| top point scorer = Henry Slade, Exeter (193) | top try scorer = | website = www.premiershiprugby.com | prevseason = 2024–25 | nextseason = 2026–27 | teams = 10 }} The 2025–26 Premiership Rugby season was the 39th season of the top flight English domestic rugby union competition. The competition was broadcast by TNT Sports for the thirteenth consecutive year and the second year of their current broadcast deal.
The reigning champions entering the season were Bath, who claimed their seventh league title after winning the 2025 final. No team was promoted from the 2024–25 RFU Championship, as the champions, Ealing Trailfinders, were not able to satisfy the eligibility criteria required to enter the league.
Teams The competition featured the same 10 teams from the 2024–25 season, including Newcastle Falcons, who played under their new name of Newcastle Red Bulls for the first time, after the club was taken over by Red Bull. For the fourth consecutive season, the top team in the Championship was ineligible for promotion to the Premiership, after 2024–25 Championship winners Ealing Trailfinders failed to meet the minimum standards criteria to join the competition.
Stadiums and locations
Club Director of Rugby /Head Coach Captain Stadium Capacity City/Area Bath Johann van Graan Ben Spencer The Recreation Ground 14,509 Bath, Somerset Bristol Bears Pat Lam Fitz Harding Ashton Gate 27,000 Bristol Exeter Chiefs Rob Baxter Jack Yeandle Sandy Park 15,600 Exeter, Devon Gloucester George Skivington Tomos Williams Kingsholm 16,115 Gloucester,Gloucestershire Harlequins Jason Gilmore Alex Dombrandt Twickenham Stoop 14,800 Twickenham,Greater London Geoff Parling Ollie Chessum Welford Road 25,849 Leicester,Leicestershire Newcastle Red Bulls Stephen Jones George McGuigan Kingston Park 10,200 Newcastle upon Tyne,Tyne and Wear Northampton Saints Phil Dowson George Furbank Franklin's Gardens 15,249 Northampton,Northamptonshire Sale Sharks Alex Sanderson Ernst van Rhyn CorpAcq Stadium 12,000 Salford,Greater Manchester Saracens Mark McCall Maro Itoje StoneX Stadium 10,500 Hendon,Greater London Notes
Player movements
Table
Round-by-round progression The grid below shows each team's progression throughout the season, indicating their points total (and league table position) at the end of every round: Team Progression Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 3(5th) 8(4th) 13(2nd) 18(1st) 23(1st) 23(3rd) 28(3rd) 33(1st) 38(1st) 43(1st) 48(1st) 52(1st) 57(1st) 62(1st) 62(1st) 67(1st) 72(1st) 74(1st) Bath 5(4th) 10(2nd) 15(1st) 16(3rd) 21(2nd) 26(1st) 31(1st) 31(3rd) 36(2nd) 41(2nd) 46(2nd) 51(2nd) 56(2nd) 58(2nd) 58(2nd) 63(2nd) 64(2nd) 69(2nd) Exeter Chiefs 3(5th) 8(3rd) 9(6th) 14(5th) 19(3rd) 23(2nd) 28(2nd) 32(2nd) 34(3rd) 35(3rd) 40(4th) 45(4th) 47(4th) 49(4th) 54(4th) 55(4th) 60(4th) 65(3rd) Leicester Tigers 1(8th) 6(5th) 7(7th) 11(6th) 16(5th) 21(4th) 26(4th) 26(5th) 31(5th) 36(4th) 41(3rd) 46(3rd) 51(3rd) 52(3rd) 57(3rd) 62(3rd) 62(3rd) 63(4th) Saracens 5(1st) 10(1st) 11(3rd) 16(2nd) 17(4th) 19(6th) 21(6th) 26(6th) 27(6th) 32(6th) 32(6th) 33(6th) 38(6th) 42(6th) 47(6th) 52(5th) 57(5th) 57(5th) Bristol Bears 5(2nd) 5(7th) 9(5th) 14(4th) 14(6th) 19(5th) 24(5th) 29(4th) 33(4th) 37(3rd) 37(5th) 38(5th) 43(5th) 48(5th) 49(5th) 50(6th) 54(6th) 54(6th) Sale Sharks 5(3rd) 5(6th) 10(4th) 10(7th) 12(7th) 13(7th) 13(7th) 18(7th) 19(7th) 20(7th) 20(7th) 22(7th) 22(7th) 27(7th) 28(7th) 29(7th) 31(7th) 36(7th) Gloucester 0(9th) 2(8th) 2(9th) 3(9th) 3(9th) 8(9th) 8(9th) 8(9th) 9(9th) 11(8th) 16(8th) 16(8th) 16(8th) 21(8th) 25(8th) 25(9th) 27(8th) 32(8th) Harlequins 1(7th) 1(9th) 5(8th) 5(8th) 10(8th) 10(8th) 10(8th) 10(8th) 10(8th) 10(9th) 11(9th) 15(9th) 15(9th) 16(9th) 21(9th) 26(8th) 26(9th) 31(9th) Newcastle Red Bulls 0(10th) 0(10th) 0(10th) 0(10th) 0(10th) 0(10th) 0(10th) 1(10th) 5(10th) 5(10th) 7(10th) 7(10th) 7(10th) 7(10th) 7(10th) 7(10th) 12(10th) 12(10th)Updated: 6 June 2026 Key Win Draw Loss
Regular season The regular season fixtures were announced on 23 July 2025. The opening match of the season between Gloucester and Sale Sharks took place on a Thursday night – a first for the league. The change was made as there will be no Saturday match, in order to avoid a clash with the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup third-place play-off and final at Twickenham on 27 September 2025.
Highlights of the season include: Derby Weekends – All fixtures scheduled for Round 3 are derby matches between local rivals – the Northern Derby (Sale Sharks v Newcastle Red Bulls), the West Country Derbies (Bristol Bears v Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester v Bath), the East Midlands Derby (Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers), and the London Derby (Harlequins v Saracens). Slater Cup – Leicester Tigers and Gloucester will contest the Slater Cup at Welford Road on 19 December 2025, and at Villa Park on 28 March 2026, in honour of former Leicester and Gloucester player Ed Slater. Big Game 17 – Harlequins will host Bristol Bears in this season's edition of The Big Game at Twickenham Stadium on 28 December 2025, during Round 7. The Showdown 6 – Saracens will host Northampton Saints in this season's edition of The Showdown at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 28 March 2026, during Round 12. Big Summer Kick-Off 5 – Harlequins will host Exeter Chiefs in this season's edition of the Big Summer Kick-Off at Twickenham Stadium in May 2026, during Round 16. Big Day Out – Bristol Bears will host Harlequins in the second edition of the Big Day Out at Principality Stadium in March 2026, during Round 12.
Notes All fixtures are subject to change. Referees appointed to officiate Premiership matches are employed by the RFU, unless indicated otherwise.
Results
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
Round 18
Play-offs As in previous seasons, the top four teams in the Premiership table, following the conclusion of the regular season, contested 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 met in the Premiership Final at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, London on 20 June 2026.
Semi-finals
Team details FB 15 George Furbank (c)RW 14 Tommy FreemanOC 13 Tom Litchfield IC 12 Rory HutchinsonLW 11 George HendyFH 10 Fin SmithSH 9 Archie McParland N8 8 Henry PollockOF 7 Tom Pearson BF 6 Josh KemenyRL 5 Ed Prowse LL 4 Alex Coles TP 3 Elliot Millar Mills HK 2 Curtis Langdon LP 1 Emmanuel Iyogun Substitutions:HK 16 Craig Wright PR 17 Danilo Fischetti PR 18 Luke Green LK 19 JJ van der Mescht LK 20 Tom Lockett BR 21 Callum Chick SH 22 Jonny Weimann CE 23 Fraser Dingwall Coach: Phil Dowson FB 15 Freddie StewardRW 14 Adam RadwanOC 13 Will Wand IC 12 Orlando Bailey LW 11 Ollie Hassell-CollinsFH 10 Billy SearleSH 9 Jack van Poortvliet N8 8 Joaquín Moro OF 7 Tommy ReffellBF 6 Hanro LiebenbergRL 5 Ollie Chessum (c)LL 4 George Martin TP 3 Joe Heyes HK 2 Jamie Blamire LP 1 Nicky Smith Substitutions:HK 16 Charlie Clare PR 17 Archie van der Flier PR 18 Will Hurd LK 19 Cameron Henderson BR 20 Olly Cracknell SH 21 Tom Whiteley CE 22 Solomone Kata CE 23 Izaia Perese Coach: Geoff Parling Player of the Match: Fin Smith (Northampton Saints) Assistant referees: Anthony Woodthorpe Adam Leal Television Match Official: Stuart Terheege
Team details FB 15 Tom de GlanvilleRW 14 Joe Cokanasiga OC 13 Ollie LawrenceIC 12 Max Ojomoh LW 11 Henry ArundellFH 10 Santiago CarrerasSH 9 Ben Spencer (c) N8 8 Alfie BarbearyOF 7 Sam Underhill BF 6 Josh BaylissRL 5 Charlie Ewels LL 4 Quinn Roux TP 3 Thomas du Toit HK 2 Tom Dunn LP 1 Beno Obano Substitutions:HK 16 Kepu Tuipulotu PR 17 Francois van Wyk PR 18 Billy Sela LK 19 Ross Molony LK 20 Ted Hill SH 21 Bernard van der Linde CE 22 Cameron Redpath BR 23 Miles Reid Coach: Johann van Graan FB 15 Olly WoodburnRW 14 Paul Brown-BampoeOC 13 Henry Slade IC 12 Len IkitauLW 11 Campbell Ridl FH 10 Harvey SkinnerSH 9 Stephen VarneyN8 8 Greg FisilauOF 7 Christ Tshiunza BF 6 Tom HooperRL 5 Andrea ZamboninLL 4 Dafydd Jenkins (c) TP 3 Josh Iosefa-Scott HK 2 Max Norey LP 1 Scott Sio Substitutions:HK 16 Joseph Dweba PR 17 Ethan Burger PR 18 Bachuki Tchumbadze LK 19 Rus Tuima BR 20 Ross Vintcent SH 21 Tom CairnsCE 22 Zack Wimbush WG 23 Ben Hammersley Coach: Rob Baxter Player of the Match: Harvey Skinner (Exeter Chiefs) Assistant referees: Karl Dickson Sara Cox Television Match Official: Andrew Jackson
Final
Team details FB 15 George Furbank (c)RW 14 Tommy FreemanOC 13 Tom Litchfield IC 12 Rory HutchinsonLW 11 George HendyFH 10 Fin SmithSH 9 Archie McParland N8 8 Henry PollockOF 7 Tom Pearson BF 6 Josh Kemeny RL 5 Ed Prowse LL 4 Alex Coles TP 3 Elliot Millar Mills HK 2 Curtis Langdon LP 1 Emmanuel Iyogun Substitutions:HK 16 Craig Wright PR 17 Danilo Fischetti PR 18 Luke Green LK 19 JJ van der Mescht LK 20 Tom Lockett BR 21 Callum Chick SH 22 Alex Mitchell CE 23 Fraser Dingwall Coach: Phil Dowson FB 15 Olly WoodburnRW 14 Immanuel Feyi-WabosoOC 13 Henry Slade IC 12 Len IkitauLW 11 Campbell Ridl FH 10 Harvey SkinnerSH 9 Stephen VarneyN8 8 Greg Fisilau OF 7 Ethan Roots BF 6 Tom HooperRL 5 Andrea ZamboninLL 4 Dafydd Jenkins (c) TP 3 Josh Iosefa-Scott HK 2 Max Norey LP 1 Scott Sio Substitutions:HK 16 Joseph Dweba PR 17 Ethan Burger PR 18 Bachuki Tchumbadze BR 19 Christ Tshiunza LK 20 Ross Vintcent BR 21 Kane James SH 22 Tom CairnsFH 23 Will Haydon-Wood Coach: Rob Baxter Player of the Match: Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints) Assistant referees: Adam Leal Anthony Woodthorpe Television Match Official: Ian Tempest
Victory parade
Following Northampton Saints' victory over Exeter Chiefs in the 2026 Premiership Rugby final, the club held an open-top bus victory parade in Northampton on 21 June 2026. The parade departed from Franklin's Gardens at 14:00 BST and travelled through the town centre via Weedon Road, St James Road, Mare Fair, Gold Street, Mercers Row, George Row and Wood Hill before concluding at the Guildhall. Supporters lined the route to celebrate the club's third English championship title and second Premiership title in three seasons.
Promotion/relegation play-off At the beginning of the season, it was outlined that subject to meeting the eligibility criteria for promotion, the champions of the 2025–26 Champ Rugby season will play in a two-legged play-off against the team which finishes 10th in the Premiership table at the end of the regular season. The winner, based on aggregate score, would play in the Premiership for the following season. During the season, however, it was announced that there would be no promotion or relegation, and no play-off, as Prem Rugby moved to a franchise model for the upcoming season.
Leading scorers Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
Most points
Rank Player Club Points 1 Henry Slade Exeter 193 2 Fin Smith Northampton 157 3 George Ford Sale 143 4 Marcus Smith Harlequins 123 5 Owen Farrell Saracens 110 6 Billy Searle Leicester 109 7 Finn Russell Bath 107 8 Noah Caluori Saracens 90 Tommy Freeman Northampton 10 Fergus Burke Saracens 75
Most tries
Rank Player Club Tries 1 Noah Caluori Saracens 18 Tommy Freeman Northampton 3 Henry Arundell Bath 13 4 George Hendy Northampton 12 Tom O'Flaherty Sale Kalaveti Ravouvou Bristol 7 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso Exeter 10 8 Adam Radwan Leicester 9 Tom Roebuck Sale 10 Jamie Blamire Leicester 8 Gabriel Hamer-Webb Leicester Gabriel Oghre Bristol
Discipline Citings/bans