Latest news with #PremiershipRugby
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Baxter writes off Exeter's worst-ever season
Rob Baxter has been in charge of Exeter since 2009, leading Premiership and European titles [Getty Images] Exeter boss Rob Baxter says he will not refer to his side's worst-ever season again. The Chiefs' lost 30-26 at home to third-placed Sale in their final Premiership game of the season. The loss - which was an improved performance on some games this season - saw Exeter end in a club-worst ninth position in the top flight after just four wins all season. Advertisement It ends a difficult campaign for Exeter which has seen the club dispense with three coaches and suffer a record 79-17 loss at Gloucester a month ago. "I'm not going to refer to this season at all," Baxter told BBC Sport when asked about his plans for the next campaign. "What I'm going to refer to is my expectations of them going forward. "All I've referred to in the last three or four weeks is that my expectations of them are higher than their expectations of themselves are. "I'm not going to lower my expectations, so they have to raise theirs, and if they catch up with me they'll be winning trophies and they'll be winning in Europe and they'll be doing all the things that they could do." Advertisement Baxter has taken a more hands-on role coaching the side since long-serving assistants Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were dismissed after the defeat at Gloucester. That loss was the nadir of a season which saw Exeter lose all four of their European games and win just four league matches - two of them against Saracens and Northampton who were without many of their international stars. But in recent weeks Exeter have improved and had chances to win the game, against a Sale side who knew victory would secure a fourth play-off campaign in the past five seasons. "A lot of teams need a dedicated start point - that Gloucester game was a dedicated start point for us," Baxter added. Advertisement "No player can come into my office when I'm talking to them and go 'everything was fine, I don't know why we're reacting'. "You need that sometimes, you don't need anybody having any second doubts that what's on the field isn't good enough. "We had that and now things are changing, and you can feel a change. But I think we probably needed that and we needed someone to go 'this is not good enough, things have to change' and that's what's happened."
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Premiership spending drops - but fly-halves earn big
Fly-half remains the best paid position in rugby union's Premiership, while scrum-half is the lowest in the latest Premiership Rugby salary cap report show senior player salaries dropped by 11.4% between the 2022-23 season and there was a 14.5% increase in academy players' salaries, indicating a shift towards investing in homegrown latest salary cap report, external covers just the 2023-24 season, not the current 2024-25 campaign which soon ends. Most positions have seen an average drop in salary, but fly-half, back-row and hooker all saw average with the highest-paid to the lowest, the positions are ranked: fly-half, back-row, centre, lock, prop, full-back, hooker, wing and mean average for a fly-half was up to £231,182 and for a scrum-half £119, squad sizes are down from an average of 47 to 43 and the income of players with more than 50 international caps went down by an average of almost £22,000. What is an excluded player? Each of the 10 Premiership clubs can have one player not included in the salary cap. They are known as the 'excluded player', sometimes also called the 'marquee player'.The average income of an excluded player was £569,531 - up from £510,005 in report notes that "excluded players are not always the highest-paid players."It adds: "The average income of the top 10 earners during the 2023-24 season was £609,177 and three of the 10 excluded players were not in the top 10 earners."The salary cap report is produced at the conclusion of an annual audit of all 10 Premiership clubs, conducted by an independent accountant appointed by Premiership have to provide access to the likes of player contracts, commercial contracts and invoices. Salary cap director Andrew Rogers also conducts interviews with selected players and officials at every winners of the Premiership, which in 2024 were Northampton Saints, are always subject to an extended audit. This involves the use of "forensic technology" to assess communications between players and club staff and includes working through emails as well as WhatsApp and text report commended Northampton on their approach and support of the extended audit process.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Bath vs Lyon: TV channel and live stream for Challenge Cup final today
Bath and Lyon face off in the European Challenge Cup final tonight. Bath are aiming to take another step towards completing an historic treble. Johann van Graan's side have already won the Premiership Rugby Cup and top the Premiership with a 15-point lead and one game remaining. They will be spurred on by losing on their previous final appearance in 2014, as they look to clinch a first European trophy since 2008. Bath, en route to the showpiece in Cardiff, Wales, have overcome Pau, Gloucester and Edinburgh in the knockout phase. As for their opponents Lyon, whilst they tasted Challenge Cup success as recently as 2022, they have struggled domestically this year, sitting 11th in the Top 14. That said, the cup competition is where have saved their best performances. Beating Sharks, Ospreys and Racing 92 to reach the final and are now looking to come out on top in the first-ever meeting with Bath. Here's everything you need to know about where to watch the match... TV channel: In the UK, the game will be broadcast on Premier Sports. Coverage starts at 7pm BST on Premier Sports 1 ahead of an 8pm kick-off. Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Premier Sports website or the Premier Sports Player app.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch Bath vs Lyon: TV channel and live stream for Challenge Cup final today
Bath and Lyon face off in the European Challenge Cup final tonight. Bath are aiming to take another step towards completing an historic treble. Johann van Graan's side have already won the Premiership Rugby Cup and top the Premiership with a 15-point lead and one game remaining. They will be spurred on by losing on their previous final appearance in 2014, as they look to clinch a first European trophy since 2008. Bath, en route to the showpiece in Cardiff, Wales, have overcome Pau, Gloucester and Edinburgh in the knockout phase. As for their opponents Lyon, whilst they tasted Challenge Cup success as recently as 2022, they have struggled domestically this year, sitting 11th in the Top 14. That said, the cup competition is where have saved their best performances. Beating Sharks, Ospreys and Racing 92 to reach the final and are now looking to come out on top in the first-ever meeting with Bath. Here's everything you need to know about where to watch the match... TV channel: In the UK, the game will be broadcast on Premier Sports. Coverage starts at 7pm BST on Premier Sports 1 ahead of an 8pm kick-off. Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Premier Sports website or the Premier Sports Player app.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Johann van Graan wants Bath to ‘enjoy the moment' in Challenge Cup final
Johann van Graan wants Bath to 'enjoy the moment' when they continue their quest for a possible trophy treble in Friday's EPCR Challenge Cup final against Lyon. Bath will arrive at the Principality Stadium with this season's Premiership Rugby Cup already secured, while they are Gallagher Premiership leaders by 15 points and booked a home play-off in April. The twin prizes of European success and domestic title glory are tantalisingly close, with Bath firm favourites against opponents currently 11th in the French Top 14. It will be Bath's fifth Challenge Cup final appearance. Victory over Worcester at Kingsholm 17 years ago was their last major piece of silverware. Head of rugby Van Graan has transformed standards – and expectation levels – since arriving at the club from Munster in 2022, and he said: 'This is a special moment for the club. 'It is the first European final that we as a group have played in. It's exciting, and we have got to enjoy the moment, as that is what finals are about. 'It's one-off, we are playing against a good side. Keep it simple, stick to your process, keep doing the things that got you into the final. 'We want to get better. If you think about it, we've improved in every single area, so we are not about to stop now. 'We will keep trying, keep finding a better way. One of our sayings is our process needs to lead to performance. If it doesn't lead to performance, then let's find a better way to do it. 'You have got to back yourself that we will become better as a group. You go through experiences together, so this is another experience for us.' Van Graan has made four changes from the side that beat Premiership opponents Leicester 43-15 last time out. Tom de Glanville returns at full-back, with centre Max Ojomoh taking over from an injured Cameron Redpath, and there are also starts for England tighthead prop Will Stuart and number eight Miles Reid. The game, meanwhile, will be refereed by Hollie Davidson, who becomes the first female official to take charge of a European Professional Club Rugby final. It is the latest high-profile appointment for Davidson, who was part of on-pitch officiating teams in the 2024 and 2025 men's Six Nations and 2024 Rugby Championship. Lyon have shown impressive Challenge Cup form this season, beating the likes of Racing 92, South African heavyweights the Sharks and Ospreys in their bid to regain a trophy they won three years ago. Van Graan added: 'They have a good maul – specifically their five-man maul – a good scrum, and they've got some fantastic broken-field runners. 'As a group, we needed to get to know them a bit more, but it has been 90 per cent focused on ourselves and what do we need to do and how do we improve.'
