Premiership Rugby 2026-27: club-by-club preview
The Guardian published a club-by-club guide to the Premiership Rugby 2026-27 season on 23 September 2026, assessing each side’s squad, recruitment and prospects ahead of the new campaign.
The preview evaluates last season placings, predicted finishes and a named key player for every club while summarising summer recruitment and lingering questions for coaches and directors. Several entries highlight squad management with a World Cup at the end of the campaign and list specific ins and outs and staff changes that shaped each team’s outlook.
Bath are described as “the 2025 champions” and face scrutiny after being humbled on home turf by Exeter in last season’s semi-finals; the guide notes that successfully defending the title “has not been done since Saracens in 2019”. Johann van Graan’s squad contains players with something to prove to Steve Borthwick—centres Ollie Lawrence and Max Ojomoh and Ted Hill among them—while recruitment has been minimal, Dan du Preez arriving and Thomas du Toit returning to South Africa. Will Stuart’s return from a lengthy achilles layoff is mentioned, and the club would forgo a home semi-final if they finish in the top two while the Rec undergoes refurbishment. Last season 2nd Predicted finish 2nd Key player Ted Hill.
Bristol’s late-season collapse is recalled: with three matches to go they travelled to Northampton “still in the hunt for the playoffs” and proceeded to ship 14 tries and a staggering 94 points, underlining the inconsistency that has plagued Pat Lam’s tenure. The guide says there has been little activity in the transfer market to suggest that will change and warns Lam may face pressure if results do not improve. Last season 6th Predicted finish 8th Key player Benhard Janse van Rensburg.
Exeter are presented as last season’s surprise package after reaching the final; the piece notes owner Black Knight, the US owner of AFC Bournemouth, completed a takeover during the summer, ending a period of financial difficulty. Rob Baxter has been looking for bargains rather than conducting a spending spree, and the loss of Len Ikitau back to Australia is flagged alongside the reliance on Immanuel Feyi-Waboso staying fit—the 23-year-old is described as a gamechanger “as demonstrated in England’s victory over Argentina.” Last season 3rd Predicted finish 6th Key player Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Gloucester underwent a summer overhaul with the arrivals of Wales captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake and the recruitment of Jean Kleyn; Tomos Williams is singled out as the most significant departure. Off-field changes include Chris Boyd arriving as a consultant and Rob Burgess as rugby manager to allow George Skivington to focus on coaching, and the guide notes the club continues to seek investment similar to that at Exeter, Newcastle and Bath. Last season 8th Predicted finish 9th Key player Dan Robson.
Harlequins’ new attacking configuration is examined around Marcus Smith and George Furbank working under Brad Cooper, with the question of front-foot ball made more acute by Alex Dombrandt being sidelined. Jason Gilmore, who had been acting as interim, was given the head coach role and will be assisted by Robbie Deans; Cooper’s arrival is noted as potentially important while the piece observes supporters are losing patience. Last season 9th Predicted finish 7th Key player George Furbank.
Leicester’s rebuild under Geoff Parling is characterised as a bid to restore stability after a run of frequent head-coach changes, with law tweaks to how the maul can be defended identified as a potential weapon. The Tigers have lost Hanro Liebenberg, Nicky Smith and George Martin but have recruited Aaron Wainwright, described as a possible signing of the summer, and the capture of Mako Vunipola is called intriguing; the club also retains experienced figures such as Richard Wigglesworth, Mike Brown and Chris Ashton. Last season 4th Predicted finish 1st Key player Aaron Wainwright.
Newcastle’s ownership by Red Bull and associated investment is reviewed alongside the point that it arrived too late last year to influence recruitment; the club used networks for short-term deals previously but this summer added players including Raffi Quirke, Rus Tuima, Sam Graham and Hoskins Sotutu and spent time in Salzburg with Red Bull’s facilities. The guide cautions there is still “no A-list arrival” and that Dan McFarland faces the task of knitting together an unfamiliar squad after a run in which Newcastle have won four games in the past three seasons. Last season 10th Predicted finish 10th Key player George McGuigan.
Northampton are described as defending champions who will aim to avoid the post-title slump experienced after their 2024 triumph when they finished eighth the following year; Phil Dowson is credited as “one of the sharpest minds” and is said to be shaping up as a popular candidate should he throw his hat into the ring to replace Borthwick. The guide recalls Dowson’s outspoken comments about managing a tranche of England players and says that will be a bigger issue with the World Cup looming; it also notes “claims from his representatives he deserves a seven-figure salary” for Henry Pollock and that it is a big year for Fin Smith, who “is now in possession of the England No 10 jersey.” Last season 1st Predicted finish 4th Key player Fin Smith.
Sale Sharks are said to be approaching a new stadium but seeking to shake off disappointing seasons since reaching the final, with physicality and George Ford’s playmaking cited as constants in Alex Sanderson’s side. The front row was “decimated last season” and the Currys could not be paired together, while arrivals including Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant from France plus Nicky Smith, Christ Tshiunza, Tomas Francis and Alex Lozowski are listed among summer signings. The piece warns a difficult start could put Sanderson under pressure. Last season 7th Predicted finish 5th Key player Ben Curry.
Saracens’ post-Mark McCall era is summarised with Brendan Venter’s return and a senior player describing him as “Psychopath”, a comment presented in the guide as intended as a compliment; the piece suggests Venter may be keeping the hot seat warm for a longer-term appointment. Additions include Tomos Williams, George Martin and Alfie Barbeary, and the management of Maro Itoje and Ben Earl with a World Cup looming is mentioned alongside the question of how Noah Caluori will adapt now opponents know his game. Last season 5th Predicted finish 3rd Key player Ben Earl.
The guide ends by reiterating that there is a World Cup at the end of the campaign and that squad management and player fitness are recurring themes across the club previews.