Winters is Bristol's club captain while Jason Spice is playing captain

Bristol club captain Roy Winters says gaining promotion back to the Guinness Premiership will be harder than ever.

Bristol are playing in rugby's new Championship, formerly National Division One, following relegation at the end of last season.

"It's a massive change in format this year and it's going to be as tough as the Premiership," Winters said.

The new division has seen a reduction in teams from 16 to 12 with promotion play-offs at Twickenham in May.

Bristol last played in the second tier of rugby in the 2004/5 season and since then Harlequins, Northampton and Leeds have all bounced straight back up to the Premiership following relegation.

Winters believes the division is now a lot more competitive and is cautious about Bristol's chances of returning to the top flight.

"The majority of teams are professional, training full time, so we're under no illusions it's going to be extremely tough.

"We hope to be there or thereabouts at the end of the year," he added.

Bristol's first league match of the new season is against London Welsh at home on 6 September.

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