Defending champions Northampton will begin the 2026-27 Premiership Rugby season with a home fixture against Newcastle on Friday, September 25. The Saints secured their second title in three seasons in June.
Exeter, the previous season's finalists, will also start at home, hosting Gloucester at Sandy Park on Saturday, September 26. Other opening weekend matches include Harlequins versus Bath on Friday and Sale against Bristol on Saturday evening. Leicester and Saracens will play in the sole fixture on Sunday.
The 2026-27 Premiership final is scheduled for Saturday, June 19, 2027, at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham. The season will incorporate several breaks to accommodate international fixtures. Following five rounds over six weeks in September and October, a four-week hiatus will occur in November for the autumn Nations Championship matches.
With European competitions commencing in December, there will be four Premiership rounds played over six weeks until January. Another significant break will take place in February and March for the Six Nations championship, lasting 10 weeks.
A notable change for the upcoming season is the formal abolition of promotion and relegation from the Premiership. This decision, voted on in February as part of broader changes to English rugby, moves the league closer to a franchise model. No club has been relegated from or promoted to the Premiership since Saracens in 2020 and 2021, but this has now been officially codified.