The penultimate round of league action in the Prem Rugby Next Gen League lived up to expectation, with three sides heading into the final round with a chance of meeting Bath in the Final in a fortnight’s time.
Finals Day sees top face second in the final, third play fourth, fifth play sixth, and so on, with every game broadcast LIVE by NextGenLive on the Prem Rugby YouTube Channel.
Bath had already sealed their place in a remarkable third final in a row last week, but they cemented their top seed status in their final league game of the campaign on Saturday, heading to Shelford RFC to face the side that beat them in last year’s final, Northampton Saints. It was a fantastic game and Saints gave it their all, but Bath had too much as they sealed a 33-24 victory that means they go through the league campaign without defeat. Credit to Saints, though, a late rally earning them a try-scoring bonus.
Perhaps the most crucial game of the round was at Dings Crusaders on Saturday evening when Bristol Bears hosted Saracens. Both were in the hunt to join Bath in the final, but a positive result was utterly crucial to Bristol’s chances, while Saracens, who started the day in second place, could seal a place in the final with victory. That victory was elusive though, a brilliant performance from Bristol Bears earning them a 36-24 victory that sees them leapfrog their opponents, moving from fourth place to third, with Quins rising to second after their victory on Sunday. It means the battle for a place in the final comes down to the final weekend, Quins are in the driving seat but have played all their games, so victories for Saracens and Bristol Bears will see them overtake the South West London side. Saracens, perhaps, have the advantage, being at home against Newcastle Red Bulls, while Bristol, unbeaten since Christmas, head to the home of the champions, Northampton Saints. A blockbuster final round awaits.
Exeter Chiefs played their final game of the campaign and secured a top half finish with a fantastic 33-15 victory over Leicester Tigers, keeping them in 5th place, where they will remain through to finals day. For Tigers it was another tough outing, making next week’s game against Gloucester a crucial one for both – both could yet rise as high as 6th.
Perhaps the story of the day though was a first victory of the campaign for Yorkshire Academy, who welcomed Newcastle Red Bulls to Keighley RUFC. It was a terrific performance from Yorkshire, earning their just reward for some good work this campaign for a 33-12 victory. They remain at the foot of the table but very much with a sense of pride in a fantastic performance. It’s a result that will sting for Newcastle, who now head to Saracens for their final game with an eye on a 6th place finish.
The action concluded on Sunday at Preston Grasshoppers, when Sale Sharks welcomed Harlequins. Quins got off to a rapid start, leading 28-7 at the half and extending that early in the second half. A long delay perhaps just caught them out a little though as this excellent Sale Sharks side came storming back, but Quins showed the class that has taken them to second in the table, adding more to their tally in style, and sealing a 49-19 victory. It puts them into second place outright, having completed their 8 games. They have done all they can to land a place in the final, now they sit and watch next weekend’s action and hope that Northampton and Newcastle do them a favour against Bristol and Saracens respectively. For Sale Sharks a home game against Yorkshire remains and they can still finish as high as 6th, something they will be determined to achieve.
It’s all set to be a blockbuster final weekend of action in the Prem Rugby Next Gen league next weekend, with that remaining place in the final very much wide open.
Prem Rugby Next Gen Round 8 Results:
Saturday 7th February
Bristol Bears 36-24 Saracens
Leicester Tigers 15-33 Exeter Chiefs
Northampton Saints 24-33 Bath
Yorkshire Academy 33-12 Newcastle Red Bulls
Sunday 8th February
Sale Sharks 19-49 Harlequins
Standings:
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | BPs | Points |
| 1 | Bath | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 38 |
| 2 | Harlequins | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 29 |
| 3 | Bristol Bears | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 26 |
| 4 | Saracens | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 25 |
| 5 | Exeter Chiefs | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 24 |
| 6 | Northampton Saints | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| 7 | Newcastle Red Bulls | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 15 |
| 8 | Sale Sharks | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 15 |
| 9 | Gloucester | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| 10 | Leicester Tigers | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| 11 | Yorkshire Academy | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
Round 8 Team News:
Bristol Bears:
15 Caspar Reeves (Taunton School), 14 Harry Randall (Collegiate), 13 Will Moore (Clifton College), 12 Bruno Lamb (SGS College), 11 George Williams (UCS College), 10 Lewis Popple (Clifton College), 9 Monty Jones (King’s Gloucester), 1 Kaiden Corbett (SGS College), 2 Casper Wheeler (Hartpury College), 3 Evan Davies (Clifton College), 4 Will Papp (SGS College), 5 Monty Wells (Taunton School, captain), 6 Jake Smith (Clifton College), 7 Austin Parsons (SGS College), 8 Noah Williams (Clifton College).
Replacements: 16 Theo Prole (Clifton College), 17 Michael Whittaker (Collegiate), 18 Joe Chambers (Clifton College), 19 Jamie McKelvey (Collegiate), 20 Evan Russell (SGS College), 21 Malachy Parsons (SGS College), 22 Jack Taylor (Hartpury College).
Saracens:
15 Charlie Morgan (Mill Hill), 14 Rory Humphries (Berkhamsted), 13 Daniel Lake (St Benedict’s), 12 Zac Jones (Mill Hill, captain), 11 Barney Hooks (Oaklands College), 10 Austen Burns (Berkhamsted), 9 Charlie Heard (Berkhamsted), 1 Dylan Jenkins (Campion), 2 Tiane Elone (Mill Hill), 3 Tom Dargan (Harrow), 4 Gus Chukwuemeka (Harrow), 5 Freddie Jones (Sutton Valence), 6 Michael Bridge (Oaklands College), 7 PJ Ludlow (Berkhamsted), 8 Ediz Karsak (The Judd).
Replacements: 16 Charles Rotimi (Campion), 17 Dan Cadmus-Alakura (Berkhamsted), 18 Jesse Gill (Hartpury College), 19 Toju Akinola (Oaklands College), 20 Obi Spencer (Oaklands College), 21 Henry Hodgson (Mill Hill), 22 Rio Bennett (Brighton College), 23 Freddie Stewart (Berkhamsted).
Leicester Tigers:
15 Nathaniel Robinson (Bromsgrove), 14 Will Payton (Warwick), 13 Joe Henstock (Denstone College), 12 Ollie Myall (City of Oxford College, co-captain), 11 Abdul Bah-Bah (Coventry College), 10 Oscar Talbot (Rugby), 9 James Townsend (Warwick), 1 Bailey Saunders (Loughborough College), 2 Oliver Blinkhorn (Loughborough College), 3 Joe Edmunds (Denstone College), 4 Fin Charles (Denstone College), 5 Kwame Bekoe (Norwich), 6 Dylan Chessum (Loughborough College), 7 Josh Poyser (Loughborough College), 8 Henry Johnson (Oakham, co-captain).
Replacements: 16 Joe Woods (Denstone College), 17 Oliver Robinson (Loughborough College), 18 Otto Stone (Oakham), 19 Zack Dodds (Loughborough College), 20 Jack Coles-Mapleston (Loughborough College), 21 Lochie Glackin (Denstone College), 22 Freddie Lomas (Millfield).
Exeter Chiefs:
15 Will McIntosh (Exeter College), 14 Bailey Stapleton (Exeter College), 13 Jack McIntosh (Exeter College), 12 Charlie Bosanko (Exeter College), 11 Archie Guyver (Exeter College), 10 Will Lane (Exeter College), 9 Alex Evans (Exeter College), 1 Theo McKay (Exeter College, captain), 2 Diego Lerro (Exeter College), 3 Josh Bratt (Exeter College), 4 Harry Friggens (Truro College), 5 Jeremy Keys (Exeter College), 6 Oisin Smith (Exeter College), 7 Harry Westlake (Exeter College), 8 Alfie Johns (Exeter College).
Replacements: 17 Mawgan Talling (Exeter College), 18 Louis Tout (Ivybridge College), 19 Hudson Ekins (Exeter College), 20 Harrison Riley (Exeter College), 21 Olly Bertie (Ivybridge College), 22 Ruben Chugg (Exeter College), 23 Brandon Mua (Truro College).
Northampton Saints:
15 Hardy Linnell (Bloxham), 14 Elijah Jeyes (Wellington College), 13 Sonny Goode (Bloxham, captain), 12 Callum Tarry (Northampton School for Boys), 11 Charlie Tamani (Finborough), 10 Fin Shields (Northampton School for Boys), 9 Caelin Chin ((Northampton School for Boys), 1 Lucas Veevers (Moulton College), 2 Kingsley Gallimore (City of Oxford College), 3 Aiden Reid (Northampton School for Boys), 4 Rafferty Hewitt (Bedford), 5 Archie McHarg (Moulton College), 6 Seb Dare (Stowe), 7 Reuben Williams (Northampton School for Boys), 8 Will Hepher (Northampton School for Boys).
Replacements: 16 Charlie Utting (Moulton College), 17 Toby Seaman (Finborough), 18 Ben Jones (Northampton School for Boys), 19 Harry Nath (Oundle), 20 Kai Manson (Moulton College), 21 Ashton Cox (Northampton School for Boys), 22 Will Howes (Moulton College).
Bath:
15 Cynyr MacRae (Hartpury College), 14 Tom Meredith (Beechen Cliff), 13 Aston Barrington-Hibbert (Millfield), 12 Declan Treacey (Beechen Cliff, co-captain), 11 Stan Walsh (Kingswood), 10 Max Hooper (Beechen Cliff, co-captain), 9 Ollie Lewis (Beechen Cliff), 1 Henry Veale (Beechen Cliff), 2 Malachi Randolph (Harrow), 3 Ned Cartwright (Beechen Cliff), 4 Henry Ball (Beechen Cliff), 5 Louis Mortimore (Gillingham), 6 Alex Yeabsley (Millfield), 7 Harry Hellier (Wells Cathedral), 8 Georgia Faosiliva (Hartpury College).
Replacements: 16 Logan Jarvie (Beechen Cliff), 17 Theo Lewis-Zdybel (Beechen Cliff), 18 Sid Moore (Millfield), 19 Pippo Hurrell (Wellington College), 20 Taotafa Faosiliva (Hartpury College), 21 Oscar Harrison (Marlborough College), 22 Cade Comer (KES Bath), 23 Ryan Carr (The Forest).
Yorkshire Academy:
15 Matous Borecky (Bishop Burton College), 14 Keiji Ashaolu (Hymers College), 13 Connor Dale (Bishop Burton College), 12 Ben Stephens (Prince Henry’s GS), 11 Lewis Jalal (Harrogate GS), 10 Caylen Umaga (Bishop Burton College, vc), 9 Seb Jeffers (Worksop College), 1 Sam Smith (Wath Academy), 2 Sam Johnson (Woodhouse Grove), 3 Ben Smith (Wath Academy), 4 Issac Assame (Temple Moore), 5 Josh Bedingfield (Birkdale), 6 Tom Croston (GSAL), 7 George Cameron (Sedbergh), 8 Alex Fusco (Barnard Castle, captain).
Replacements: 16 Will Barber (St Peter’s, York), 17 Zach Oxley (St Peter’s, York), 18 Hamilton Howes (Bishop Burton College), 19 Joe McCann (QEGS Wakefield), 21 Zach Taylor (Woodhouse Grove), 22 Jacob Holmes (Bradford GS), 23 Harry Harlow-Stephenson.
Newcastle Red Bulls:
15 Ajay Edwards (Durham), 14 Louis Myers-Lewis (Durham), 13 Ollie Ashton (Sedbergh), 12 Ollie Green (Gosforth Academy), 11 Jonny Douglas (Gosforth Academy), 10 Ted Fletcher (Newcastle School for Boys), 9 Tommy Scanlan (Gosforth Academy), 1 Sonny Hooper (Barnard Castle), 2 Jack Nesbitt (Sedbergh), 3 Mason Proudlock (Gosforth Academy), 4 Dom Henderson (Gosforth Academy), 5 Joe Browell (Hartlepool 6th form College), 6 Euan Oakes (Gosforth Academy, captain), 7 Sam Parks (Gosforth Academy), 8 Jono Broadbent (Gosforth Academy).
Replacements: 16 Will Graham (Dame Allan’s), 17 Hugo Hodgson (Sedbergh), 18 Myles Adler (Bede Academy), 19 Freddie Turnbull (Sedbergh), 20 Ben Jewsbury (Sedbergh), 21 Josh Dickson (Barnard Castle), 22 Dan Cassap (Durham), 23 Jonny Royle (Barnard Castle).
Sale Sharks:
15 Austin Keogh (Macclesfield Campus, vc), 14 Vojtech Nevicky (ex Mount St Mary’s), 13 Ed Millachip (Kirkham GS), 12 Adam Jacques (Sedbergh), 11 Charlie Fletcher (Ellesmere College), 10 Tom Jacques (Sedbergh), 9 Will Bayston (Sedbergh), 1 Hendro Hattingh (Scarisbrick Hall), 2 Morgan Simmonds (Bishop Heber), 3 Fergus Hayles (Kirkham GS), 4 Nico Jones (Sedbergh), 5 James Moore (Sedbergh), 6 Victor Joulie (Ellesmere College), 7 Ethan Banks (AKS Lytham), 8 Charlie Bray (Kirkham GS, captain).
Replacements: 16 Harry Marsh (Kirkham GS), 17 Olly McCall (Sedbergh), 18 Lawrence Ogbonnaya (Kirkham GS), 19 Alfie Halliday (Kirkham GS), 20 Henry Bates (Kirkham GS), 21 Joe Foulds (Sedbergh), 22 Arthur Scrase (Kirkham GS), 23 Alex Wood (Kirkham GS).
Harlequins:
15 Flynn Roberts (Epsom College), 14 Luc Springate (Epsom College), 13 Jack Tyler (Newman College), 12 Tom Chapman (Wellington College), 11 Jack Cosgrove (Seaford College), 10 Sam Marshall (Whitgift), 9 Max Rawlinson (KCS Wimbledon), 1 Josh Andrews (Seaford College), 2 Jakob Thompson (Gordon’s), 3 Josh Steel (Newman College), 4 Ellis Woolrych (St John’s, Leatherhead), 5 Henry Laidlow (Trinity, captain), 6 Harry Chilcott (RGS Guildford), 7 Jack Kemp (Cranleigh), 8 Leo Dickinson (KCS Wimbledon).
Replacements: 16 Toby Brotherstone (Hampton), 17 Sam Smith (Gordon’s), 18 Levi Trystman (Epsom College), 19 Marcus Grisdale (Whitgift), 20 Ben Hislop (Bishop Wand), 21 Stan Amor (Hampton), 22 Jaiden King (Newman College), 23 Will Courtney (Wellington College).
Prem Rugby Next Gen Results:
Round 7:
Bath 40-22 Leicester Tigers
Bristol Bears 47-12 Newcastle Red Bulls
Exeter Chiefs 43-21 Yorkshire Academy
Harlequins 64-26 Northampton Saints
Saracens 40-17 Gloucester
Round 6:
Gloucester 24-29 Sale Sharks
Harlequins 24-14 Exeter Chiefs
Newcastle Red Bulls 7-26 Bath
Saracens 69-12 Leicester Tigers
Yorkshire Academy 14-48 Bristol Bears
Round 5:
Exeter Chiefs 32-35 Bath
Gloucester 17-35 Bristol Bears
Harlequins 67-17 Yorkshire Academy
Newcastle Red Bulls 38-24 Northampton Saints
Sale Sharks 33-36 Saracens
Round 4:
Bath 50-31 Gloucester
Bristol Bears 55-20 Exeter Chiefs
Leicester Tigers 0-33 Northampton Saints
Harlequins 15-14 Saracens
Sale Sharks 31-17 Newcastle Red Bulls
Round 3:
Bath 31-5 Bristol Bears
Exeter Chiefs 27-14 Gloucester
Leicester Tigers 31-10 Yorkshire Academy
Northampton Saints 67-40 Sale Sharks
Newcastle Red Bulls 26-19 Harlequins
Round 2:
Bath 38-19 Harlequins
Exeter Chiefs 62-7 Sale Sharks
Gloucester 33-7 Northampton Saints
Newcastle Red Bulls 29-22 Leicester Tigers
Yorkshire Academy 12-52 Saracens
Round 1:
Bristol Bears 33-66 Harlequins
Leicester Tigers 38-31 Sale Sharks
Northampton Saints 64-51 Exeter Chiefs
Saracens 45-45 Bath
Yorkshire Academy 26-40 Gloucester
Prem Rugby Next Gen Fixture List 2025/26:
Round 9
Saturday 14th February
Gloucester v Leicester Tigers – 11am, 4Ed Hartpury Stadium with Vodafone
Northampton Saints v Bristol Bears – 3pm, TBC
Sale Sharks v Yorkshire Academy – 3pm, TBC
Saracens v Newcastle Red Bulls – 11am, StoneX
Round 10
Sunday 22nd February – Finals Day, Kingsholm Stadium – LIVE by NextGenLive
Past Champions:
2025 Northampton Saints
2024 Bath Rugby
2023 London Irish
2022 Bristol Bears
2021 N/A
2020 Leicester Tigers/London Irish
2019 Leicester Tigers
2018 Leicester Tigers
2017 Harlequins
2016 London Irish
2015 Saracens
2014 Northampton Saints
2013 Northampton Saints
