The year 2025 marked a transformative chapter in Bath Rugby’s storied history. After nearly thirty years of rebuilding and heartbreak, Johann van Graan masterminded a historic treble, revitalizing the club and delivering celebrations that will be remembered in Bath for generations.
Once dominant as Bath FC during rugby’s amateur era, the club’s trophy cabinet overflowed between 1984 and 1996. During that golden period, Bath claimed ten domestic cups without losing a final at Twickenham. The late 1980s ushered in league competitions where Bath continued their supremacy, seizing six league titles with four league-and-cup doubles under legends like Stuart Barnes, Andy Robinson, John Hall, and Phil de Glanville. Their success extended to Europe with the Heineken Cup triumph in 1998, cementing their status as rugby giants.
However, the subsequent decades brought challenges. Post-1998, Bath managed only one senior trophy—the 2008 European Challenge Cup—amid mid-table finishes and rare play-off appearances. The nadir came in the 2021–22 season, when Bath finished bottom of the Premiership for the first time and endured their worst defeat ever.
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Yet, 2025 proved to be a renaissance. On June 14, Bath, finishing top of the regular Premiership table for the first time in 21 years, faced Leicester Tigers in a fiercely contested final at the Allianz Stadium. Finn Russell, the league’s highest-paid playmaker, seized the moment by intercepting a Handré Pollard pass and setting up Max Ojomoh to extend Bath’s lead. Despite a late Tigers resurgence, Bath held on for a thrilling 23–21 victory, claiming their first league title since 1996.
The celebrations spilled onto Milsom Street the next day, where thousands of fans clad in blue, black, and white filled the streets from Pulteney Bridge to the Recreation Ground, celebrating the club’s return to glory.
What truly distinguished 2025 was Bath’s “Triple Crown” of trophies won within a nine-week span — a feat unseen in club rugby. Prior to securing the Premiership, Bath had already captured two other prestigious titles:
First, the Premiership Rugby Cup saw a youthful Bath side led by Ewan Richards dominate Exeter Chiefs 48-14, ending a 17-year silverware drought.
Next, in Cardiff, Bath conquered Lyon 37–12 in the EPCR Challenge Cup final. Prop Thomas du Toit was instrumental with his scrummaging dominance and a decisive try, earning legendary status among Bath supporters.
As 2025 concludes, Bath sits third in the Premiership following a surprise defeat to Northampton Saints but leads their European Champions Cup group, with further trophies within reach.
Off the field, momentum continues. Bath’s ambitious plans for an 18,000-seat stadium at the Recreation Ground advanced significantly, securing planning permission and aiming to commence construction in 2027. The club’s resurgence is not just on the scoreboard but also in securing a bright, sustainable future.