Bath Rugby and Gloucester Rugby, two prominent West Country clubs, will gear up for the 2025/26 Gallagher Premiership season by taking on Irish giants Munster in pre-season friendlies, the Irish province has confirmed.
Both English sides, who met Munster during last season’s pre-season fixtures, will face the Irish team on consecutive weekends in September. Munster will visit Kingsholm Stadium to play Gloucester on Friday, September 5th, kickoff at 7:30 pm. This match will come shortly after Munster’s game against Biarritz Olympique in France.
Following that, Bath Rugby, last season’s Gallagher Premiership champions under the guidance of Johann van Graan, will travel to Virgin Media Park in Cork to challenge Munster on Friday, September 12th, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 pm. This mini pre-season tour provides both English clubs with valuable preparation ahead of the upcoming league campaign.
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The meetings hold extra significance for Bath’s Director of Rugby, van Graan, who coached Munster from 2017 to 2022 before revitalizing Bath Rugby and leading them to their first league title in 29 years. Last season’s encounters saw Bath narrowly defeat Munster 24-21 at The Recreation Ground, with tries from Austin Emens, Jasper Spandler, Jaco Coetzee, and Tyler Offiah. Gloucester also impressed in their outing against Munster in Cork, despite a 19-33 loss, showcasing a promising new, expansive style of rugby.
The rebranded Gallagher Premiership will officially kick off on Thursday, September 25th, with a trial Thursday night fixture designed to avoid clashing with the Women’s Rugby World Cup final hosted in England.
Next season’s full league schedule will be released on Wednesday, July 23rd.
Pre-Season Fixture Details:
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Friday, September 5th: Gloucester Rugby vs Munster Rugby at Kingsholm Stadium, 7:30 pm – Ticket details to be confirmed.
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Friday, September 12th: Munster Rugby vs Bath Rugby at Virgin Media Park, 7:00 pm – Tickets available for purchase.