Johann van Graan, head of rugby at Bath Rugby, has promised that “the best is yet to come” after steering the club to a historic treble this season. Bath claimed the Gallagher Premiership title on Saturday, ending a 29-year wait with a thrilling 23-21 victory over Leicester at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium. This triumph adds to their earlier successes in the Premiership Rugby Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Despite a final performance that many deemed below their season’s standard, van Graan’s rapid transformation of Bath—from league underperformers to champions in just three years—positions him as one of the world’s elite coaches. Having recently secured a contract extension through 2030, van Graan is focused on ushering in a new golden era for one of English rugby’s great clubs.
“The day you stand still is the day somebody catches you. You must always train like you’re number two because competition is relentless. We will reflect and push forward. As I said from the start, this is a journey with no endpoint,” van Graan stated.
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He continued, “The best is yet to come. To stop dreaming is to stop living. We aim to keep improving. I won’t specify targets for next season tonight because success is a collective effort involving the club’s owner, board, and team. But my vision is clear: champion teams win repeatedly. Once you’ve tasted victory, you want to taste it again.”
In the final, Bath’s tries came from Thomas du Toit and Max Ojomoh, with Scotland’s Finn Russell delivering a standout performance. Russell, overcoming early setbacks, contributed 13 points and set up Ojomoh following a pivotal interception. Leicester’s Jack van Poortvliet scored first, and second-half tries from Solomone Kata and Emeka Ilione nearly sparked a Tigers comeback. Handre Pollard’s three conversions were offset by a rare penalty miss. Leicester also suffered discipline setbacks with two players sent to the sin bin, including captain Julian Montoya and Dan Cole in his final game.
Bath captain Ben Spencer echoed his coach’s optimism: “This victory reflects immense hard work from everyone involved. I feel relief not just for myself, but for players, staff, and fans—the fans were a big part of why I joined. The future here is incredibly bright. Our emerging talent displays outstanding work ethic, and as long as we stay grounded and hungry for improvement, the sky’s the limit for this team.”
With 22 of Bath’s 23-player final squad contracted for next season, and new additions such as Argentina’s Santi Carreras, England’s Henry Arundell, Exeter’s Dan Frost, and Scotland’s Chris Harris already signed for 2025/26, the club appears well-positioned to challenge for future Premiership titles and perhaps the Champions Cup.
Nevertheless, challenges lie ahead, with six different Premiership winners in as many years and a French dominance of the Champions Cup for the past five seasons. Yet, under van Graan’s leadership, Bath Rugby seems poised to write a new narrative of sustained success.