(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
PREM Rugby Set to End Six-Year Streak of Different Champions
The Gallagher PREM Rugby Championship is set to conclude a remarkable run of unpredictability this weekend, as the final will ensure a repeat champion after six consecutive seasons with a different winner.
Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs are among the teams competing in the decisive match at Twickenham on Saturday, with the outcome guaranteeing that the league’s recent pattern of new champions each year will come to an end.
Over the past six seasons, the PREM has seen a different club lift the trophy each year, highlighting the competitive balance within English club rugby.
The sequence began after Exeter Chiefs won the title in the delayed 2019–20 season. Since then, the championship has been claimed by Harlequins (2020–21), Leicester Tigers (2021–22), Saracens (2022–23), Northampton Saints (2023–24), and Bath Rugby (2024–25).
This year’s final brings together two of those recent champions, ensuring that one club will become the first in seven seasons to repeat as PREM winner.
The competition has been widely regarded as one of the most competitive domestic rugby leagues, with multiple clubs capable of challenging for the title each season.
Both Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs have delivered strong performances throughout the campaign, setting up a closely contested final.
Regardless of the result, this season will mark the end of an unusual era in which no single team managed to retain or dominate the championship across consecutive years.
