2022/23 Allianz Premier 15s season structure confirmed
- 1222
The RFU have confirmed the season structure for the 2022/23 Allianz Premier 15s season.
Heading into its sixth campaign, the competition will again be played over 18 regular rounds with home and away fixtures culminating in semi-final play-offs (10 June 2023) between the top four teams and a title final (24 June 2023).
The first round will be played on the weekend of Saturday 19 November/Sunday 20 November following the climax of the 2021 Rugby World Cup with round 18 scheduled for 3 June 2023.
The top four teams will play their semi-final over one leg, hosted at the respective grounds of the first and second ranked team after the conclusion of the regular season.
Meanwhile, The Allianz Cup returns for a successive season.
Played in a round-robin format, there will be two pools of five clubs (four fixtures and one bye per club) with two home fixtures and two away fixtures per team.
The pool stages will be played between 17 September and 29 October 2022 (during the Rugby World Cup) and the semi-finals and final during the 2023 TikTok Women’s Six Nations (dates for the Six Nations are TBC).
The pools have been drawn and are seeded based on final league standings from 2021/22. Confirmed pools are listed below.
Pool A | Pool B |
Saracens | Exeter Chiefs |
Bristol Bears | Harlequins |
Wasps | Gloucester Hartpury |
Loughborough Lightning | Worcester Warriors |
Sale Sharks | DMP Durham Sharks |
At the climax of the pool stages teams will qualify for two classification fixtures, based on the pool standings. Play off semi-finals and a final will be played between those finishing first and second as well as those finishing third and fourth in each pool to determine the champion and final positions second-eighth.
Ninth and 10th place will be decided via a two-legged play-off between teams finishing fifth in each pool.
Fixtures for the league and cup will be announced later in the summer.