New Gallagher Premiership season to kick-off with Thursday night match... while Villa Park will also be a new venue for the 2025/26 campaign
On the back of a record-breaking campaign in terms of attendances and television viewership, English rugby's top division is hoping to go to new heights once again.
Round one will kick-off with Sale hosting Gloucester on Thursday, September 25 – the first time the Premiership, now officially known as Gallagher PREM, will host a match outside its traditional weekend slot.
Thursday night matches are not set to become common. But there is one to start the new season. There are no Saturday matches in round one to avoid a clash with the final of the Women's World Cup which is being hosted by England.
In a bid to attract bigger crowds, PREM matches have regularly taken place at larger stadiums including numerous football grounds in recent years.
But Aston Villa's Villa Park will be a new venue for English club rugby this season, with Gloucester facing Leicester Tigers at the iconic Premier League ground on Saturday, March 28.
Saracens will again play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium while Bristol will return to Cardiff's Principality Stadium after debuting there last term.
After beating Leicester in last season's final and sealing an historic treble, Bath will be favourites to seal the league title for a second straight season.
Simon Massie-Taylor, chief executive of PREM Rugby, said: 'We are incredibly excited for the return of the Gallagher PREM and fans have plenty to look forward to with a number of appetising new additions to the fixture list for 2025/26.
'Kicking off the campaign with a Thursday night opener brings a fresh twist to our traditional curtain-raiser. Marquee fixtures remain a key pillar of our strategy to broaden rugby's reach.
'We're thrilled to see Villa Park host The Slater Cup for the first time and to witness the continued growth of Bristol Bears' Big Day Out in its second year. Last season was a landmark one.
'Viewership on TNT Sports rose by 28 per cent, attendances continued their upward trend and the league has never been more competitive as we saw a sixth different champion in six years, with Bath edging Leicester.
'Now with the official launch of the new look Gallagher PREM, the 2025/26 season marks the beginning of a groundbreaking and transformative new era for the sport.'
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