Gloucestershire set to change name to Bristol for T20 Blast cricket in bid to boost attendances
Name change will apply to men's and women's teams for T20 cricket; Warwickshire competed as Birmingham Bears from 2014 to 2025 before reverting to traditional county name; Gloucestershire have won the men's Blast once, back in 2024 when they beat Somerset in the final
Friday 6 November 2026 07:53, UK
Gloucestershire are set to drop their county name in the T20 Blast and rebrand to Bristol from 2027 onwards.
The club confirmed in a statement that they will be creating a new T20 identity for their men's and women's teams and have made the decision "as part of our wider strategic vision to grow domestic cricket, attract new audiences across the region, and drive commercial reinvestment back into the sport."
The club will continue to operate as Gloucestershire in the County Championship and One Day Cup.
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A club statement issued on Friday said: "Over recent months, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club has worked closely with our players, our Members Working Group, the ECB, and a number of key stakeholders to help shape an exciting new chapter in our evolution.
"Building on more than 150 years of proud heritage, Gloucestershire Cricket will always remain our overarching identity and the foundation of everything we do.
"As part of our wider strategic vision to grow domestic cricket, attract new audiences across the region, and drive commercial reinvestment back into the sport, we will be creating a new dedicated T20 identity for our men's and women's teams.
"Full details of our plans and brand identity moving forward will soon be officially unveiled, in alignment with the forthcoming ECB national domestic fixture release.
"We look forward to sharing our complete vision with our fans, partners and media in the near future."
Warwickshire played under the Birmingham Bears moniker in the Blast from 2014, before reverting to their traditional county name ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Gloucestershire have won the men's Blast once in their history, in 2024 when they defeated Somerset in the final.
The county were also runners-up to Kent back in 2007.
Northamptonshire Steelbacks won the men's Blast in 2026, with The Blaze claiming the women's title.
