The Academy Under-18 League fixtures ahead of Finals Day have been confirmed with Northampton Saints facing Bath at Kingsholm in a repeat of last year’s final.
The Saints cruised to junior rugby’s showpiece winning five out of five games in the Northern region including a crushing 62-17 win over Leicester Tigers in round four.
Today's win means we are into the @premrugby U18 League Final for the fourth consecutive season 🙌 pic.twitter.com/YABNJbsvoj
— Saints Rugby Academy (@SaintsRugbyAcad) February 1, 2025
After falling to Harlequins in round three, Bath had a more challenging route to the final, needing to beat Saracens at home in round four and hope for Quins to drop points – which they did in round five.
Every academy team will be in action on Finals Day (Sunday, February 16), in a format which will see all the teams from the south playing their northern counterparts, with the exception of Exeter Chiefs who face Welsh side Rygbi Gogledd Cymru in the 11th place match.
The encounter between Saracens and Harlequins in round five was the most intriguing in the competition, with either side or Bath able to qualify for the final.
Saracens’ 42-14 hammering of their London rivals was not enough to top the Southern group with Bath sneaking above them on points difference, but the huge win confirmed a third place match for the Men in Black.
They will face a Leicester Tigers side whose 45-12 victory against Yorkshire Academy in round one proved vital, with the Tigers finishing three points above the Leeds based team in the Northern group.
The fifth placed game will see Harlequins take on Yorkshire, with the London side finishing third in the Southern group, yet just a point below table toppers Bath.
Hooker Ashton Graham could be key for Quins after his hat-trick in their 38-31 victory against Bristol Bears in round four doomed the Bears to a best possible finish of fourth place going into the final round of the group stages.
The Bears woes were worsened by local rivals Gloucester, who despite losing 46-14 at home to Bath managed to maintain a better points difference than the Bears in the Southern group to qualify for the match for seventh place.
On their home patch, the Cherry and Whites will host Sale Sharks in that match for seventh with their Mancunian opposition managing one win so far in the competition over Newcastle Falcons.
The Falcons, who are yet to win a match in the competition, will face Bristol who picked up their first victory in round five, hammering Exeter Chiefs 38-5 at Shaftesbury Park.
UP THE CUBS!🐻 pic.twitter.com/0QYlGpnt0r
— Bristol Bears Academy (@BearsAcad) February 8, 2025
Similarly to Newcastle, the Chiefs are also winless this term, only managing to pick up bonus points against Harlequins and Gloucester.
With their being six teams in the Southern group and only five in the Northern, the Devonian side will battle Rygbi Gogledd Cymru, who are a team from Colwyn Bay, North Wales, in the opening match on Final’s Day, kicking off at 10:30am, playing for 11th place.
Confirmed fixtures:
1st place game
Northampton Saints vs Bath
3rd place game
Leicester Tigers vs Saracens
5th place game
Yorkshire Academy vs Harlequins
7th place game
Sale Sharks vs Gloucester
9th place game
Newcastle Falcons vs Bristol Bears
11th place game
Rygbi Gogledd Cymru vs Exeter Chiefs
