After a one-season absence the Bristol name will again adorn the European Rugby scene in 2018/19, but with a new title - Bristol Bears – following the English club's rebranding on June 1. Having won the English Championship last season, they have been promoted to the Premiership and so will feature in the Challenge Cup once more. What is their European record like? Eight of their nine European campaigns have been in the Challenge Cup, with their only European Cup sojourn being 2007/8, when they exited at the Pool stage. In those eight campaigns Bristol have been knocked out after the Pool games on five occasions, with their best performance coming in 1999/2000, when they reached the semi-finals, only to lose 27-51 at Pau. They also qualified for the knockout rounds in 2001/2 and 2006/7 but went down in the quarter-finals to Sale Sharks and Bath Rugby respectively. Who coaches them? The head coach is former European Cup winner Pat Lam, who marked his first season in charge of Bristol last term by leading them to 21 wins from 22 games. The Samoan international, who skippered Northampton Saints to the European Cup in 2000, spent five years as head coach of Auckland and four years as head coach of Blues Super Rugby, before joining Connacht Rugby in 2013. The 49-year-old New Zealander inspired the Irish province to their first major trophy in 2016, when they landed the PRO12 title, and he has two former Connacht men on his staff at Ashton Gate in assistant coach Conor McPhillips and defence coach John Muldoon. One-time All Blacks utility player Bruce Reihana is the Bears' skills coach, while ex-Welsh internationals Gareth Delve and Jonathan Thomas are team manager and forwards coach respectively. Who are their new signings? The biggest names are probably former All Black back Charles Piutau, whose move from Ulster Rugby was announced in 2017 shortly after being named the PRO12 Players’ Player of the Year, and World Cup-winning All Black prop John Afoa, who has joined from neighbours Gloucester Rugby. Lam has also strengthened the hooking position considerably by signing South African-born Shaun Malton from Exeter Chiefs and Harry Thacker from Leicester Tigers, while Samoan international prop Jordan Lay is another front-row capture, from Edinburgh Rugby. Flanker Jake Heenan and second row Aly Muldowney, both known well to Lam and Muldoon, join respectively from Connacht and French club Grenoble. There is also a significant signing at scrum half, with Nic Stirzaker having been a Super Rugby regular for Melbourne Rebels. Who are their other top players? Double European Cup winner Ian Madigan jumps out, having won the trophy with Leinster Rugby in 2011 and 2012, and the Challenge Cup with the Irish province in 2013. He was also capped 30 times by Ireland. Experienced no.8 Jordan Crane has also experienced a European Cup final, but on the losing side in 2009, when he was a member of the Leicester Tigers side beaten by Leinster. In addition, the Bears have former All Blacks flanker Steven Luatua, ex-Australia wing Luke Morahan, Tonga centre Siale Piutau (Charles' brother) and Samoa flanker Jack Lam, wing Alapati Leiua and centre Tusi Pusi in their ranks.