Bristol Bears have handed new long-term contracts to props George Kloska and Jimmy Halliwell, keeping two Bristol-born forwards at the club they have called home since their early teens.

The announcement, reported by BBC Sport on 5 August 2026, comes on the heels of a breakthrough summer for Kloska in particular. The 26-year-old tight-head prop — the cornerstone of a scrum, responsible for anchoring the right side of the front row — won his first two England caps during the Nations Championship, coming off the bench in victories over Fiji and Argentina.

For Kloska, the new deal caps a rapid rise. He has played 86 games for Bristol since his debut in 2019, having been part of the club's age-grade system from the age of 13. He also represented England A, the national team's second-tier side, before stepping up to the full squad. Director of rugby Pat Lam described him as a brilliant example for young players coming through the club's system, per the BBC.

Halliwell, 22, is on a similar path. Also a tight-head prop and a product of the Bristol academy, he has made 25 senior appearances for the Bears. He was part of the England side that won the Under-20 World Cup in 2024, and was first offered professional terms by Lam as one of eight players promoted from the club's national title-winning U18 squad, according to the Bristol Post.

Both men are Bristolians who came through the academy together, giving the contracts a local flavour that matters to supporters.

The prop pair are not the only squad additions. Scrum-half Oscar Lennon has rejoined Bristol for the 2026–27 season. Lennon, who has played 15 games for the Bears, made three appearances last autumn when the club was hit by an injury crisis at the position. He spent the rest of the campaign at Hartpury RFC in the Championship, England's second tier, before a stint with the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby across the Atlantic.

Lennon and Kloska have history together beyond Bristol: both spent time on loan at Hartpury, where Kloska helped the Championship side to a 20–12 win at Ampthill in December 2022, as noted on the Bristol Bears website.

The contract extensions add to a busy period of retention work at Ashton Gate. Experienced prop Lovejoy Chawatama was among those to commit his future earlier in the year, becoming the fifth player in one week to sign an extension back in March, per the club's social media.

For Bristol, keeping hold of two homegrown tight-heads — one a newly capped international, the other a world champion at age-grade level — gives Lam genuine depth in one of rugby's most physically demanding positions. The front row is where matches can be won and lost in a single scrum, and the Bears now have options to rotate without sacrificing quality.

For Kloska personally, the summer of 2026 will take some beating. Two England caps, two international wins, and now a long-term commitment from the club that has shaped him since he was 13.