Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final: Preview, Teams, Odds, And More

With the final of the Gallagher Premiership Rugby just around the corner, the tension on the betting front has reached its peak. But before we dive into reviewing the teams competing for the title of the champion and the betting odds, let’s have a look at the competition itself and the position it holds in the world of rugby. 

Otherwise also known as Premiership Rugby, it is a top division professional rugby union competition in England. Currently, it includes ten teams that can also qualify for the European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup – Europe’s two main rugby competitions. 

Gallagher Premiership Rugby holds the status of one of the three top-tier professional leagues in the Northern and Western hemispheres. The other two competitions are the Top 14 in France and the United Rugby Championship. The latter is a cross-border competition first introduced in 2001 for teams from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy, and South Africa. 

Gallagher Premiership Rugby: History And Current Teams 

Even though rugby as a sport has a long-standing history, for a very long time it didn’t include leagues. Premiership Rugby was first played in 1987, however from its first competition until now it has changed five names: Courage League, Allied Dunbar, Zurich, Guinness, Aviva, and the most current one, Gallagher.  

The most recent name change occurred due to sponsorship reasons. In April 2018, it was announced that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an American global insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, will become the competition’s new name sponsor.  

At present, the league includes ten teams: 

• Bath 
• Bristol Bears 
• Exeter Chiefs 
• Gloucester 

• Harlequins 
• Leicester Tigers 
• Newcastle Falcons 
• Northampton Saints 
• Sale Sharks 
• Saracens  

Gallagher Premiership Rugby: Champions 

While Leicester Tigers, Bath, and Gloucester have participated in every season up until now, one of them, Gloucester, has never held the title of the champion.  

Among the teams, Leicester Tigers hold the highest number of wins at 11, followed by Bath, Saracens, and Wasps, each with six wins to their credit. This year, Saracens, who are also the reigning champions that won the 2022-2023 season, lost in the semi-final to Northampton Saints with a score of 20–22. 

The full list of champions by year is as follows: 

Gallagher Premiership Rugby: Current Season Overview 

The 2023-2024 season is set to be the last one played under the current competition structure. Beginning from the 2024-2025 season, the moratorium on relegation to the RFU Championship will become obsolete. A play-off between the team placed first in the Championship and the team placed last in the Premiership will take its place. As a result, promotion from the Championship will also come back in force. 

Originally, 13 teams were going to play in the 2023-2024 season. However, Wasps and Worcester Warriors were expelled from the league, and subsequently from the Premiership, as they entered administration in 2022. The third team, London Irish, was initially part of the season, however, was also expelled from the league in the summer of 2023 right before the start of the season. The reason for this action was the lack of funds required for the club’s operation.     

Gallagher Premiership Rugby: Final Preview 

As Northampton Saints and Bath are set to face each other in the final on Saturday, June 8, let’s take a look at the teams’ overview.   

Northampton Saints 

The team was formed in 1880 in Northampton. The nickname Saints comes from the club’s original name of Northampton St. James. The players sport black, green, and gold colours during the game. From the 2021-2022 season, Lewis Ludlam leads the team as its captain, and Phil Dowson was appointed as the team’s director in the summer of 2022.  

Unlike their main rivals, Leicester Tigers, who have won the Premiership 11 times, Northampton Saints took the title home only once in the season of 2013-2014. Whether this season will change that, remains to be seen. 

In the current season, Northampton Saints have played a total of 18 games, with 12 wins and 6 losses. 

Bath 

The club was formed in 1865 in the city of Bath. The blue and black team is regarded as one of the most successful clubs in England, and deservingly so. Throughout the history of its existence, the club won 18 major trophies, with six Premierships among them.  

To date, Bath is one of the three teams that have never been relegated from the top division. The club’s current captain, Ben Spencer, joined in the 2019-2020 season, while the Head of Rugby Johann van Graan came in in July 2022. The last time Bath won the Premiership Rugby was in the season of 1995-1996.    

In the current season, Bath has also played a total of 18 games, however, it has 11 wins and 7 losses. 

Gallagher Premiership Rugby: Odds 

Both clubs are entering the final with almost equal statistics. Both have accumulated 60 points. Bath has a PCT of 0.61, a slightly lower index than Northampton which has 0.67. Here’s how the overall statistics for the teams look:

As the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final will take place on Saturday, June 8, let’s take a look at how the odds look at present. And may the odds be ever in your favour!