Johann van Graan says 2025 will go down as one of the most memorable years of his life – and one of the most memorable years in Bath Rugby’s long history.
Bath Rugby during their victory parade around the city centre on Sunday 15th June – a highly memorable occasion for head of rugby Johann van Graan | Photo © Richard Briggs
This year, under head of rugby van Graan, the Blue, Black & White won three titles – the 2024-25 Premiership, Premiership Rugby Cup and European Professional Club Rugby Challenge Cup. And they currently top the 2025-26 Gallagher PREM and Investec Champions Cup Pool 2 tables.
At Bath’s pre-PREM Round 7 media session on Friday 19th December, van Graan said: “2025 will be one of the most special years from a club perspective.
“If you look at the history of the club, to win three trophies in one season, basically in nine weeks after three years in the making, was incredible.
“Some of the moments that we all achieved together on and off the pitch…
“There are images in my head that will stay forever, whether it was in Sandy Park [in Exeter where Bath won the Premiership Rugby Cup], in the Principality [Stadium in Cardiff where they won the Challenge Cup] or in Twickenham [where they won the Premiership final].
“But the games will fade away. It’s the memories with people, and this is such a special group of people, players and staff.
“So from a club point of view, who knows what will happen in the future? But 2025 was a special one.
“From a personal point of view, I’ve got these years in my life that it seems that there’s more big moments than others.
“Another year that springs to mind is 2009. I got married in 2009, we [his then-club Bulls] won Super Rugby with a record score at Loftus [Versfeld Stadium] and we won the Currie Cup, so we did the double in South African terms.
“There are moments and years, but certainly 2025 will go down as a magnificent year for everybody involved at Bath Rugby.
“15th June 2025 [the day of Bath’s victory parade around the city centre]…
“We came from The Lensbury [Hotel in London] on the Sunday morning. We drove [through Walcot] and there wasn’t really a lot of people in town, and we were all thinking ‘What’s this victory parade going to look like?’.
“Certainly when we went up the hill and turned left there over Pulteney Bridge, that’s scenes that you only dream of. If you look at what we all achieved together, the last three-and-a-half years, that day was certainly amazing.
“That’s ultimately why you do it. You do it for those that support you and those around you.
“There’s a picture with me going to the pavilion at The Rec, a picture from a drone when we are there at Bath Abbey with the two buses, and that moment and many moments from that day will stay with me personally for ever.”
