The pool stage fixtures have been locked in for the 2024/25 Premiership Rugby Cup, with defending champions Gloucester looking to retain their crown. Following the same format that was introduced for the first time last season, the competition will see 10 Premiership and Championship clubs battle it out for the first piece of silverware of the season.
As there are 12 clubs in the RFU Championship, the bottom-two ranked teams coming into the new season have missed out on the tournament. The two sides that miss the grade for the 2024/25 tournament are newly promoted Chinnor, and last season’s eleventh placed finishers Cambridge. Due to the mid-season collapse of Jersey Reds, Cambridge survived the drop into National One.
The 2024/25 Premiership Rugby Cup fixtures take place take place throughout the November and February Test windows. This will level out the playing field for the Championship teams, as the top international players will be away from their Premiership clubs throughout the Autumn Internationals and 2025 Guinness Six Nations.
The leading eight teams will then 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.
Defending champions Gloucester take on their local Championship counterparts Hartpury University RFC in round one, 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.”
Conor O’Shea, Executive Director of Performance Rugby at RFU, added: “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.”
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.”
2024/25 PREMIERSHIP RUGBY CUP POOL STAGES
FULL FIXTURE LIST AVAILABLE HERE
