Saints set to face local rivals in pool stages of Premiership Rugby Cup

Saints boss Phil Dowson (photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)Saints boss Phil Dowson (photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Saints boss Phil Dowson (photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Saints will take on local rivals Leicester Tigers and Championship clubs Coventry and Nottingham in the pool stages of this season's Premiership Rugby Cup.

Phil Dowson's side start their Pool 2 campaign with a televised home game against Tigers on Friday, November 1 (kick-off 7.45pm).

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Saints host Nottingham on the following weekend (Saturday, November 9, kick-off 5.15pm).

Their first away game in the competition comes at Coventry on Saturday, November 23 (kick-off 3pm).

The trip to Tigers will take place on Saturday, February 1 (kick-off 3pm) before Saints return home to take on Coventry on the following Saturday (February 8, kick-off 2.45pm).

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The pool stages conclude with a game at Nottingham, on Friday, February 14 (kick-off 7.45pm).

The quarter-finals are scheduled for the weekend of March 1, with the semi-finals taking place on the following weekend (March 8).

The final is on the weekend of March 15.

There are five pools in total, with the winners as well as the three best runners-up progressing to the last eight.

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Phil Winstanley, rugby director at Premiership Rugby, said: "It's great to once again open up the Premiership Rugby Cup to Championship clubs.

"By regionalising pool games the narrative, and stakes, are even more intense with some old rivals set to produce plenty of new stories for fans.

“Last season’s final at Kingsholm between Premiership heavyweights Gloucester Rugby and Leicester Tigers was a high-quality affair and showed the value that our clubs, players and supporters place on claiming some silverware.

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“Many future stars of England Rugby come to prominence in the Premiership Rugby Cup with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Guy Pepper and Henry Pollock among some of the players to impress."

Conor O’Shea, executive director of Performance Rugby at RFU, said: “We are very excited to see the Gallagher Premiership Rugby and Championship teams battle it out again in the 2024/25 Premiership Rugby Cup.

“The success of last year’s competition was clear to see and the start of a competition that we all believe will continue to grow and thrive with each season.

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“Winning silverware in any professional sport is no easy feat, but the opportunity to do so in the Premiership Rugby Cup is a fantastic motivator for players, staff, and supporters.

"This competition has given valuable minutes of playing time to players against new opposition and we’ll see more of the same in this year’s tournament."

Premiership Rugby Cup pools

Pool 1: Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks, Doncaster Knights, Caldy.

Pool 2: Saints, Leicester Tigers, Coventry, Nottingham.

Pool 3: Harlequins, Saracens, Ealing Trailfinders, London Scottish.

Pool 4: Bath, Bristol, Bedford Blues, Ampthill.

Pool 5: Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester, Cornish Pirates, Hartpury.

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