As the 2025/26 Prem Rugby Season approaches, all ten sides have confirmed their Senior Academy Intake.
After each school year, Prem Rugby teams announce which players leaving school have been awarded Senior Academy contracts, a huge and proud moment for each and every player, their families, and the schools and clubs involved in their development.
This year a staggering 71 players have been awarded contracts, with Saracens at the top of the list of sides offering Senior Academy contracts – they have a staggering 17 players joining them this year. At the other end of the spectrum, Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons have awarded just two contracts each.
Different clubs have differing approaches, a number have close relationships with BUCS Super Rugby Universities and will have players attending those universities and playing for them while under academy contracts, others will send players on loan or on dual registration to clubs down the rugby pyramid, while for a few exceptional players, the 2025/26 season could see them break into 1st XV squads early.
It is an impressive group of players, many of whom will go on to become household names and international stars of the future – you can check out the full list, club by club, below.
Prem Rugby Draft
With so many players receiving Academy Contracts, a debate as often centred around the potential for a Prem Rugby Draft system. For instance, have Leicester Tigers only awarded two contracts because they only had two players they felt merited it or did they have others they might have been tempted to award contracts to but they felt they already had enough players in those positions.
Either way, draft would certainly bring an added element of drama and entertainment to the off-season, something that you could imagine broadcasters and podcasters picking up.
In that spirit the first NextGenRugby Podcast of the new season saw Angus Savage, Wilf Kemsley, and Will Roberts run their own draft – putting all the 70 players into a pot (at the time of recording Patrick Hogg had not received his Sale Sharks contract) and then each of the three drafting players one by one to create their Prem Rugby Senior Academy Intake Draft XVs!
Have a listen, let us know what you think and – most importantly – whose side you think would win!
Also on Spotify and all other Podcast Outlets
Prem Rugby 2025/26 Senior Academy Intake
Bath (5):
Jack Harrison – Beechen Cliff – Centre – Wales
James Linegar – Kingswood – Fly Half – England
Alex Ridgway – Beechen Cliff – Back Row – Wales
Oscar Thomas – Wellington College – Hooker – England
Sam Winter – Harrow – Full Back/Wing – England
Bristol Bears (9):
Jeke Bulanauca – Sedbergh – Wing
Evan Morris – Millfield – Full Back/Wing – Wales
Victor Worsnip – Clifton College – Centre – England
Osian Williams – Clifton College – Lock – Wales
Ollie Harris – Clifton College – Full Back
George Leyland – Clifton College – Loosehead – Wales
Kieran Hill – Richard Huish – Hooker – England
Arthur Guyot – Blundell’s – Number 8
Cai Gealy – Hartpury College – Scrum Half – Wales
Exeter Chiefs (3):
Ollie Batson – Exeter College – Centre – England
George Newman – Exeter College – Scrum Half – England
Marlon Farouk-Roy – Oaklands College – Lock – England
Gloucester (10):
Jonno Balding – Radley College – Lock
George Dufty – Bromsgrove – Wing
Kealan Freeman-Price – Hartpury College – Hooker – England
Jack Gilbert – Bromsgrove – Back Row
Will Knight – Hartpury College – Centre – England
Freddie Ogden-Metherell – Dean Close – Lock – England
Dan O’Reilly – City of Oxford College – Back Row
Oscar Rees – Radley College – Lock
Harry Wright – Stourport High – Tighthead – England
Jayden Wrottesley – City of Oxford College – Back Row
Harlequins (11):
Sam Bland – Bishop Burton College – Tighthead – England
Finlay Cunnison – Bishop Wand – Centre
Jerold Gorleku – Bishop Wand – Hooker – England
Ashton Graham – Gordon’s – Hooker
Sean Sharp – Seaford College – Full Back – England
Elliot Williams – Gordon’s – 6/lock – England
Tate Williams – Worth – Back Row – England
Felix Champain – Worth – Fly Half – England
Math Jones – Gordon’s – Fly Half – Wales
Nick Lynagh – Hampton – Wing
Theo Povey – Gordon’s – Wing
Leicester Tigers (2):
Diamond Ayiehfor – Warwick – Tighthead – England
George Marsh – Denstone College – Back Row – England
Newcastle Falcons (2):
George Bolam – Lock – Durham
Elvis Kitenge-Fuki – Loosehead – Gosforth Academy – England
Northampton Saints (8):
Archie Appleby – Sedbergh – Lock – England
Jack Lawrence – St Joseph’s College – Lock
Henry Lumley – Finborough – Centre – England
James Pater – The Leys – Full Back – England
Aidan Pugh – The Piggott – Scrum Half
Freddie St John – Clifton College – Centre
Edoardo Todaro – Ipswich – Centre/Full Back – Italy
Siep Walta – Ipswich – Back Row – Netherlands
Sale Sharks (3):
Will Bennett – Sedbergh – Flanker – England
Dylan Hodkinson – Wirral Grammar – Lock – Wales
Patrick Hogg – Durham – Lock/Back Row
Oliver Spencer – GSAL – Loosehead – England
Saracens (17):
Matthew Branch-Holland – Ravens Wood – Back Row – England
Noah Caluori – Mill Hill – Wing – England
Mathis Dehauteur – Oaklands College – Lock
Zac Finch – Ravens Wood – Wing – England
Owen Gillett – Felsted – Loosehead
Ryan Jones – Mill Hill – Centre – England
Seva Kava – Millfield – Wing/Centre – England
Patrick Keaveney – Harrow – Fly Half
Finn Keylock – Bishop Wand – Fly Half – England
Alex Mason – Berkhamsted – Centre/Full Back
Ben Morrow – Millfield – Full Back – England
Jack Marshall – Campion – Back Row – England
Jack Murphy – Colfe’s – Lock – England
Alan Poku – Bishop Wand – Loosehead – England
Fraser Rawlins – Haileybury – Centre/Wing/Full Back – England
Gabriel Registe – Campion – Tighthead – England
Asa Stewart-Harris – St Albans – Scrum Half – England
