

Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
I want to receive (tick as many as you want):
I'm interested in (for future reference):
Marketing Permissions

Bristol24/7 will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:

We will only use your information in accordance with our privacy policy, which can be viewed here - www.bristol247.com/privacy-policy/ - you can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at meg@bristol247.com. We will treat your information with respect.


We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related articles

You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
Independent journalism
is needed now More than ever
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
Join the Better
Business initiative
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
* prices do not include VAT
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
Enjoy delicious local
exclusive deals
You've read %d articles this month
Consider becoming a member today
Wake up to the latest
Get the breaking news, events and culture in your inbox every morning