Bath Rugby captain Ben Spencer has been named among the elite four contenders for the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season award. The 33-year-old scrum-half has featured in 12 Gallagher Premiership matches this season, contributing significantly to Bath’s strong performance, currently second in the league after 16 rounds and assured of a semi-final place.
Spencer faces tough competition from Northampton Saints’ Tommy Freeman, Leicester Tigers’ fly-half Billy Searle, and Saracens’ number eight Tom Willis. The awards ceremony is set for Wednesday, June 10, at London’s iconic Old Billingsgate, where the English rugby community will celebrate the 2025/26 season’s finest.
In the Breakthrough Player of the Season category, Bath hooker Kepu Tuipulotu, recently called up to England’s training squad by Steve Borthwick, is nominated alongside Saracens’ leading try-scorer Noah Calouri, Northampton Saints scrum-half Archie McParland, and winger Edoardo Todaro. Both Calouri and McParland are also part of Borthwick’s England preparations.
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Bath’s rugby director, Johann van Graan, is shortlisted for the Director of Rugby of the Season award. He will be up against his peers: Phil Downson (Northampton Saints), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), and Rob Baxter (Exeter Chiefs).
In addition, Bath hooker Tom Dunn has been nominated for the Community Player of the Season award, showcasing the club’s commitment not just on the field but in the wider rugby community.
This year, the awards ceremony will be broadcast live for the first time on TNT Sports and HBO Max, with hosts Craig Doyle and Emma Dodds joined by David Flatman. Fans will gain exclusive red carpet access and interviews with rugby’s biggest names.
Voting for Player of the Season and Breakthrough Player of the Season is determined by Gallagher Premiership players, while the Community Player of the Season winner is decided by Funding Circle employees. The Try of the Season award will be decided by public vote closing on June 9.
The Rugby Awards 2026 also celebrate a wide range of categories across men’s and women’s rugby, personal development, and spirit awards, recognizing the best of English rugby’s 2025/26 campaign.