2023–24 Premiership Rugby Cup
Rugby Union Cup tournament in England
The 2023–24 Premiership Rugby Cup is the 51st season of England's national rugby union cup competition and the first under the new Premiership Rugby Cup format including clubs from both the Premiership and Championship .[1] Exeter Chiefs are the reigning champions.[2]
Competition format
The original plan for the competition involved dividing the 24 teams from the top two tiers of English rugby into four pools of six. The number of teams dropped to 22 following the suspension of Wasps and London Irish .[3] [4]
The 22 teams were split into four pools, two of 6 teams (Pool A & Pool B) and two of 5 teams (Pool C & Pool D). The teams were seeded based on league standings at the end of the 2022–23 season .[a] [b] Teams in Pools C and D also played one cross-pool fixture along with their own pool games.[5]
Teams
London teams:Four clubs
(see below)
Club
Director of Rugby/ Head Coach
League
Stadium
Capacity
City/Area
Ampthill
Paul Turner
Championship
Dillingham Park
3,000
Ampthill , Bedfordshire
Bath
Johann van Graan
Premiership
The Recreation Ground
14,509
Bath , Somerset
Bedford Blues
Mike Rayer
Championship
Goldington Road
5,000
Bedford , Bedfordshire
Bristol Bears
Pat Lam
Premiership
Ashton Gate
27,000
Bristol
Caldy
Matt Cairns
Championship
Paton Field
4,000
Thurstaston , Wirral , Merseyside
Cambridge
Richie Williams
Championship
Grantchester Road
2,200
Cambridge , Cambridgeshire
Cornish Pirates
Alan Paver[c] Gavin Cattle [c]
Championship
Mennaye Field
4,000
Penzance , Cornwall
Coventry
Alex Rae
Championship
Butts Park Arena
5,200
Coventry , West Midlands
Doncaster Knights
Steve Boden
Championship
Castle Park
5,183
Doncaster , South Yorkshire
Ealing Trailfinders
Ben Ward
Championship
Trailfinders Sports Ground
5,000
West Ealing , London
Exeter Chiefs
Rob Baxter [d] Ali Hepher [e]
Premiership
Sandy Park
15,600
Exeter , Devon
Gloucester
George Skivington
Premiership
Kingsholm
16,115
Gloucester , Gloucestershire
Harlequins
Billy Millard
Premiership
Twickenham Stoop
14,800
Twickenham , Greater London
Hartpury
Mark Cornwell
Championship
The ALPAS Arena
2,000
Hartpury , Gloucestershire
Jersey Reds
Harvey Biljon
Championship
Stade Santander International
4,000
Saint Peter , Jersey
Leicester Tigers
Dan McKellar
Premiership
Mattioli Woods Welford Road
25,849
Leicester , Leicestershire
London Scottish
Joe Gray
Championship
Athletic Ground
4,500
Richmond , London
Newcastle Falcons
Alex Codling
Premiership
Kingston Park
10,200
Newcastle upon Tyne , Tyne and Wear
Northampton Saints
Phil Dowson [d] Sam Vesty [e]
Premiership
cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens
15,200
Northampton , Northamptonshire
Nottingham
Craig Hammond
Championship
Lady Bay Sports Ground
3,500
Nottingham , Nottinghamshire
Sale Sharks
Alex Sanderson [d] Paul Deacon [e]
Premiership
AJ Bell Stadium
12,000
Salford , Greater Manchester
Saracens
Mark McCall [d] Joe Shaw [e]
Premiership
StoneX Stadium
10,500
Hendon , Greater London
Player movements
Pools
Teams played every other team in their pool once, either home or away. Teams in pools C and D also played one cross-pool fixture along with their own pool games.
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Number of matches won
Difference between points for and against
Total number of points for
Total number of tries scored
Pool A
Club
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Points difference
Try bonus
Losing bonus
Points
1
Gloucester (Q)
5
5
0
0
+ 72
4
0
24
2
Harlequins
5
3
1
1
+ 63
3
0
17
3
Coventry
5
2
2
1
+ 29
4
1
17
4
Saracens
5
2
0
3
+ 72
3
1
12
5
Nottingham
5
0
1
4
– 100
2
1
5
6
Hartpury University
5
1
0
4
– 136
1
0
5
Green background means the club has qualified for the semi-finals as pool winner.Source: Premiership Rugby Updated to: 07/10/2023
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
Fixtures
Round 1
Pool A
(1 BP) Harlequins 54–14 Hartpury Try: Cleaves (3) 2' c, 34' c, 38' cTrenholm (2) 6' c, 11' c Bradley 20' c Slevin 62' c Zheng 78' cCon: Slevin (8/8) 2', 7', 12', 21', 36', 39', 63'Report Try: Short 32' cHayler 65' cCon: Mathews (2/2) 32', 66'
Pool B
Dillingham Park, Ampthill Attendance: 997 Referee: Alex Thomas
Pool C
Pool C/D
(1 BP) Exeter Chiefs 75–0 Bristol Bears Try: Vermeulen (2) 1' c, 48' mCairns (2) 6' c, 30' cSlade 22' cHodge 38' cPostlethwaite 41' cHammersley 45' c Frost 54' cRoots 58' c Vintcent 66' cCon: Slade (8/9) 2',7', 23', 31', 39', 42', 46', 55' Skinner (2/2) 60', 67'Report
Pool D
Castle Park , Doncaster Attendance: 1,156 Referee: Andrew Jackson
[15]
Round 2
Pool A
Lady Bay Sports Ground, Nottingham Attendance: 858 Referee: Richard Gordon
Pool B
Paton Field , Thurstaston Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Andrew Jackson
Pool C
Sandy Park , Exeter Attendance: 8,072 Referee: Simon Harding
Pool C/D
Pool D
[17]
Round 3
Pool A
(1 BP) Saracens 73–29 Nottingham (1 BP)Try: Lewington 7' m Segun 12' c Knight (2) 28' c, 52' c Van Zyl (2) 33' c, 47' c Penalty try 37' Woolstencroft 41' m Stonham 57' c Hartley 60' c Adejimi 69' cCon: Vunipola (8/10) 13', 29', 34', 48', 53', 58', 61', 70'Report Try: Mee 17' m Ramage (2) 44' c, 77' c Williams (2) 63' m, 66' mCon: Hollingsworth (1/2) 45'Bunting (1/3) 78'
The ALPAS Arena, Hartpury Attendance: 550 Referee: Jonathan Cook
Pool B
Pool C
St. Peter , St Peter Attendance: 1,826 Referee: Dan Jones
Pool C/D
Pool D
Ashton Gate , Bristol Attendance: 11,356 Referee: Joe James
[16]
Round 4
Pool A
The Alpas Arena, Hartpury Attendance: 2,042 Referee: Mike Hudson
Pool B
Paton Field , Thurstaston Attendance: 2,687 Referee: Hamish Grant
Dillingham Park, Ampthill Attendance: 1,734 Referee: Hamish Smales
Pool C
Sandy Park , Exeter Attendance: 6,906 Referee: Harry Walbaum
Pool C/D
(1 BP) Northampton Saints 43–42 Bath (2 BP)Try: Freeman (3) 19' c, 46' c, 66'Waller 28' cDavison 35' mLangdon 55' mSeabrook 68' cCon: Smith (4/7) 20', 29', 47', 69'Report Try: Dunn 1'Hill 12'Ojomoh 16'De Glanville (2) 23', 45'Underhill 40'Con: Spencer (6/6) 2', 13', 17', 24', 40', 45'
Pool D
(1 BP) Doncaster Knights 41–57 Bristol Bears (1 BP)Try: Davey (2) 12' c, 82' cHolden 24' mDoughty 40' cDavidson 45' cEhizode 57' mCon: Olver (4/6) 13', 41', 45', 82'Pen: Olver (1/1) 9'Report Try: Capon 10' cOwen (2) 19' c, 21' cHolmes 31' cRowson 35' cMarmion 49' cKloska 60' mO'Conor 66' cCon: Worsley (7/8) 11', 20', 22', 31', 36', 50', 67'Pen: Worsley (1/1) 27'
Castle Park , Doncaster Attendance: 2,175 Referee: Adam Leal
[19]
Round 5
Pool A
Lady Bay Sports Ground, Nottingham Attendance: 2,402 Referee: Alex Thomas
(1 BP) Saracens 68–10 Hartpury Try: Segun (2) 13' m, 31' cHartley 46' cAdejimi (2) 50' c, 57' cDavies 53' cKnight (2) 60' c, 77' cStonham 72' cParton 80' cCon: Lozowski (6/7) 32', 47', 51', 54', 58', 61'Simpson (3/3) 73', 78', 81'Report Try: Smith 71' cCon: Bazalgette (1/1) 72'Pen: Bazalgette (1/1) 20'
Pool B
Pool C
Pool C/D
[21]
Pool D
(1 BP) Bristol Bears 98–14 Cambridge Try: Thacker (3) 3' m, 20' m, 35' mLane (2) 8' m, 47' cBradbury 12' mCaulfield 15' cThomas (4) 24' c, 50' m, 60' c, 72' cHarding 41' cMarmion 54' cIbitoye (3) 56' c, 62' c, 79' cCon: MacGinty 16', 25' (2/7)Williams (2/3) 42', 48'Sheedy (5/6) 54', 57', 61', 73', 81'Report Try: Dawson 31' cJames 78' cCon: James (1/1) 32'Rayner (1/1) 79'
Ashton Gate , Bristol Attendance: 11,162 Referee: Jack Makepeace
Northampton Saints 82–12 Doncaster Knights Try: Pearson (2) 2' c, 27' c Furbank 12' c McParland (3) 37' c, 45' c, 50' c Graham 41' c Smith 47' c Munga 57' c Ramm 68' c Seabrook 73' c Hendy 77' mCon: Smith (7/7) 3', 13', 27', 38', 42', 45', 47' Furbank (2/2) 51', 58' Hutchinson (2/3) 69' c, 73'Report Try: Davey 16' c Simpson 63' mCon: Olver (1/1) 17' McBryde (0/1)Pen: Olver (0/1)
Knockout stage
The semi-finals were confirmed on 17 October after points from the two cancelled Jersey Reds fixtures were allocated.[7]
Semi-finals
Team details
Player of the Match:
Zach Mercer (Gloucester )
Assistant referees:
Dan Jones
Veryan Boscawen
Television match official:
Ian Tempest
[22]
Final
[24]
Player of the Match:
Cam Jordan (Gloucester )
Assistant referees:
Harry Walbaum
John Meredith[23]
Television match official:
Dan Jones[23]
Notes:
Attendances
Club
Home matches
Total
Average
Highest
Lowest
% Capacity
Ampthill
2
2,731
1,366
1,734
997
46%
Bath
3
24,142
8,047
9,426
7,285
55%
Bedford Blues
2
5,860
2,930
3,707
2,153
59%
Bristol Bears
3
32,654
10,885
11,356
10,136
40%
Caldy
2
4,187
2,094
2,687
1,500
52%
Cambridge
2
2,025
1,013
1,027
998
46%
Cornish Pirates
1[k]
2,891
2,891
2,891
2,891
72%
Coventry
2
6,231
3,116
4,109
2,122
60%
Doncaster Knights
2
3,331
1,666
2,175
1,156
32%
Ealing Trailfinders
3
4,807
1,602
2,700
590
32%
Exeter Chiefs
3
23,306
7,769
8,328
6,906
50%
Gloucester
5
45,462
9,092
14,460
4,124
56%
Harlequins
2[l]
8,414
4,207
4,631
3,783
28%
Hartpury
2
2,592
1,296
2,042
550
65%
Jersey Reds
1[m]
1,826
1,826
1,826
1,826
46%
Leicester Tigers
3
20,133
6,711
8,000
5,600
26%
London Scottish
3
1,432
477
661
384
11%
Newcastle Falcons
3
9,680
3,227
3,751
2,812
32%
Northampton Saints
3
24,653
8,218
10,356
5,186
63%
Nottingham
2
3,260
1,630
2,402
858
47%
Sale Sharks
3
7,732
2,577
4,000
411
21%
Saracens
3
7,946
2,649
2,904
2,146
25%
[15] [17] [16] [19] [21] [22] [24]
Individual statistics
Broadcasting
One game from each round will be broadcast on TNT Sports as well as both the semifinals and the final.[5]
Notes
^ London Scottish and Cambridge , the 11th and 12th seeds in the 2022–23 RFU Championship , were swapped with Nottingham and Caldy , the 9th and 10th seeds. This is so Nottingham and Caldy could host a home fixture against a Premiership club.
^ Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs swapped pools for operational reasons.
^ a b Joint Head Coach
^ a b c d Director of Rugby
^ a b c d Head Coach
^ Fixture against Jersey Reds was cancelled, Cornish Pirates were awarded a 20-0 victory and 5 league points[6] [7]
^ The fixture against Cornish Pirates & Ealing Trailfinders were cancelled, Cornish Pirates and Ealing Trailfinders were both awarded a 20-0 victory and 5 league points, Jersey was awarded 0 league points[6] [8] [7]
^ Fixture against Jersey Reds was cancelled, Ealing Trailfinders were awarded a 20-0 victory and 5 league points[8] [7]
^ Cancelled as Jersey Reds announced that they had ceased trading and were likely to enter liquidation.[18] [6] Cornish Pirates were awarded with 5 league table points and Jersey Reds were awarded 0 league table points.[7]
^ Cancelled as Jersey Reds announced that they had ceased trading and were likely to enter liquidation.[20] [8] Ealing Trailfinders were awarded with 5 league table points and Jersey Reds were awarded 0 league table points.[7]
^ Cornish Pirates only played one home game as their fixture versus Jersey Reds on 29 September 2023 was cancelled.[6]
^ No attendance given for Harlequins home game versus Saracens on 1 October 2023.
^ Jersey Reds only played one home game before going into liquidation.[6]
See also
References