Old rivals will meet in a new-look Premiership Rugby Cup

The ten Premiership Rugby clubs are joined by the same amount from The Championship - with regional pools serving up some historic clashes for fans.

With five pools of four, there are some enticing away-days up and down the country with fixtures taking place across the Test windows in November and February, with a minimum of one match per Round broadcast live on TNT Sports.

Gallagher Premiership Rugby champions Northampton Saints host last season's runners-up Leicester Tigers first up on TNT Sports, across an opening round that includes six derbies.

Defending champions Gloucester Rugby travel to Hartpury University RFC and Cherry and Whites skipper Lewis Ludlow sent a warning to anyone looking to wrestle the cup away from Kingsholm.

The England back-row said: “Having that taste of success has made us hungrier than ever. So make no bones about it, we want to keep that Premiership Rugby Cup here at Kingsholm.

“Winning the first piece of silverware for Gloucester Rugby in nine years was a memorable moment for everyone connected to the club. We have an extremely passionate fanbase, so to lift the Premiership Rugby Cup trophy at Kingsholm was truly special.

“We know the quality that lies in all three of our pool opponents’ squads. But we’re especially looking forward to kicking things off against our neighbours, Hartpury.

“I was fortunate enough to go to Hartpury myself, it was a big part of my journey both on and off the field. There’s a strong bond between the two clubs, so it’s sure to be a great occasion for rugby in Gloucestershire.”

The leading eight will progress to the quarter-finals, composed of the five group winners plus the three best runners-up.

The knock-out stages will then take place on consecutive weekends in early March with the Premiership Rugby Cup Final scheduled for the weekend of March 15, live on TNT Sports.

Phil Winstanley, Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby, said: "It's great to once again open up the Premiership Rugby Cup to Championship clubs.

"By regionalising Pool games the narrative, and stakes, are even more intense with some old rivals set to produce plenty of new stories for fans. 

“Last season’s final at Kingsholm between Premiership heavyweights Gloucester Rugby and Leicester Tigers was a high-quality affair and showed the value that our clubs, players and supporters place on claiming some silverware.

“Many future stars of England Rugby come to prominence in the Premiership Rugby Cup with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Guy Pepper and Henry Pollock among some of the players to impress."

Conor O’Shea, Executive Director of Performance Rugby at RFU, said: “We are very excited to see the Gallagher Premiership Rugby and Championship teams battle it out again in the 2024/25 Premiership Rugby Cup.

“The success of last year’s competition was clear to see and the start of a competition that we all believe will continue to grow and thrive with each season.

“Winning silverware in any professional sport is no easy feat, but the opportunity to do so in the Premiership Rugby Cup is a fantastic motivator for players, staff, and supporters. This competition has given valuable minutes of playing time to players against new opposition and we’ll see more of the same in this year’s tournament.”