The 2010–11 Aviva Premiership was the 24th season of the top flight English domestic rugby union competition and the first one to be sponsored by Aviva. The reigning champions entering the season were Leicester Tigers, who had claimed their ninth title after defeating Saracens in the 2010 final. Exeter Chiefs had been promoted as champions from the 2009–10 RFU Championship, their first promotion to the top flight.
Summary Saracens won their first title after defeating Leicester Tigers in the final at Twickenham after having finished second in the regular season table. Leeds Carnege were relegated on the last day of the season. It was the third time that Leeds have been relegated from the top flight since the leagues began and the first time since the 2007–08 Premiership Rugby season.
As usual, round 1 included the London Double Header at Twickenham, the seventh instance since its inception in 2004.
Teams Twelve teams compete in the league – the top eleven teams from the previous season and Exeter Chiefs who were promoted from the 2009–10 RFU Championship to the top flight for the first time. They replaced Worcester Warriors who were relegated after six years in the top flight.
Stadiums and locations
Club Director of Rugby / Head Coach Captain Kit Supplier Stadium Capacity City/Area Bath Puma The Recreation Ground 12,200 Bath, Somerset Exeter Chiefs Samurai Sportswear Sandy Park 10,744 Exeter, Devon Gloucester RugbyTech Kingsholm 16,500 Gloucester Harlequins KooGa Twickenham Stoop 14,282 Twickenham, Greater London Leeds Carnegie ISC Headingley Stadium 22,250 Leeds, Yorkshire Leicester Tigers Cotton Traders Welford Road 24,000 Leicester London Irish RugbyTech Madejski Stadium 24,250 Reading, Berkshire London Wasps Canterbury Adams Park 10,516 High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Newcastle Falcons Cotton Traders Kingston Park 10,200 Newcastle, Tyne and Wear Northampton Saints BURRDA Franklin's Gardens 13,591 Northampton Sale Sharks Cotton Traders Edgeley Park 10,852 Stockport, Greater Manchester Saracens Nike Vicarage Road 19,920 Watford, Hertfordshire
Pre-season The inaugural edition of the Premiership Rugby Sevens Series began on 16 July 2010 at The Stoop, continued on 23 July at Welford Road and 30 July at Franklin's Gardens. This was the first opportunity of the season for any of the teams competing in the Premiership to win a trophy. The finals were held on 6 August 2010 at The Recreation Ground and the Series was won by Saracens.
Table
Regular season The fixture list was released on 29 June 2010.Fixture List
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Rescheduled Game (Round 10)
Round 18
Round 19
Rescheduled Games (Round 10 & 11)
Round 20
Rescheduled Game (Round 11)
Round 21
Rescheduled Game (Round 10)
Round 22
Play-offs As in previous seasons, the top four teams in the Premiership table, following the conclusion of the regular season, contest the play-off semi-finals in a 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd format, with the higher ranking team having home advantage. The two winners of the semi-finals then meet in the Premiership Final at Twickenham on 28 May 2011.
Bracket
Semi-finals
Team details FB 15 Scott HamiltonRW 14 Matt Smith OC 13 Manu Tuilagi IC 12 Anthony AllenLW 11 Alesana TuilagiFH 10 Toby FloodSH 9 Ben Youngs N8 8 Jordan Crane OF 7 Craig Newby (c)BF 6 Tom CroftRL 5 George SkivingtonLL 4 Steve Mafi TP 3 Martin Castrogiovanni HK 2 George ChuterLP 1 Marcos AyerzaReplacements:HK 16 Rob HawkinsPR 17 Boris StankovichPR 18 Dan Cole LK 19 Ed Slater N8 20 Thomas Waldrom SH 21 James Grindal FH 22 Jeremy StauntonWG 23 Horacio Agulla Coach: Richard Cockerill FB 15 Ben FodenRW 14 Chris Ashton OC 13 Jon ClarkeIC 12 James DowneyLW 11 Bruce ReihanaFH 10 Stephen Myler SH 9 Lee DicksonN8 8 Roger WilsonOF 7 Phil DowsonBF 6 Calum ClarkRL 5 Christian Day LL 4 Courtney Lawes TP 3 Brian MujatiHK 2 Dylan Hartley (c)LP 1 Soane TongaʻuihaSubstitutions:HK 16 Brett SharmanPR 17 Alex WallerPR 18 Tom MerceyLK 19 Mark Sorenson FL 20 Mark Easter SH 21 Stuart ComminsFH 22 Shane Geraghty CE 23 Joe AnsbroCoach: Jim Mallinder
Team details FB 15 Alex GoodeRW 14 David StrettleOC 13 Chris WylesIC 12 Brad BarrittLW 11 James Short FH 10 Owen FarrellSH 9 Richard Wigglesworth N8 8 Ernst JoubertOF 7 Jacques BurgerBF 6 Kelly Brown RL 5 Mouritz Botha LL 4 Steve Borthwick (c) TP 3 Carlos Nieto HK 2 Schalk BritsLP 1 Matt StevensReplacements:HK 16 Jamie GeorgePR 17 Rhys GillPR 18 Petrus du Plessis LK 19 Hugh Vyvyan FL 20 Andy Saull SH 21 Neil de Kock CE 22 Nils MordtWG 23 Noah Cato Coach: Mark McCall FB 15 Freddie Burns RW 14 Charlie SharplesOC 13 Tim Molenaar IC 12 Eliota Fuimaono-SapoluLW 11 James Simpson-DanielFH 10 Nicky RobinsonSH 9 Rory Lawson N8 8 Luke NarrawayOF 7 Akapusi Qera BF 6 Alasdair StrokoschRL 5 Alex Brown (c)LL 4 Jim Hamilton TP 3 Paul Doran-Jones HK 2 Scott Lawson LP 1 Nick Wood Replacements:HK 16 Darren Dawidiuk PR 17 Alasdair Dickinson PR 18 Rupert Harden LK 19 Dave Attwood FL 20 Brett Deacon SH 21 Dave Lewis CE 22 Henry Trinder WG 23 Tom Voyce Coach: Bryan Redpath
Final
FB 15 Scott Hamilton RW 14 Horacio AgullaOC 13 Matt SmithIC 12 Anthony AllenLW 11 Alesana TuilagiFH 10 Toby FloodSH 9 Ben Youngs N8 8 Jordan Crane OF 7 Craig Newby (c) BF 6 Tom CroftRL 5 George SkivingtonLL 4 Steve Mafi TP 3 Martin Castrogiovanni HK 2 George Chuter LP 1 Marcos Ayerza Replacements:HK 16 Rob Hawkins PR 17 Boris Stankovich PR 18 Dan Cole LK 19 Ed Slater N8 20 Thomas Waldrom SH 21 James GrindalFH 22 Jeremy StauntonCE 23 Billy Twelvetrees Coach: Richard Cockerill FB 15 Alex GoodeRW 14 David StrettleOC 13 Chris WylesIC 12 Brad BarrittLW 11 James ShortFH 10 Owen FarrellSH 9 Neil de Kock N8 8 Ernst Joubert OF 7 Jacques BurgerBF 6 Kelly BrownRL 5 Mouritz Botha LL 4 Steve Borthwick (c)TP 3 Carlos Nieto HK 2 Schalk BritsLP 1 Matt Stevens Replacements:HK 16 Jamie GeorgePR 17 Rhys Gill PR 18 Petrus du Plessis LK 19 Hugh Vyvyan FL 20 Andy Saull SH 21 Richard Wigglesworth CE 22 Nils MordtWG 23 Noah CatoCoach: Mark McCall Man of the Match: Schalk Brits (Saracens)
Leading scorers Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
Most points Source: Rank Player ClubPoints 1 Jimmy Gopperth Newcastle Falcons 230 2 Nick Evans Harlequins 206 Dave Walder London Wasps 4 Stephen Myler Northampton Saints 181 5 Gareth Steenson Exeter Chiefs 177 6 Charlie Hodgson Sale Sharks 165 7 Ryan Lamb London Irish 157 8 Nicky Robinson Gloucester 155 9 Alex Goode Saracens 144 10 Olly Barkley Bath 142
Most tries Source: Rank Player ClubTries 1 Alesana Tuilagi Leicester Tigers 13 2 Chris Ashton Northampton Saints 10 Topsy Ojo London Irish 4 Matt Banahan Bath Rugby 8 5 Scott Hamilton Leicester Tigers 7 Charlie Sharples Gloucester Rugby Manu Tuilagi Leicester Tigers 8 12 players tied 6
References
External links 2010–11 English Premiership at ESPN Match Attendance