Bath Rugby were good enough in 2025-26 to look like champions for long stretches and frustrating enough at the finish to enter 2026-27 with unfinished business.
Johann van Graan’s team went 13-5, finished second in the Gallagher PREM and scored 98 tries, while also reaching the Investec Champions Cup semifinals. But Bath won no trophy after capturing a treble the previous season. Exeter ended their PREM campaign by one point at the Recreation Ground, and Bordeaux Bègles stopped them in Europe.
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That combination makes Bath compelling: a proven contender trying to turn dominance back into silverware while replacing important pieces of the pack. Add Finn Russell, Ben Spencer and a backline loaded with ways to score, and Bath offer three good reasons to follow them.
Bath Have A Championship Response To Make
Bath are not trying to convince anyone they belong near the top of English rugby. Their 2025-26 numbers already did that.
They finished the regular season with 69 table points, a plus-222 points differential and 646 points scored across 18 matches. Bath were 11-2 after Round 13 and capable of demolishing strong opposition, including a 62-15 victory over Saracens. They also reached the Champions Cup semifinals after beating Saracens in the Round of 16 and eliminating Northampton in the quarterfinal.
Then the margins turned against them.
Bath went 2-3 over their final five regular-season games before Exeter came to the Rec and won the playoff semifinal 27-26. Northampton, which beat Bath twice during the regular season, finished above them and won the championship.
That gives every major Bath match additional weight in 2026-27. This is a team with recent proof that it can win championships, followed by recent proof that excellent underlying performance guarantees nothing in knockout rugby.
Watch to see whether Bath can become finishers again. Their standard is no longer simply reaching the playoffs. After a trophyless season filled with championship-level numbers, another title challenge is the expectation.
Russell, Spencer And Bath’s Backline Can Attack In Multiple Ways
Finn Russell is the headline attraction, but Bath are more interesting than a team built around one famous fly-half.
Captain Ben Spencer helps create the structure around him. Spencer can manage territory and tempo from scrum-half, giving Russell the freedom to choose when to control field position and when to attack. Immediately before the final round last season, Bath had made 230 visits to the opposition 22, the most in the league at that stage. They finished with 98 tries.
Then consider the runners around them.
Ollie Lawrence provides a powerful midfield line-breaking option. Henry Arundell scored four tries in the 69-12 victory over Newcastle and gives Bath the ability to punish space instantly. Santiago Carreras adds another distribution and tactical-kicking option from the back three, while Joe Cokanasiga, Will Muir and Tom de Glanville offer further combinations when available.
There is also a new variable. Mike Prendergast has arrived as backs and attack coach. He is taking over an attack that already averaged 35.9 points per league match, so the fascination is not whether Bath can score more for the sake of it.
Watch for whether Prendergast can make an already productive attack harder for playoff-caliber defenses to disrupt. Bath can build pressure methodically, kick for territory or strike through their outside backs. The next evolution is making all of those answers available when matches become tight.
Bath Must Rebuild Their Forward Foundation Without Thomas Du Toit
The most consequential Bath departure was Thomas du Toit, who returned to the Sharks.
His value was unusually difficult to replace. Du Toit could operate at loosehead or tighthead, contribute as a carrier and provide high-level set-piece quality. Bath also lost Alfie Barbeary to Saracens, removing a powerful specialist No. 8 carrying option.
Their response creates one of the PREM’s more intriguing forward stories.
Dan du Preez has arrived from Sale Sharks and can add size and direct carrying to a back row already containing Ted Hill, Guy Pepper, Sam Underhill, Josh Bayliss, Jaco Coetzee and others. Jamie Bhatti adds experienced loosehead depth.
Tighthead is the bigger question. Will Stuart has returned to full team training after an Achilles injury, with Archie Griffin another senior option and Vilikesa Sela among the young props whose development now matters more.
That is what makes Bath worth watching beyond the famous backs. Van Graan’s rise has rested heavily on forward power, scrum strength, breakdown work and depth. Now Bath must preserve that identity without the prop who offered their front row exceptional flexibility.
If they solve it, Russell and company should receive the platform to chase another Gallagher PREM championship. If they do not, Bath’s most important weakness could sit exactly where their greatest strength once began.
Bath Rugby 2026-27 Frequently Asked Questions
How Can Rugby Fans In The United States Watch Bath Rugby?
Rugby fans in the United States can watch Bath Rugby live on FloRugby throughout the 2026-27 season. Bath's Gallagher PREM matches and Investec Champions Cup matches are streaming on FloRugby.
Bath Rugby 2026-27 Gallagher PREM Schedule: Every Match
- Round 1: Harlequins vs. Bath Rugby, Sept. 25, 2026
- Round 2: Bath Rugby vs. Newcastle Red Bulls, Oct. 3, 2026
- Round 3: Bath Rugby vs. Bristol Bears, Oct. 10, 2026
- Round 4: Sale Sharks vs. Bath Rugby, Oct. 24, 2026
- Round 5: Bath Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, Oct. 31, 2026
- Round 6: Leicester Tigers vs. Bath Rugby, Nov. 21, 2026
- Round 7: Bath Rugby vs. Saracens, Nov. 28, 2026
- Round 8: Exeter Chiefs vs. Bath Rugby, Dec. 19, 2026
- Round 9: Bath Rugby vs. Northampton Saints, Dec. 26, 2026
- Round 10: Newcastle Red Bulls vs. Bath Rugby, Jan. 2, 2027
- Round 11: Bath Rugby vs. Harlequins, Jan. 30, 2027
- Round 12: Bristol Bears vs. Bath Rugby, Feb. 27, 2027
- Round 13: Bath Rugby vs. Sale Sharks, March 6, 2027
- Round 14: Gloucester Rugby vs. Bath Rugby, March 20, 2027
- Round 15: Bath Rugby vs. Leicester Tigers, March 27, 2027
- Round 16: Saracens vs. Bath Rugby, April 17, 2027
- Round 17: Bath Rugby vs. Exeter Chiefs, April 24, 2027
- Round 18: Northampton Saints vs. Bath Rugby, May 8, 2027