George Kloska and Jimmy Halliwell: Bristol props agree new deals

England international George Kloska and fellow prop Jimmy Halliwell have both agreed new “long-term” contracts to stay with Bristol Bears.

Kloska agrees his new deal with the Prem club weeks after winning his first two international caps during the Nations Championship.

Halliwell and Kloska are both Bristolians and the duo also came through the Bears’ academy setup.

Scrum-half Oscar Lennon has also rejoined Bristol for the 2026-27 season having had a number of short spells with the side over the past three seasons.

Tight-head Kloska, 26, has played 86 games for Bristol since his debut in 2019 and has been involved in the club’s age grade system since the age of 13.

He came off the bench during England’s wins against Fiji and Argentina last month, having also previously represented England A.

“He’s a brilliant example for the next generation of young players coming through our system that if you commit to improving every day, opportunities will come,” director of rugby Pat Lam said.

“George is still developing and we believe his best years are ahead of him.”

Halliwell, 22, also a tight-head prop, is described by Lam as “someone who has all the attributes to become an outstanding tighthead prop”.

He has made 25 appearances for the Bears and was part of the England side that won the Under-20 World Cup in 2024.

“Seeing Ellis and George come through the same pathway, establish themselves for Bristol and then go on to play for England shows what’s possible if you keep working hard,” Halliwell said.

“That’s really inspiring for someone like me, and I want to keep developing, earn opportunities in a Bears shirt and hopefully follow a similar path in the future.”

Lennon has played 15 games for Bristol including three games last season during the peak of the club’s injury crisis over the autumn.

He spent the rest of last campaign playing for Hartpury RFC in the Champ and has most recently been playing in the USA with Major League Rugby side New England Free Jacks.

“[Oscar] already knows our environment, our game and what is expected at Bristol Bears, which is a real advantage,” Lam added.

“He’s a player with a very good attitude who is always eager to learn and improve, and we believe he will add strong competition and quality to our scrum-half group next season.”