Bath Rugby fans lined the city’s streets in their thousands to pay homage to the 2024-25 Gallagher Premiership champions.
Photo © Bath Echo / Richard Briggs
The men from the Recreation Ground clinched their first league crown in 29 years by beating Leicester Tigers 23-21 at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Saturday 14th June.
That meant Bath secured a hat-trick of trophies this season, having already claimed the Premiership Rugby Cup by seeing off Exeter Chiefs 48-14 on Sunday 16th March and the European Professional Club Rugby Challenge Cup by overcoming French side Lyon 37-12 on Friday 23rd May.
The treble was the first by an English team since 2001.
To acknowledge these achievements, a victory parade was staged on Sunday 15th June, with supporters able to salute their heroes as the Blue, Black & Whites toured the city centre in a pair of open-top buses.
Photo © Bath Echo / Richard Briggs
The stars boarded the buses in William Street. And the fans lucky enough to be standing at the departure point got up close and personal with the Premiership trophy as it was carried past them and onto the lead bus.
In glorious weather, the buses moved along Great Pulteney Street, Laura Place and Argyle Street, across Pulteney Bridge and along Grand Parade, Orange Grove and High Street.
Photo © Bath Echo / Richard Briggs
With music including Queen’s We Are The Champions and Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ booming out of loudspeakers on the top of the buses, the route then took the champions to Northgate Street, Broad Street, George Street, Milsom Street and New Bond Street, before a return to William Street via Bridge Street.
Along the route, supporters packed the pavements and gave the champions a fantastic reception.
Photo © Bath Echo / Richard Briggs
Unconventional vantage points were also used to give fans a great view of proceedings. Some watched from on top of bus shelters and shop fronts. And one young man clung to the top of a road sign in order to get an elevated view.
Head coach Johann van Graan and his squad acted like Pied Pipers, as supporters followed the buses along roads that were closed to regular traffic.
Photo © Bath Echo / Richard Briggs
With the buses parked in William Street at the end of the parade, the players – some wearing less clothing than they had been when they set off – displayed their silverware one final time before disembarking and heading to the Rec.
There they were honoured at a champions party, a ticketed event whose profits went to the Bath Rugby Foundation, supporting vulnerable and challenged children in the community.
