New fixture schedule confirmed

Premiership Rugby has announced a new revised schedule for the second half of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership and Premiership Rugby Cup season.

Starting with Round 14 of the Premiership on New Year's Eve, the season will now be reduced from 26 to 24 rounds following the suspension of both Wasps and Worcester Warriors.

The new schedule maintains the Gallagher Premiership final still scheduled for Saturday 27^th May, live on ITV and BT Sport.

With London Irish’s fourth round fixture of the Premiership Rugby Cup to be determined in due course, the semi-finals of the tournament have now been moved to the weekend of 10^th-12^th February 2023, with the tournament final on the weekend of 17^th-19^th March 2023.

London Irish’s revised schedule opens with a Round 14 game away to Gloucester Rugby on New Year’s Eve (Saturday 31^st December 2022), kicking off at 3pm at Kingsholm Stadium and will be broadcast live on PRTV.

A busy opening month of 2023 sees the Exiles continue their league campaign at home against Bristol Bears on Sunday 8^th January, televised live on PRTV and kicking off at 3pm.

Following on from two weekends of Heineken Champions Cup action, Irish bookend the month with a home tie against local rivals, Harlequins, on Sunday 29^th January in Round 16, with a kick-off time of 3pm.

The month of February includes the aforementioned cup semi-final weekend of the 11th, before a trip to Bath Rugby in Round 17 of the Premiership on the weekend of the 17^th/18^th/19^th February.

The visit of Leicester Tigers concludes February for Declan Kidney’s side, taking place on the weekend of 24^th/25^th/26^th in the eighteenth round of league competition.

March opens with an away visit to Newcastle Falcons (weekend of 3^rd/4^th/5^th), then Irish host Sale Sharks (weekend of 10^th/11^th/12^th) with the St. Patrick’s fixture against Northampton Saints (weekend of 24^th/25^th/26^th) succeeding the Premiership Cup final.

Irish plays out a bye week on the weekend of 14^th/15^th/16^th April 2023, with a short journey to the StoneX Stadium to follow at the end of April (weekend of 21^st/22^nd/23^rd) to take on Saracens.

The Boys in Green conclude their 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season with a home game against Exeter Chiefs in the 24^th and final round of the campaign on the weekend of the 5^th/6^th/7^th May 2023.

Simon Massie-Taylor, Premiership Rugby’s Chief Executive said: "Restructuring the fixture list has allowed us to create a better narrative in the second half of the season, ensuring five Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches are played on each weekend. The new list also reduces the number of bye weeks for teams and the stop/start challenge for some clubs created by the unfortunate issues at Wasps and Worcester Warriors. I am aware that this has created some real challenges for some of our clubs but I’d like to thank them for agreeing to these changes.

"It is a compelling fixture list with big matches every weekend starting with the New Year games which includes a re-run of the unforgettable 2019 Final, between Saracens and Exeter Chiefs, which is of course live on BT Sport.

"The Premiership Rugby Cup will be moved into the weekends reducing the number of midweek games and the pressure this creates for players, coaches, and staff.

"We would also like to thank our broadcast partners, BT Sport and ITV, who have allowed us to give certainty to our fans with all Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches now confirmed until the middle of February.”

 

London Irish’s remaining 2022/23 domestic fixtures, as of 31^st December 2022

GP Round 14 – Saturday 31 December 3pm – Gloucester Rugby (Away)

GP Round 15 – Sunday 8 January 3pm – Bristol Bears (Home)

EPCR Round 3 – Sunday 15 January 1pm – DHL Stormers (Home)

EPCR Round 4 – Sunday 22 January 1pm – Montpellier Hérault (Away)

GP Round 16 – Sunday 29 January 3pm – Harlequins (Home)

PRC – Semi Final – W/E 11 February

GP Round 17 – W/E 18 February – Bath Rugby (Away)

GP Round 18 – W/E 25 February – Leicester Tigers (Home)

GP Round 19 – W/E 4 March – Newcastle Falcons (Away)

GP Round 20 – W/E 11 March – Sale Sharks (Home)

PRC – Final – W/E 18 March

GP Round 12 – W/E 25 March – Northampton Saints (Home)

EPCR – Round of 16 – W/E 1 April

EPCR – Quarter Final – W/E 8 April

GP Round 22 – W/E 15 April – Bye Week

GP Round 23 – W/E 22 April – Saracens (Away)

GP Round 24 – W/E 6 May – Exeter Chiefs (Home)

 

* PRC Round 4 - TBC