2021–22 Premiership Rugby Cup

The 2021–22 Premiership Rugby Cup is the 49th season of England's national rugby union cup competition and the third under the new Premiership Rugby Cup format following the disbanding of the Anglo-Welsh Cup at the end of the 2017–18 season due to the withdrawal of the Welsh Pro14 regions.[1] Although there are no stipulations on player selection, the cup will be seen by many clubs as a development competition, and games will take place during the Autumn internationals and during the Six Nations.

2021–22 Premiership Rugby Cup
Tournament details
CountriesEngland
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and knockout
Date12 November 2021 — 18 May 2022
Tournament statistics
Teams13
Final
VenueBrentford Community Stadium
Attendance9,531
ChampionsWorcester Warriors (1st title)
Runners-upLondon Irish
← 2019–20 (Previous)
(Next) 2022–23 →

The competition returns after a one-year hiatus due to cancellation of the 2020–21 competition.[2] Sale Sharks enter the competition as reigning champions, becoming the second winners of the Premiership Cup when they defeated Harlequins 27–19 at the AJ Bell Stadium in the 2019–20 final.[3]

Competition format

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The competition consists of the thirteen Premiership Rugby teams arranged in three pools. Pool 1 will consist of five teams whilst pools B and C will consist of four. Each team will play each team in their pool once only and, in the case of pools 2 and 3, also play an additional inter pool match. There will be five rounds of matches meaning each team will receive one bye. The top team in each pool, plus the best overall runner-up, will progress to the semi-finals, with the highest ranked teams having home advantage. The winners of the semi-finals will then meet at the final in May 2022 to be held at the home ground of the highest ranked remaining team.[4]

Teams

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Greater London Premiership Rugby Cup teams
Club Director of Rugby/Head Coach Captain Kit supplier Stadium Capacity City/Area
Bath   Stuart Hooper   Charlie Ewels Macron The Recreation Ground 14,509 Bath
Bristol Bears   Pat Lam   Steve Luatua Umbro Ashton Gate 27,000 Bristol
Exeter Chiefs   Rob Baxter   Jack Yeandle
  Joe Simmonds
Samurai Sportswear Sandy Park 13,593 Exeter
Gloucester   George Skivington   Lewis Ludlow Oxen Sports Kingsholm Stadium 16,115 Gloucester
Harlequins   Billy Millard   Stephan Lewies Adidas Twickenham Stoop 14,800 Twickenham, Greater London
Leicester Tigers   Steve Borthwick   Ellis Genge Samurai Sportswear Mattioli Woods Welford Road 25,849 Leicester
London Irish   Declan Kidney   Matt Rogerson BLK Brentford Community Stadium 17,250 Brentford, Greater London
Newcastle Falcons   Dean Richards   Mark Wilson Macron Kingston Park 10,200 Newcastle upon Tyne
Northampton Saints   Chris Boyd   Lewis Ludlam Macron cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens 15,200 Northampton
Sale Sharks   Alex Sanderson   Jono Ross Macron AJ Bell Stadium 12,000 Salford, Greater Manchester
Saracens   Mark McCall   Owen Farrell Castore StoneX Stadium 8,500 Hendon,
Greater London
Wasps   Lee Blackett   Joe Launchbury Hummel Coventry Building Society Arena 32,609 Coventry
Worcester Warriors   Alan Solomons   Ted Hill O'Neills Sixways Stadium 11,499 Worcester

Pools

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Pool 1

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Pool 1
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points difference Tries for Tries against Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1 Gloucester 4 3 0 1 180 71 +109 23 10 2 1 16
2 Worcester Warriors 4 3 0 1 137 72 65 +19 11 3 1 16
3 Exeter Chiefs 4 2 0 2 105 107 −2 11 15 2 1 11*
4 Bristol Bears 4 2 0 2 122 157 -35 18 19 2 0 10
5 Bath 4 0 0 4 36 173 −137 5 21 0 1 1*
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Total number of tries scored
Green background means the club has qualified for the semi-finals as pool winner.
Blue background means the club has qualified for the semi-finals as the best pool runner-up. Updated: 14 November 2021
Note that each team plays 4 games.
  • Cancelled fixture: Bath 0 points; Exeter 5 points

Pool 2

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Pool 2
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points difference Tries for Tries against Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1 Leicester Tigers 4 3 0 1 156 92 +64 20 14 3 0 15
2 Newcastle Falcons 4 2 0 2 116 114 +2 15 10 2 1 11
3 Wasps 4 2 0 2 115 136 −21 17 21 2 1 11
4 Sale Sharks 4 2 0 2 108 122 −14 16 17 2 0 5*
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Total number of tries scored
Green background means the club has qualified for the semi-finals as pool winner.
Blue background means the club has qualified for the semi-finals as the best pool runner-up. Updated: 14 November 2021
Note that each team plays 4 games; 3 pool games plus a derby game against a team in another pool.
  • Sale Sharks were deducted 5 points for fielding an ineligible player

Pool 3

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Pool 3
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points difference Tries for Tries against Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1 London Irish 4 3 0 1 125 106 +19 18 16 4 0 16
2 Northampton Saints 4 2 0 2 131 123 +8 19 18 3 1 12
3 Harlequins 4 1 0 2 95 121 −26 15 18 2 2 8
4 Saracens 4 1 0 2 104 136 -32 15 20 2 0 6
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Total number of tries scored
Green background means the club has qualified for the semi-finals as pool winner.
Blue background means the club has qualified for the semi-finals as the best pool runner-up. Updated: 14 November 2021
Note that each team plays 4 games; 3 pool games plus a derby game against a team in another pool.

Fixtures

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Round 1

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12 November 2021
19:45
(1 BP) Gloucester71 – 10Bath
Try: Morgan (3) 7' c, 39' c, 43' c
Moyle 11' c
Ludlow 25' c
Ackermann 32' m
Davidson 41' c
Balmain 47' c
Clement (2) 54' c, 75' m
Morris 67' m
Con: Evans (8/11) 8', 12', 27', 40', 41', 44', 48', 55'
ReportTry: Worboys 60' c
Con: Worboys (1/1) 61'
Pen: Worboys (1/1) 17'
Kingsholm
13 November 2021
14:30
(1 BP) Saracens28 – 21Harlequins (1 BP)
Try: Barrington 14' c
Morris 30' c
McFarland (2) 39' c, 48' c
Con: Man. Vunipola (4/4) 16', 31', 40', 50'
ReportTry: Jurevicius 33' c
White 45' c
David 73' c
Con: Benson (3/3) 34', 46', 74'
StoneX Stadium
13 November 2021
15:00
(1 BP) Exeter Chiefs27 – 33Bristol Bears (1 BP)
Try: Kenny 3' c
Walsh (2) 17' c, 50' c
Con: Hodge (3/3) 4', 18', 51'
Pen: Hodge (2/2) 44', 80+4'
ReportTry: Penalty Try 35'
Bedlow 37' c
Capon 59' m
Thomas 62' c
Duncan 74' c
Con: Bedlow (3/4) 38', 63', 75'
Sandy Park
13 November 2021
15:00
Leicester Tigers32 – 23Sale Sharks
Try: van Poortvliet 18' c
Porter 78' c
Con: Hegarty (1/1) 19'
Lancaster (1/1) 79'
Pen: Hegarty (5/5) 6', 17', 22', 40', 42'
Lancaster (1/1) 53'
ReportTry: Reed 26' c
Dugdale (2) 56' m, 67' m
Con: Curtis (1/3) 26'
Pen: Curtis (2/2) 2', 50'
Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Attendance: 15,745
Referee: Andrew Jackson
13 November 2021
15:00
(1 BP) Newcastle Falcons34 – 27Wasps (1 BP)
Try: Tait (2) 12' m, 58' c
Montgomery 22' m
Stephens 40' c
Basham 51' m
Graham 79' m
Con: Hodgson (2/6) 40+1', 59'
ReportTry: Hartley 15' c
Tunney 25' c
van Vuuren 36' c
Con: Mathews (3/3) 16', 26', 37'
Pen: Mathews (2/2) 21', 68'
Kingston Park
13 November 2021
15:30
(1 BP) Northampton Saints26 – 36London Irish (1 BP)
Try: Hendy 29' c
Fish 54' c
Gillespie 62' m
Litchfield 70' c
Con: J. Grayson (3/4) 30', 55', 71'
ReportTry: Stokes 12' c
Munga 16' m
Sullivan 21' c
van Rensburg (2) 40' c, 74' c
Con: Jennings (4/5) 13', 22', 40+1', 75'
Pen: Jennings (1/1) 78'
cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens
Bye/s: Worcester Warriors

Round 2

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19 November 2021
19:45
Sale Sharks25 - 20Newcastle Falcons (1 BP)
Try: Metclaf ‘26
Reed ‘37
Birch ‘72
Con: du Preez ‘28, ‘74
Pen: du Preez ‘11, ‘49
Try: Hayden-Wood ‘19
Earle ‘53
McGuigan ‘68
Con: Connon ‘20
Pen: Connon ‘45
AJ Bell Stadium
Attendance: 4,725
Referee: Nick Wood
19 November 2021
19:45
(1 BP) London Irish29 - 20Saracens
Try: Haskell-Collins ‘15
Hepetema ‘21
Mafi ‘28
Redmond ‘50
Con: Jennings ‘16, ‘22, ‘29
Pen: Jennings ‘79
Try: Segun ‘45
Harris ‘56, ‘60
Con: Manu Vunipola ‘57
Pen: Manu Vunipola ‘68
Brentford Community Stadium
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
19 November 2021
19:45
(1 BP) Harlequins26 - 25Northampton Saints (1 BP)
Try: Anyanwu ‘4, ‘67
Steele ‘10
Wallace ‘72
Con: Benson ‘5, ‘11, ‘74
Try: Henry ‘14
Haywood ‘26
Gillespie ‘31
Con: Grayson ‘15, ‘27
Pen: Grayson ‘49, ‘60
Twickenham Stoop
Referee: Mike Hudson
20 November 2021
13:00
(1 BP) Gloucester45 - 19Exeter Chiefs
Try: Taylor ‘14
Morris ‘18
Morgan ‘26, ‘30
Barton ‘43
Reeves ‘75
Con: Evans ‘15, ‘21, ‘27, ‘32, ‘44
Twelvetrees ‘77
Pen: Evans ‘7
Try: Tuikma ‘36
Relton ’53
Hidalgo-Clyne’63
Con: Hodge ‘37
Walsh ‘64
Kingsholm
Referee: Jack Makepeace
20 November 2021
13:30
Wasps7 - 55Leicester Tigers (1 BP)
Try: Hartley ‘71
Con: Mathews ‘71
Try: Murimurivalu ‘6
Green ‘42
Porter ‘47, ‘55
Whitcombe ‘58
Saumaki ‘66, ‘75, ‘79
Con: Lancaster ‘2, ‘43, ‘46, ‘59, ‘76, ‘80+1
Pen: Lancaster ‘26
Coventry Building Society Arena
Referee: Hamish Smales
20 November 2021
15:00
(1 BP) Worcester Warriors68 - 13Bristol Bears
Try: Simpson ‘4, ‘26
Doel ‘10
Howe ‘31, ‘43
Thomas ‘36
Johnson ‘45
Dodd ‘56
Smith ‘61
Searle ‘78
Con: Searle ‘5, ‘11, ‘27, ‘32, ‘37, ‘43, ‘57, ‘62, ‘79
Try: Strang ‘7
Eadie ‘52
Pen: Lloyd ‘17
Sixways
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
Bye/s: Bath

Round 3

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29 December 2021
BathCancelled
0 - 28[a]
Exeter Chiefs (1 BP)
The Recreation Ground
29 December 2021
19:45
(1 BP) Worcester Warriors27 - 21Gloucester (1 BP)
Sixways
Bye/s: Bristol Bears
Harlequins
Leicester Tigers
London Irish
Newcastle Falcons
Northampton Saints
Sale Sharks
Saracens
Wasps

Round 4

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18 March 2022
19:45
(1 BP) Bristol Bears61 - 19Bath
Ashton Gate
18 March 2022
19:45
(1 BP) Newcastle Falcons36 - 28Leicester Tigers (1 BP)
Kingston Park
19 March 2022
13:00
(1 BP) Sale Sharks26 - 41Wasps (1 BP)
AJ Bell Stadium
19 March 2022
15:00
(1 BP) Exeter Chiefs31 - 29Worcester Warriors (2 BP)
Sandy Park
19 March 2022
15:00
(1 BP) Saracens34 - 46Northampton Saints (1 BP)
StoneX Stadium
Bye/s: Gloucester

Round 5

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29 March 2022
19:45
(2 BP) Harlequins29 - 34Sale Sharks (1 BP)
Twickenham Stoop
29 March 2022
19:45
(1 BP) Leicester Tigers41 - 26London Irish (1 BP)
Mattioli Woods Welford Road
29 March 2022
19:45
(1 BP) Wasps40 - 21Saracens
Coventry Building Society Arena
30 March 2022
19:45
(1 BP) Bath7 - 13Worcester Warriors
Recreation Ground
30 March 2022
19:45
Bristol Bears15 - 43Gloucester (1 BP)
Ashton Gate
Bye/s: Exeter Chiefs

Semi-final

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27 April 2022
19:45
Gloucester Rugby25 - 39Worcester Warriors
Kingsholm

Final

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17 May 2022
19:45
London Irish25–25 (a.e.t.)Worcester Warriors
Try: White 33' c
Con: Jackson 36'
Pen: Jackson (5) 5', 28', 48', 58' 64'
ReportTry: Kvesic 12' c
Humphreys 40' m
Hatherell 80' c
Con: Smith (2/3) 13', 80'
Pen: Smith (2) 7', 19'
Brentford Community Stadium
Attendance: 9,531
Referee: Wayne Barnes
FB 15   Henry Arundell
RW 14   Lucio Cinti
OC 13   Will Joseph
IC 12   Benhard Janse van Rensburg
LW 11   Ollie Hassell-Collins
FH 10   Paddy Jackson
SH 9   Ben White
N8 8   Albert Tuisue
OF 7   Juan Martín González
BF 6   Matt Rogerson (c)
RL 5   Rob Simmons
LL 4   Chunya Munga
TP 3   Marcel van der Merwe
HK 2   Mike Willemse
LP 1   Facundo Gigena
Substitutions:
HK 16   Matt Cornish
PR 17   Will Goodrick-Clarke
PR 18   Ciaran Parker
LK 19   Steven Mafi
FL 20   Ben Donnell
SH 21   Caolan Englefield
CE 22   Curtis Rona
WG 23   Ben Loader
Coach:
  Declan Kidney
FB 15   Jamie Shillcock
RW 14   Perry Humphreys
OC 13   Francois Venter
IC 12   Ashley Beck
LW 11   Duhan van der Merwe
FH 10   Fin Smith
SH 9   Gareth Simpson
N8 8   Ted Hill (c)
OF 7   Matt Kvesic
BF 6   Kyle Hatherell
RL 5   Graham Kitchener
LL 4   Joe Batley
TP 3   Christian Judge
HK 2   Niall Annett
LP 1   Ethan Waller
Substitutions:
HK 16   Isaac Miller
PR 17   Rory Sutherland
PR 18   Murray McCallum
LK 19   Andrew Kitchener
FL 20   Sam Lewis
SH 21   Will Chudley
FH 22   Ollie Lawrence
CE 23   Alex Hearle
Coach:
  Steve Diamond
  • Worcester were crowned champions due to having scored more tries than London Irish during the match

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Due to a combination of COVID-19 related absences and injuries Bath Rugby were unable to fulfil their fixture obligation. Exeter Chiefs were awarded a 28–0 BP win.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Premiership Rugby Cup to replace Anglo-Welsh Cup from next season". BBC Sport. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  2. ^ "The Premiership Rugby Cup 2020-21 cancelled". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  3. ^ "Match Report: Sale Sharks 27-19 Saracens". Premiership Rugby. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Premiership Rugby Cup fixtures announced". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  5. ^ "Premiership Rugby Cup Result Confirmed: Bath Rugby 0-28 Exeter Chiefs". Bath Rugby. Retrieved 2022-01-03.