Champions Northampton to open Prem season against Newcastle

Northampton won their third Prem title in June after being crowned champions in 2014 and 2024

Champions Northampton will host Newcastle Red Bulls on the opening day of the 2026-27 Prem rugby season.

Saints beat Exeter to lift the trophy for the second time in three seasons in June and start the new campaign at home on Friday, 25 September.

The Chiefs are also at home for their first game, with Gloucester set to visit Sandy Park on the Saturday.

Elsewhere across the opening weekend, Harlequins are at home to Bath on Friday, Sale host Bristol on Saturday evening and Leicester play Saracens in the only match on Sunday.

The 2026-27 Prem final will be held on Saturday, 19 June 2027 at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with the season to take a series of breaks around international fixtures.

After five rounds in six weeks through September and October, there will be a four-week Prem break through November for the autumn matches of the Nations Championship.

With European competition beginning in December there are four Prem rounds across six weeks until January, before a 10-week league pause again in February and March for the Six Nations.

The new season also begins with promotion and relegation officially scrapped from the division.

While no club has been relegated from the Prem or promoted up from the Champ since Saracens in 2020 and 2021, this has now been formalised as part of a series of changes to English rugby voted through in February, as the league moves towards a franchise-style model.

A handful of matches next season will also be staged at major stadiums, as has become customary for some Prem clubs in recent years.

Harlequins play their two annual 'Big Game' fixtures at the Allianz Stadium, starting against Northampton, with the Prem's first-ever Monday night fixture on 28 December over the festive period.

They return to England's home stadium to play Newcastle in round 15 in May.

Gloucester are hoping to return to Villa Park after playing an inaugural game in Birmingham last season, however the venue is still to be finalised.

If all goes ahead they will again play Leicester in round 12 for the Slater Cup on the weekend of 27 March, while Bristol host the Cherry and Whites at Cardiff's Principality Stadium in a west country derby in round 13 three weeks later.

"There's huge momentum behind the Gallagher Prem heading into the new season, following a third consecutive sold-out final, significant international investment in our clubs, record broadcast audiences and soaring interest from younger fans," said Simon Massie-Taylor, chief executive officer of Prem Rugby.

"And following a landmark agreement to change our operating model earlier this year, we are well on the way with our plans to expand the league by the 2029/30 season," he added.