Northampton Favored to Repeat as Gallagher Premiership Season Begins

The Saints open their title defense in a World Cup year, with Bath, Exeter and Leicester among the sides chasing the champions.

A new Gallagher Premiership campaign is underway, with nine clubs chasing Northampton, who beat Exeter in June's final to win their second title in three years. With relegation removed and a World Cup approaching, the season carries added significance for players pushing for international selection.

Northampton are widely backed to repeat: seven of the league's 10 directors of rugby picked the champions to defend their crown. Key names including Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith and Tommy Freeman remain under long-term contract, and Henry Pollock may soon follow. The club has added young Italian wing Malik Faissal, while Jim Henry has been promoted internally to the defense coaching role after Lee Radford went full-time with Scotland. Their previous title defense, in 2024-25, ended with an eighth-place domestic finish, though that run included a Champions Cup final appearance. Prediction: 1st.

Exeter reached last season's final against expectations under Rob Baxter and have received new investment from Black Knight. Campbell Ridl will miss most of the season with a torn ACL, but the club has signed Will Butt and former All Black Dallas McLeod to help fill the void left by Len Ikitau. Prediction: 7th.

Bath, predicted to finish 2nd, still field arguably the league's deepest squad despite departures led by Thomas du Toit, though Ben Spencer begins the season sidelined. New assistant coach Mike Prendergast, who previously worked with Finn Russell at Racing 92, joins to revive the attack. Leicester, meanwhile, continue under head coach Geoff Parling and have signed Aaron Wainwright as part of a recruitment drive focused on proven professionals. Prediction: 4th not stated for Leicester.