2023–24 Premiership Rugby

The 2023–24 Premiership Rugby will be the 37th season of the top flight of English domestic rugby union competition and the fifth to be sponsored by Gallagher.[1] The competition will be broadcast by BT Sport for the 11th successive season,[2] with six league season games and the final also simulcast free-to-air by ITV.[3] Highlights of each weekend's games are to be shown on ITV with extended highlights on BT Sport.

2023–24 Premiership Rugby
Countries England
Number of teams11
Official website
www.premiershiprugby.com

Rule changes

The 2023–24 season is set to be the final year under the current Premiership competition structure, before a planned 're-launch' taking place ahead of the 2024–25 season.[4] As a result, the existing moratorium on relegation to the RFU Championship will remain in effect, although promotion from that league may be allowed, subject to the Championship winner successfully fulfilling the RFU minimum standards criteria.[5]

This season is also the last year of the league's temporary salary cap reduction, implemented to keep the participating clubs financially solvent following the COVID-19 pandemic, with further regulatory changes set to be made for the 2024–25 season.[6]

Teams

The competition will feature 11 of the 13 teams which began the 2022–23 season. The other two – Wasps and Worcester Warriors – will not compete, after both clubs were expelled from the league, upon entering into administration in 2022.[7] For the second consecutive year, the winner of the Championship was ineligible for promotion to the Premiership, after they failed to meet the minimum standards criteria.[8]

Stadiums and locations
2023–24 Gallagher Premiership Teams
Greater London Premiership Rugby clubs
Club Director of Rugby/
Head Coach		 Captain Kit supplier Stadium Capacity City/Area
Bath South Africa Johann van Graan England Ben Spencer Macron The Recreation Ground 14,509 Bath, Somerset
Bristol Bears Samoa Pat Lam New Zealand Steve Luatua Umbro Ashton
Gate		 27,000 Bristol
Exeter Chiefs England Rob Baxter
England Ali Hepher		 England Jack Yeandle Samurai Sportswear Sandy Park 15,600 Exeter, Devon
Gloucester England George Skivington England Lewis Ludlow Oxen Sports Kingsholm 16,115 Gloucester
Harlequins Australia Billy Millard[lower-alpha 1]
New Zealand Tabai Matson		 South Africa Stephan Lewies Castore Twickenham Stoop[lower-alpha 2] 14,800 Twickenham, Greater London
Leicester Tigers Australia Dan McKellar Argentina Julián Montoya Samurai Sportswear Mattioli Woods Welford Road 25,849 Leicester
London Irish Ireland Declan Kidney
Australia Les Kiss		 England Matt Rogerson BLK Gtech Community Stadium 17,250 Brentford,
Greater London
Newcastle Falcons England Alex Codling England Micky Young Macron Kingston Park 10,200 Newcastle upon Tyne
Northampton Saints England Phil Dowson
England Sam Vesty		 England Lewis Ludlam Macron cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens 15,200 Northampton
Sale Sharks England Alex Sanderson
England Paul Deacon		 England Ben Curry Macron AJ Bell Stadium 12,000 Salford, Greater Manchester
Saracens Ireland Mark McCall
England Joe Shaw		 England Owen Farrell Castore StoneX Stadium[lower-alpha 3] 10,500 Hendon,
Greater London

Player movements
Main article: List of 2023–24 Premiership Rugby transfers

Table
2023–24 Premiership Rugby Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Tries for Tries against Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1Bath000000000000
2Bristol Bears000000000000
3Exeter Chiefs000000000000
4Gloucester000000000000
5Harlequins000000000000
6Leicester Tigers000000000000
7London Irish000000000000
8Newcastle Falcons000000000000
9Northampton Saints000000000000
10Sale Sharks000000000000
11Saracens000000000000
Green background (rows 1 to 4) indicate teams that qualify for the play-offs, which also earn a berth in the 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup.
Blue background (rows 5 to 8) indicates teams outside the play-off places, but which also earn a berth in the 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup based on their position in the table.
Yellow background (rows 9 to 12) indicates teams that earn a berth in the 2024–25 European Rugby Challenge Cup.


(CH) Champions. (RU) Runners-up. (SF) Losing semi-finalists.
Starting table — source: Premiership Rugby

Games cancelled due to COVID-19 will be recorded as 0–0 but a win and 4 points will be awarded if a club was able to field a team and a loss and 2 points awarded if they were not.

Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Regular season

The regular season fixtures are due to play out over 24 rounds, consisting of five games each, with all 11 teams receiving two bye weeks during the course of the year.

Highlights of the season include:

All fixtures are subject to change.[11]

Play-offs

As in previous seasons, the top four teams in the Premiership table, following the conclusion of the regular season, will 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.[12]

Semi-finals Final
      
1 1st in League Table
4 4th in League Table
1 Winner of Semi-Final 1
2 Winner of Semi-Final 2
2 2nd in League Table
3 3rd in League Table

Season attendances

By club
  • Attendances do not include the final at Twickenham.
Club Home
Games		 Total Average Highest Lowest % Capacity
Bath000000
Bristol Bears000000
Exeter Chiefs000000
Gloucester000000
Harlequins000000
Leicester Tigers000000
London Irish000000
Newcastle Falcons000000
Northampton Saints000000
Sale Sharks000000
Saracens000000

Notes
  1. Director of Rugby Performance
  2. Harlequins would also play two home games at Twickenham Stadium.
  3. Saracens would also play one home game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.[9]

References
  1. "Gallagher confirmed as new title sponsors of Premiership Rugby". Sky Sports. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  2. "BT Sport to remain the home of Premiership Rugby in the UK for the next four years". BT Sport. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  3. Rendell, Sarah (20 January 2022). "Premiership agrees broadcast deal with ITV until 2023-24". Rugby World. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  4. Jones, Chris (12 December 2022). "Premiership Rugby to 'relaunch' for 2024-25 after demise of Wasps & Worcester". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  5. "RFU update on Championship Clubs Minimum Standards Criteria". England Rugby. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  6. "Premiership Rugby clubs unanimously vote to temporarily reduce the salary cap". Premiership Rugby. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  7. Scott, Ged (14 February 2023). "Worcester Warriors & Wasps: What happens next for relegated Premiership pair?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  8. Richardson, Charles (13 February 2023). "Ealing Trailfinders will not be promoted even if they win Championship, says RFU". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  9. "Saracens to play annual showpiece at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium". BBC Sport. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  10. Cameron, Ian (18 November 2022). "Leicester and Gloucester to contest The Slater Cup". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  11. "Premiership Rugby – FAQs". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  12. "A Guide to the Gallagher Premiership". The Rugby Paper. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.