Premiership Rugby Cup Format

The Format consists of 4 pools:

• 2 x pools of 6
• 2 x pools 5

Each team in the pools of 5 will play a cross-pool match.

The pools were seeded based on league position in the 2022/23 season\*.

League points follow the normal rules, 4 for a win, 2 for a draw, 0 for a loss, and Bonus Points for 4 tries or more and/or losing by 7 or less match points;

Post the pool stage:

On completion of the pools, each Club will be ranked within each pool on the following basis:

• The Club with the greatest League Points will be placed above a Club with lesser League Points; or
• If League Points are equal it will be the Club with the most wins; or
• If the number of wins is also equal it will be the Club with the greatest points difference; or
• If the points difference is also equal it will be the Club with the greatest points for; or
• If the points for is also equal it will be the Club who has scored the higher number of tries; or
• If the number of tries is also equal it will be the Club who has the least number of red cards; or
• If the number of red cards is equal it will be the Club who scored the greater number of points scored in the match between the two Clubs; or
• If the number of points scored in the match between the two Club is equal, the Tournament Director shall conduct a draw of the relevant Clubs, being that the first Club drawn shall be deemed the higher-ranked Club.
• Winner from each pool will progress to the semi-finals.
• The knock-out stage shall be divided into two semi-final Matches and a final Match.
• The semi-final Matches will be knock-out, each played over one Match

The semi-final Matches shall comprise:

• Semi-final 1: 1st ranked Club v 4th ranked Club
• Semi-final 2: 2nd ranked Club v 3rd ranked Club
• The first Club listed in each of the semi-final matches shall be the Home Club.
• The winners of the two semi-final Matches will proceed to the Cup final.
• The Cup final will be played at a venue of the highest ranked finalist Club based upon the rankings determined in accordance with the principles above.

For operational reasons, Premiership sides Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs are in different pools to which they are seeded.

Championship seeds 9 and 10, Nottingham and Caldy also swapped position with Championship seeds 11 and 12, London Scottish and Cambridge for operational reasons. As the higher seeds in the cross-pool fixture, London Scottish will play Cambridge as the home side.