Premiership

However, Shore said R360, which organisers say has attracted investment from a variety of funds and individuals, is fundamentally different to PWR, which supports the rest of the game.

“Our league houses just over 500 players, and they go from 18-year-olds up to players in their 30s with 100 caps for their country,” Shore said.

“Our job is not just the athlete with 100 caps, though.

“Our clubs have invested millions in schools, in colleges, in university partnerships, in building out their pathway projects and work with the Rugby Football Union, who are doing the same.

“If R360 are a private, limited company they don’t have to do that. Their purpose is to do something that’s innovative and exciting at the top of the game.

“The one thing that you do read consistently is that they plan to break even in year two. So the goal is to make money for the people who invest in it.”

The unions said in their joint statement that R360 was “designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, potentially hollowing out the investment that national unions and existing leagues make in community rugby, player development and participation pathways”.

Yann Roubert, the head of the French club game, said, external on Wednesday that “you don’t build a sport by bypassing those who build it”.

R360 said it will put “players first” and offer the highest standards of support, and that the investment and attention it will attract can help the sport as a whole.

Carrick Rangers forward Paul Heatley said he hopes his injury against Bangor on Saturday will highlight the urgent need to release funding to clubs to upgrade stadium facilities across Northern Ireland.

The 38-year-old collided with the wall surrounding the pitch at Taylors Avenue eight minutes into the second half of his side’s Irish Premiership game.

He received treatment at the side of the pitch and was taken to hospital after being placed into the ambulance on a stretcher, before being discharged on Sunday.

The decision was then made to abandon the fixture by referee Christopher Morrison as there was no ambulance in place after Heatley was transported from the ground.

Carrick were one of 20 clubs who progressed to the next stage in a bid to secure a slice of the Northern Ireland Football Fund.

They applied for £5.8m for improvements to Taylors Avenue, but will have to go through another stage of assessment before any funding is handed out with no timeline in place for the next steps.

Posting on social media on Monday, Heatley called for “immediate funding” to be released to Irish League clubs to ensure “nothing like this ever happens to any player in the future”.

“Thank you to everyone for all the messages of support from my own club and team-mates to the wider footballing community it has been truly incredible,” he said.

“To the coaches, physios and doctors of both Carrick Rangers FC and Bangor FC I am forever grateful, along with the amazing care given to me from the ambulance service.

“A very special shoutout to the stewards and the girls in the club shop for looking after my children whilst I received treatment, no child should witness such a scene at a football match and you kept them distracted and entertained throughout, thank you all. A few restless nights lay ahead but will take that, knowing it could have ended much worse.

“I hope this incident highlights the need for immediate funding to be released for Irish League clubs to provide a proper, safe environment for players, staff and supporters, to ensure nothing like this ever happens to any player in the future.

“With power comes responsibility, so for those in power and authority around the Irish league, welfare and funding, the responsibility lies with you.

“Thanks again to everyone.”

“Twickenham really is the home of women’s rugby this year, with the women’s World Cup final over the road at Allianz Stadium, the Harlequins Women’s season not far away, and now the PWR final taking place at The Stoop,” Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple told the club’s website, external.

“We want to ensure that this is a true celebration of rugby and a spectacle, fitting of the occasion and are thrilled to be hosting this event.”

Next season’s final is due to take place on Sunday, 28 June.

“2025 was a superb event, and setting a new record for attendance at a PWR final was a big moment for the league and for women’s sport,” Genevieve Shore, the executive chair of PWR, said.

“Now we’re looking to build on that, and capitalise on the excitement that will undoubtedly build throughout the women’s World Cup later this year, by selling out The Stoop and showing how far women’s rugby has come.”

Linfield will begin the defence of their Irish Premiership title against Dungannon Swifts on the opening weekend of the 2025-26 season.

The Irish League champions will host the Irish Cup winners at Windsor Park on the weekend of Saturday 9 August.

Before that, the teams will meet in the Charity Shield on 4 July, before embarking on their European adventures in the Champions League and Uefa Conference League qualifiers, prior to the start of the domestic season.

Other opening day fixtures see newly promoted Championship winners Bangor host Cliftonville on their return to the top flight, while last season’s runner-up Larne face a trip to big-spending Coleraine.

Crusaders are at home to Carrick Rangers, Glenavon entertain Ballymena United and Portadown host Glentoran in the first round of fixtures.

Highlights of the following weekend see Linfield travel to Ballymena United, Cliftonville play Coleraine and Larne against Crusaders.

A set of six matches are scheduled for the evening of Tuesday 19 August.

The first Belfast ‘Big Two’ encounter of the campaign is scheduled for Saturday 13 September at the Oval.

Ballymena United are set to face Coleraine in their first derby meeting at Warden Street on 11 October, with Crusaders at home to Cliftonville on the same day.

Portadown host Glenavon a week previous on 4 October in the opening mid-Ulster derby.

Larne have home advantage against Carrick Rangers in the east Antrim derby on 20 September.

This year’s traditional Boxing Day matches will see Linfield at home to Glentoran, Ballymena United up against Coleraine, Carrick host Larne, Cliftonville entertain Crusaders, Portadown at home to Glenavon and Dungannon come up against Bangor.

The final set of games in the regular season are set for Friday 20 March, with the post-split fixtures on 28 March, 7 April, 11 April, 18 April and 25 April.

All fixtures are subject to change, with the full list of preliminary fixtures as produced by the Northern Ireland Football League available to view here, external.

Spencer joined Bath in 2020 after nine years with Saracens where he won seven major trophies – including four Premiership titles – through the London club’s era of dominance.

The 32-year-old was made captain in 2022-23 as head of rugby Johann van Graan’s tenure at Bath began, just months after the club had finished bottom of the league the season before.

“The amount of hard work this has taken to turn the ship around… we were bottom three years ago,” added Spencer.

“I can’t credit [Van Graan] enough, he’s been absolutely brilliant. If we [understand] there’s always an opportunity to get better then I’m really excited for the next couple of years.”

Bath narrowly lost to Northampton in the Twickenham showpiece last June but were overwhelming favourites this time around.

They ended the regular league campaign 11 points clear at the top of the table and wrapped up top spot and a home semi-final in the play-offs with three rounds of games still to play.

Scrum-half Spencer said he mainly felt “relief” at the final whistle because of the prolonged build-up.

“To get the mindset right when you qualify early as we did is quite tough,” he said.

“I played that semi-final in my head hundreds of times. Day in, day out it was, ‘who are we going to get?’ It’s a hard place to be mentally.

“It’s relief for me, the players, staff and fans.”

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Du Toit; Roux, Ewels, Hill, Pepper, Reid.

Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Stuart, Molony, Bayliss, Carr-Smith, Donoghue, Barbeary.

Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Hassell-Collins; Pollard, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Montoya (c), Heyes; Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Cronin, Cole, Rogerson, Ilione, Youngs, Volavola, Perese.

Sin bin: Montoya (28 mins), Cole (69 mins)

Referee: Karl Dickson

Saracens: Carre, George, Riccioni, Itoje, Isiekwe, McFarland, Onyeama-Christie, Willis, van Zyl, Burke, Segun, Tompkins, Daly, Elliott, Goode

Replacements: Dan, Mawi, Beaton, Tizard, Gonzalez, Earl, Bracken, Cinti

Bath: Kirk, Spandler, Griffin, Jeanes, Richards, Staddon, Cowan, Green, Schreuder, Bailey, McConnochie, Parry, Hennessey, Emens, Woods.

Replacements: Tuipolutu, Cordwell, Verden, Graham, Timmins, le Roux, Offiah, Stewart.

Referee: Karl Dickson

On this note, Cole admitted in his retirement announcement he didn’t want to be “the old guy, sitting around and hanging on,” as financially-challenged Premiership clubs put their faith in youth.

But they have all done remarkably well to get this far.

Brown, who will turn 40 in September, has put his longevity down to a love of the game, self-drive, and a desire to make family proud.

In 2007 Youngs became Leicester’s youngest ever player, aged just 17, and is still trucking almost two decades later.

He points to improvements in sports science, a lower training load, and a healthy slice of luck, while he believes time away from the international game can also help with recovery.

“We used to do two double training days a week, and we wouldn’t dream of doing that now,” Youngs says.

“There is greater emphasis on recovery and looking after the body. So that has all changed.

“International rugby also takes its toll but because some of us have stepped away later in our careers, it has allowed us to freshen up for a couple more seasons.”

What position you play is also a factor – Youngs and Care are scrum-halves and Goode and Brown full-backs – with warhorse prop Cole something of an outlier.

“I play a different sport to the big lads. I’m not getting the collisions all the time – it is more the stress on the joints,” says Care.

“What position you play definitely has an effect, and allows you to have longevity. But I would say we are all pretty stubborn too!” Youngs adds.

“That also helps, because you have to be willing to keep doing it for as long as you do.”

Care agrees: “Love for the game and playing for a really cool team has also made me go for longer.”

But while Care has already played his last game for his beloved Quins, Goode could still bow out winning a record-equalling seventh title, although Saracens need results to go their way on the final day of the regular season on Saturday.

For the Leicester trio of Youngs, Cole, and Brown it could also end in fairytale fashion, with the Tigers guaranteed a place in the top four, likely a home semi-final, and a shot at next month’s showpiece.

But whoever ends up celebrating on the Twickenham turf on 14 June, the Premiership will feel a very different place next season.

Martindale’s teams in the Premiership were renowned for being awful to play against. Physical. Aggressive. In your face.

Coupled with an ageing plastic pitch, watching silky soccer wasn’t a Saturday staple for the Livi support.

However, since dropping down to the Championship, he has taken the opportunity to rebuild and rethink. Quality players like Lewis Smith, who scored his side’s fine first in Dingwall, Robbie Muirhead and Stevie May were recruited.

Combined with a solid core in defence, Livingston finished the Championship with the second best goal difference of 28.

“They’ve reinvented themselves, this is what one year in the Championship has allowed them to do,” said former Livingston boss John Robertson on Sportsound.

“Martindale’s recruited really good football players. They play good football which is not something you associate with a Livingston team who’ve had to find a way to stay in the league for six years.”

BBC Scotland pundit Michael Stewart added: “He drives a lot of it, he’s recruited really well, they play good football, they’ve got new investment and you heard it from the man himself the club are in a really good position.”

“When it happens, our staff members want to protect each other because it’s a disgusting thing to happen. I wanted to calm the situation down.

“Livingston have been first class, they have CCTV here so they’ll identify who it was and take action.”

County’s chief executive Steven Ferguson echoed his manager’s comments, adding that the Highland club are “not going to accept that”.

Livingston manager David Martindale did not witness the incident but said it would be “disgusting if true”.

“I’m sure the club will get to the bottom of that,” he added. “It’s vile. Disgusting. Really, really disappointing.”

The game ended 1-1 after Ronan Hale’s late penalty cancelled out Danny Wilson’s opener, with the sides meeting in the return leg in Dingwall on Monday to decide which of the two will be in the top flight next season.

Northampton: Ramm; Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Litchfield; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Lockett, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock.

Replacements: Wright, Haffar, Millar Mills, Prowse, Scott-Young, Weimann, Garside, Seabrook

Saracens: Goode; Elliott, Daly, Tompkins, Segun; Burke, van Zyl; Mawi, George, Riccioni, Itoje (capt), Isiekwe, Gonzalez, Earl, Willis.

Replacements: Dan, Brantingham, Clarey, Tizard, McFarland, Onyeama-Christie, Bracken, Hall.

Yellow card: Onyeama-Christie (72)

Referee: Luke Pearce