Gallagher Premiership Rugby
England’s top-flight professional rugby union league, featuring ten clubs competing across a gruelling domestic season from September to June.
About the Premiership
The Gallagher Premiership — named after its title sponsor — is the highest level of domestic club rugby in England. First established as the Courage League in 1987, the competition has undergone numerous rebrandings and structural changes, but its core purpose remains: to determine the best club side in the country. The Premiership sits at the heart of England’s rugby ecosystem, serving as the primary proving ground for players seeking international selection and providing the talent pipeline for the national team.
The league has endured considerable turbulence in recent years. The administrations of Worcester Warriors and Wasps in 2022 reduced the league from fourteen to ten clubs and prompted serious questions about the financial sustainability of professional club rugby in England. The resulting ten-team competition is more compact but arguably stronger in quality, with every match carrying significant weight in the standings.
Current Clubs (2025/26)
The ten clubs contesting the current Premiership season are:
- Bath Rugby
- Bristol Bears
- Exeter Chiefs
- Gloucester Rugby
- Harlequins
- Leicester Tigers
- Northampton Saints
- Sale Sharks
- Saracens
- Newcastle Falcons
Format
The regular season comprises 22 rounds, with each club playing every other twice — once at home and once away. Teams earn four points for a win, two for a draw and zero for a defeat, with bonus points awarded for scoring four or more tries and for losing by seven points or fewer.
At the end of the regular season, the top four clubs qualify for the semi-finals. The first-placed team hosts the fourth, and the second hosts the third. The two semi-final winners then meet in the Premiership Final, traditionally held at Twickenham Stadium in south-west London — a showpiece occasion that regularly draws crowds in excess of 80,000.
Where to Watch
The Gallagher Premiership is broadcast exclusively by TNT Sports in the United Kingdom. Every match is available live, either on the TNT Sports television channels (accessible via Sky, BT, Virgin Media and EE) or through the discovery+ streaming platform. The Premiership Final has historically also been simulcast on a free-to-air channel, though arrangements vary from season to season.
For the full broadcast schedule, visit our UK TV Schedule.
Recent Champions
| Season | Champion | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 2019/20 | Exeter Chiefs | Wasps |
| 2020/21 | Harlequins | Exeter Chiefs |
| 2021/22 | Leicester Tigers | Saracens |
| 2022/23 | Saracens | Sale Sharks |
| 2023/24 | Northampton Saints | Bath Rugby |
| 2024/25 | Bath Rugby | Leicester Tigers |
The Premiership and International Rugby
The relationship between the Premiership and England Rugby is symbiotic but not always comfortable. International windows remove top players from club duty for extended periods, while the demands of a long domestic season can leave players fatigued ahead of Test matches. A negotiated framework governs player release, but tensions between club and country remain a perennial feature of English rugby’s landscape.
For those players who perform well in the Premiership, the pathway to England selection is clear. The league also attracts significant overseas talent, with international stars from New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and the Pacific Islands regularly featuring across the ten squads.
Browse Union Players for profiles of top Premiership talent, or explore the United Rugby Championship to compare with the cross-border league.