2026-27 PREM Rugby Cup kicks off Sep 5 on TNT Sports

The 2026-27 PREM Rugby Cup will begin on Saturday, September 5, with Bristol Bears hosting Gloucester Rugby at Ashton Gate in the opening fixture. The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and HBO Max, kicking off a competition that will feature all ten Gallagher Premiership clubs before the league season begins later in the month.

The tournament format remains unchanged, with teams divided into two pools of five. Each team will play eight group-stage matches, with two bye weekends incorporated into the schedule. The first two rounds will be played in September, ahead of the Gallagher Premiership kickoff on September 25. The remaining eight rounds and the knockout stages will be scheduled during the autumn international window and the Six Nations period next year. The top two teams from each pool at the conclusion of Round 10 will advance to the semifinals, with the final scheduled for the weekend of March 13-15, 2027.

In Pool A, Bristol Bears will look to win the trophy for the first time, while Gloucester seeks a second title after winning in 2024. The pool also includes Bath Rugby, Exeter Chiefs, and Sale Sharks. Bath will begin their campaign away to Sale Sharks on...