Holders Bath Rugby will have South West derbies galore in the new-look 2025-26 PREM Rugby Cup.
Bath Rugby will make the short trip to Ashton Gate Stadium in October | Photo © Richard Briggs
The revamped competition will not include any sides from the Championship this season.
Instead, contesting the trophy will be the 10 clubs from the Gallagher PREM.
They will be split into two pools of five teams. The sides in each pool will play one another home and away. The top two from each pool will progress to the semi-finals.
The Blue, Black & White will take part in Pool A, which will also feature Bristol Bears, Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester Rugby and Sale Sharks.
Pool B will comprise Harlequins, Leicester Tigers, Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints and Saracens.
The PREM Rugby Cup will get under way on Friday 12th September, with Newcastle hosting Quins in Round 1.
Bath have a bye in the opening round and will make their bow in the competition when they take on Exeter at the Rec on Saturday 20th September.
The game – a rematch of the 2024-25 Premiership Rugby Cup final, which was won 48-14 by Johann van Graan’s men at Sandy Park – will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
In Round 3, Bath will make the short trip to Ashton Gate Stadium on Friday 31st October to face Bristol.
And they will go to Gloucester on Saturday 15th November before returning to home turf a week later when they will entertain Sale.
The Blue, Black & White also have a bye in Round 6, but will be back in action when they visit Sale over the weekend of Friday 6th February to Sunday 8th February.
Bristol will come to the Rec on Saturday 14th February, with games at Exeter on Saturday 21st February and at home to Gloucester on Saturday 28th February wrapping up Bath’s pool programme.
The semi-finals will take place over the weekend of Friday 6th March to Sunday 8th March.
And the final will be held the following weekend.
Bath’s 2025-26 PREM Rugby Cup fixtures at a glance:
- Round 2: Saturday 20th September – Exeter Chiefs (H, 3.05pm)
- Round 3: Friday 31st October – Bristol Bears (A, 7.45pm)
- Round 4: Saturday 15th November – Gloucester Rugby (A, 3pm)
- Round 5: Saturday 22nd November – Sale Sharks (H, 3pm)
- Round 7: Weekend of Friday 6th February to Sunday 8th February – Sale Sharks (A, TBC)
- Round 8: Saturday 14th February – Bristol Bears (H, 3pm)
- Round 9: Saturday 21st February – Exeter Chiefs (A, 4.30pm)
- Round 10: Saturday 28th February – Gloucester Rugby (H, 3pm)
