The 2022–23 Premiership Rugby was the 36th season of the top flight of English domestic rugby union competition and the fifth to be sponsored by Gallagher.[1] The competition was broadcast by BT Sport for the tenth successive season,[2] with six league season games and the final also simulcast free-to-air by ITV.[3] Highlights of each weekend's games were shown on ITV with extended highlights on BT Sport. This was the final season to be aired on BT Sport before its rebrand to TNT Sports in July 2023.
Due to changes to the global rugby calendar implemented in 2020 and to allow more time for preparation for the World Cup, the season started and finished earlier than previous seasons and took place over a slightly reduced timeframe of 38 weeks.[5]
On 26 September 2022, due to ongoing financial difficulties, Worcester Warriors were suspended from all tournaments.[6] On 6 October 2022, it was announced that Worcester would be relegated from the Premiership, after the club was placed into administration and all player and staff contracts were terminated – their results were subsequently deleted from the Premiership's records.[7]
On 12 October 2022, due to ongoing financial difficulties, Wasps were suspended from all tournaments.[8] The club then entered administration on 17 October 2022 and their players and coaching staff were made redundant.[9] On October 28, it was confirmed that Wasps had been suspended for the remainder of the season and relegated – their results were subsequently deleted from the Premiership's records.[10]
This season was the second under the reduced salary cap regulations before changes are made before 2024–25. Further changes for this season were:
Excluded players were reduced to one, with an exception made if a team had two excluded players contracts currently in place. If two excluded players remain contracted, both remain excluded until the first of their contracts expire.[12]
Teams
For the second consecutive year, all of the teams from the previous season initially competed in the league.[13] Despite winning the RFU Championship in the 2021–22 season, Ealing Trailfinders were ineligible for promotion, after failing to meet the RFU minimum standards criteria.[14] Therefore, the league continued to have 13 teams at the start of the season.[15]
Worcester Warriors were suspended from all competitions on 26 September 2022 and then expelled on 6 October 2022, reducing the league to 12 teams.[6]
Wasps were suspended from all competitions on 12 October 2022 and then expelled on 28 October 2022, reducing the league further to 11 teams.[8]
^ abWasps were suspended from the league on 12 October 2022, entered administration on 17 October 2022, and their results were expunged on 28 October 2022.[8]
^ abWorcester were suspended from the league on 26 September 2022 after entering administration, and their results were expunged on 6 October 2022.[6]
^Steve Borthwick was the head coach of Leicester until 19 December 2022, when he departed the club to take up the position of England head coach.[17] Assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth was then appointed as the Tigers interim head coach until the end of the season.[18]
^Dave Walder stepped down as the head coach of Newcastle on 16 March 2023, ahead of his departure from the club at the end of the season. Assistant coach Mark Laycock took charge on an interim basis for the last four rounds.[19]
Updated to match(es) played on 6 May 2023. Source: [23] Rules for classification: Games cancelled due to COVID-19 will be recorded as 0–0 but a win and 4 points will be awarded if a club was able to field a team and a loss and 2 points awarded if they were not. Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled. (C) Champions; (RU) Runners-up; (SF) Losing semi-finalists Notes:
^Worcester Warriors and Wasps were suspended from the Premiership, after both clubs entered administration during the 2022–23 season. They were each automatically relegated, in accordance with RFU regulations, for the 2023–24 season, and their results were expunged from the league table.[21]
The grid below shows each team's progression throughout the season, indicating their points total (and league table position) at the end of every round:
The original fixtures for the regular season were announced by Premiership Rugby on 19 July 2022.[24] The league season began on 10 September 2022, a day later than first scheduled, after the opening night fixtures were postponed by 24 hours following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.[25] The season concluded with the Premiership Final on 27 May 2023.[26] Referees appointed to officiate Premiership matches are employed by the RFU, unless indicated otherwise.[27]
The regular season was initially set to play out over 26 rounds of six matches, with each of the 13 teams playing 24 times, plus two bye weeks.[28] However, after the removal of Worcester Warriors and Wasps from the league, several teams experienced extra bye weeks due to the cancellation of fixtures against those two clubs. In response to the disrupted schedule, Premiership Rugby announced a revised fixture list for the second half of the season on 11 November 2022.[29]
The revised league season consisted of 24 rounds of five games each, the last of which took place on the first weekend of May. All 11 remaining teams completed a total of 20 matches, with one bye week each in the second half of the season.[30]
Source: Premiership Rugby Note: Worcester and Wasps were suspended from the league on 26 September 2022 and 12 October 2022 after entering administration, and their results were expunged on 6 October 2022 and 28 October 2022.[8][6] Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
As in previous seasons, the top four teams in the Premiership table, following the conclusion of the regular season, contested the play-off semi-finals on 13 and 14 May 2023, in a 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd format, with the higher ranking team having home advantage.[39] The dates and times for the two play-off semi-finals were announced on 23 April 2023, after the qualifying teams were confirmed at the end of the regular season's penultimate round.[40] The two winners of the semi-finals met in the Premiership Final at Twickenham on 27 May 2023.[41]
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
Note: Points or tries scored in fixtures involving Wasps or Worcester Warriors are not included, after Premiership Rugby expunged these results from record, following the expulsion of both clubs from the league.
Note: The cited player's club is listed in bold italics.[76]
Awards
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
The following received Player of the Month awards during the 2022–23 season, as selected by a panel of media commentators, in addition to monthly public polls.
The following were chosen as Try of the Month, after receiving the most votes from the public. The winner for October was also recognised as the Try of the Season.[84]
^ abcdefghijklThe suspension is reduced by one match, subject to the player's completion of the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme.[49]
^The sanction is implemented as an immediate two-match ban, with the remaining four matches conditionally suspended until the end of the 2023–24 season.[60]
^The sanction is implemented as a £10,000 financial penalty, but £2,500 of that fine is conditionally suspended until the end of the 2023–24 season.[72]
