2015/16 Premiership Launch

After the longest pre-season in the competition’s history the 2015/16 Aviva Premiership season is just around the corner and all 12 sides are poised and ready to start their campaigns with purpose.

Last year the English domestic league was the most competitive yet with the denouement and trophy heading Saracens’ way courtesy of their stifling knockout performance at Franklin’s Gardens and again against Bath Rugby in the Aviva Premiership Final. Elsewhere in the competition the Exeter Chiefs surged up the table to their highest ever finish, the Leicester Tigers defied an injury ridden and shaky season when they qualified for the knockouts and London Welsh exited the competition after finding life in the top flight extremely tough.

As with every new season, Round 1 will be welcoming many fresh faces to the competition, and once the Rugby World Cup finishes even more will arrive. The quality of individuals that have been signed across the 12 clubs is tremendously exciting and will add greatly to the high quality player base that exists already. Donncha O’Callaghan, Niko Matawalu, James Horwill, Brian Mujati, Jamie Roberts, Victor Matfield and many more will be looking to stamp their authority on the competition as and when they arrive and will push existing individuals to deliver.

This Aviva Premiership season squad depth and attitude will be crucial, between Round 1 and Round 22 there is little to no break due to the absence of the LV Competition. The condensed schedule will pose as much of a challenge to the Head Coaches and Directors of Rugby as it will to the players as Rob Baxter shared at the recent Aviva Premiership Launch;

 “It is a fantastic opportunity to show that you are the kind of player and that we are the kind of club to be able to deal with that in a very positive way and in week 20 we can still be the team that is flying and looking forward to getting stuck into the big games because that is what it is going to take.”

Each Aviva Premiership Club will have their own objectives for the year ahead, some will be vying for the title whilst others will be looking to build performance levels and push themselves as high up the table as possible. Bath Rugby narrowly missed out last season and that has left them ‘hungrier than ever before’ according to Mike Ford, Gloucester Rugby are looking to capitalise on the ‘consistency and stability’ that is now in place on and off the field at the club and London Irish are at the start of their new journey with Tom Coventry openly ‘moving the direction of the club and expectations around playing style’.

All twelve are ready for action, all have taken part in various gruelling pre-season camps and have dusted off the cobwebs with arranged pre-season fixtures and competitions; Kings of the North, the Cunningham Duncombe Series and the West Country Challenge Cup. As ever these have been useful however nothing replicates the start of the season.

The competition is kicking off with a bang and round one begins with no less than three matches underneath the Friday night lights; Harlequins vs. Wasps, Worcester Warriors vs. Northampton Saints and Newcastle Falcons vs. Gloucester Rugby. The Saturday service will deliver Bath Rugby vs. Exeter Chiefs at The Rec and Saracens welcoming the Sale Sharks to Allianz Park. Finally Round 1 will finish at the Madjeski Stadium where London Irish will host the Leicester Tigers.

The expectation is that this Aviva Premiership season will be eclipse the last in terms of output and performance levels however it will be the ultimate test of stamina and strength given the condensed schedule. Dare I predict, with great certainty, which two sides will make it to the very end and run out at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 28th May!!? I think not because as we all know anything can happen over the course of twenty two rounds!! Welcome back Aviva Premiership Rugby, we’ve missed you!