Prem season to open with first Thursday night game

Bath won their first top-flight title in 27 years in June at Twickenham

The 2025-26 Prem season will begin with a Thursday night fixture for the first time in its history when Sale Sharks take on Gloucester.

The match will kick-off at 19:45 BST on Thursday, 25 September at the Salford Stadium and will open the first of 18 rounds.

Defending champions Bath will travel to Harlequins for the first game of their campaign the following day, with runners-up Leicester Tigers playing Bristol Bears away on Sunday, 28 September.

The top flight of English domestic rugby union has been rebranded as the Prem for the upcoming season - with the aim of giving it a more informal, less corporate feel and also drawing in more younger fans.

Newcastle host Saracens on Friday, 26 September and Exeter travel to Northampton on Sunday afternoon in the two other fixtures across the opening weekend.

There will be no Saturday match, to avoid a clash with the Womens Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham on 27 September.

The last of the 18 rounds will conclude on the weekend of 6 June, 2026, with the Prem final title decider at Twickenham on Saturday, 21 June 2026.

The move to a midweek night fixture to start the season follows news that the mens Six Nations will open with a Thursday night game for the first time in February 2026.

"Kicking off the campaign with a Thursday night opener brings a fresh twist to our traditional curtain-raiser, and were looking forward to seeing Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby set the tone in style," said chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor.

Three fixtures will be played at Premier League or international football stadiums on the final weekend of March (27-29).

Gloucester face Leicester Tigers in The Slater Cup - named after Ed Slater, former captain of both teams, who retired in 2022 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease - at Aston Villas Villa Park on Saturday, 28 March.

Bristol Bears - who faced Bath at Principality Stadium last season in the clubs Big Day Out - will return to the Welsh capital to play Harlequins, while Saracens take on Northampton Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Marquee fixtures remain a key pillar of our strategy to broaden rugbys reach," Massie-Taylor added.

"Were 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."

Thursday, 25 September

Sale v Gloucester (19:45 BST)

Friday, 26 September

Harlequins v Bath (19:45 BST)

Newcastle v Saracens (19:45 BST)

Sunday, 28 September

Northampton v Exeter (13:00 BST)

Bristol v Leicester (15:30 BST)