Premiership Rugby season opening

The 2026/27 Premiership Rugby season opened with Bath Rugby defeating Harlequins 33-17 at The Stoop. Bath established an early lead with tries from Dan du Preez and Joe Cokanasiga, leading 28-10 at halftime. Harlequins responded with scores from Will Porter and Chandler Cunningham-South, while Bath added further tries from Dan Frost and Ewan Richards. Harlequins played without key personnel including Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrandt, and George Furbank.

The opening weekend was notable for the involvement of Argentine players across several fixtures. In the Bath versus Harlequins match, Santiago Carreras earned Man of the Match honors for Bath following a standout interception try, which former scrum-half Danny Care described as “one of the most brilliant tries of the season.” Harlequins also featured Pedro Delgado, who scored his first Premiership try, alongside Boris Wenger, Guido Petti, and Rodrigo Isgró.

Other league action included the defending champions Northampton Saints defeating the Newcastle Red Bulls 59-26, featuring Franco Molina and Simón Benítez Cruz. Bristol Bears defeated Sale Sharks 34-23, marking the highly anticipated return of second row Pedro Rubiolo following a knee injury. Additionally, Juan Martín González returned for Saracens in their 40-38 win against Leicester Tigers.