Northampton Saints will face Leicester Tigers, Nottingham and Coventry in the Pool stage of this season’s Premiership Rugby Cup – with the competition’s opening six fixtures announced today.
The 2024/25 Premiership Rugby Cup competition once again includes the ten Gallagher Premiership clubs plus ten sides from the Championship – but this year’s pool stage has been regionalised to serve up some historic clashes for supporters.
The men in Black, Green and Gold last won the trophy in 2019, and having been drawn in Pool 2, will be looking to go all the way again during the 2024/25 Cup campaign which kicks off on the weekend of November 1/2/3.
Saints open up with an East Midlands Derby match on home soil against Leicester Tigers on Friday 1 November (kick-off: 7.45pm), with TNT Sports broadcasting the match live.
Phil Dowson’s side then welcome Nottingham to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday 9 November (kick-off: 5.15pm) before travelling to Butts Park Arena to face Coventry on Saturday 23 November (kick-off: 3pm).
The competition then breaks until early in 2025, with the men in Black, Green and Gold hitting the road again on Saturday 1 February to lock horns with Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road (kick-off: 3pm).
Northampton then host Coventry on Saturday 8 February (kick-off: 2.45pm), and round off the Cup’s pool stage at The Bay on Friday 14 February where they face Nottingham (kick-off: 7.45pm).
The leading eight teams will progress to the competition’s quarter-finals, composed of the five group winners plus the three best runners-up.
The knock-out stages will then take place on consecutive weekends in early March with the Premiership Rugby Cup Final scheduled for the weekend of March 15, live on TNT Sports.
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.”
Saints’ Premiership Rugby Cup fixtures 2024/25
Round 1: Northampton Saints vs Leicester Tigers, Friday 1 November (kick-off: 7.45pm, live on TNT Sports)
Round 2: Northampton Saints vs Nottingham, Saturday 9 November (kick-off: 5.15pm)
Round 3: Coventry vs Northampton Saints, Saturday 23 November (kick-off: 3pm)
Round 4: Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints, Saturday 1 February (kick-off: 3pm)
Round 5: Northampton Saints vs Coventry, Saturday 8 February (kick-off: 2.45pm)
Round 6: Nottingham vs Northampton Saints, Friday 14 February (kick-off: 7.45pm)
TNT Sports picks for Rounds 4 to 6 will be made after Round 3.
KNOCK-OUT STAGE:
Quarter-finals: Weekend of 1 March
Semi-finals: Weekend of 8 March
Final: Weekend of 15 March
