2025–26 BUCS Super Rugby season

2025-26 is the ninth season of BUCS Super Rugby, a university rugby union competition in the United Kingdom, (not including COVID-19 Effected seasons). The ten teams remain the same from the previous season: Loughborough University, University of Bath, University of Exeter, Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Swansea University, Durham University, University of Nottingham, Hartpury University, & Leeds Beckett University.

The league operates with a double round robin format where each team will play the other 9 twice, once at home, and once away - making for an 18-game season. Games are start in late September and run until a mid season break in late October or early November, after 6 rounds. Another 5 matches are played before the Christmas break. In January play resumes and proceeds through February & March. Playoffs are then contested in late March & April.[1]

Teams earn league points according to:[2]

  • 4 pts for a win
  • 2 pts for a draw
  • 0 pts for a loss
  • 1 Try Scoring Bonus point for scoring 4 tries
  • 1 Losing Bonus point for losing by 7 points or less

Silverware and trophies

At the end of the regular season, the team at the top of the league table is the league champion. Teams are ranked by league points, followed by points difference (points scored in games minus points conceded), then simply points scored.

The top 8 teams from the final league standings qualify for the National Championship playoffs. This is a seeded bracket, meaning the higher up the league table teams finished the more home games and relatively easier opposition they play.

In previous seasons, the 10th placed team would enter into a playoff to determine promotion and relegation with the divisions below, but for the 2025-26 the format was altered to automatic relegation for 10th. This team is replaced by the team who wins the promotion playoff match - contested between the two league winners of Northern Premier 1 & Southern Premier 1.

A lineal trophy is also contested; The Challenge shield. The holder defends it during every home game they play. Should they lose (at home only), the visiting team takes the Challenge shield with them.

Loughborough are the defending league champions, whilst Hartpury are the defending National Champions. At the start of the season, Exeter held the Challenge Shield. During Week 7, Cardiff defeated Exeter (33-50) thus claiming the Challenge Shield for themselves. The following week (Match Week 8), Bath won away at Cardiff 14-77 to take the Challenge Shield for themselves.

Teams

University Debut No. of seasons* 2024-25 League Pos. 2024-25 Playoffs
Bath 2016–17 7 3rd Quarter-Finals
Cardiff Met 2016–17 7 6th Semi-Final
Durham 2016–17 7 4th Quarter-Finals
Exeter# 2016–17 7 5th Semi-Final
Hartpury† 2016–17 7 2nd Winners
Leeds Beckett 2016–17 7 8th Quarter-Finals
Loughborough* 2016–17 7 1st Finalists
Cardiff 2018–19 5 9th (Did not Qualify for Playoffs)
Swansea 2019–20 4 10th (Won Relegation Playoffs)
Nottingham 2022–23 2 7th Quarter-Finals

† Defending National Champions

* Defending League Champions

# Challenge Shield Holders at start of Season

League table

The league table for 2025-26 is as follows:[3]

2025–26 BUCS Super Rugby Table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Loughborough 14 12 0 2 607 325 +282 0 0 0 0 48 Progress to the Quarter Finals
2 Bath # 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Exeter 15 9 0 6 557 417 +140 0 0 0 0 36
4 Durham 15 8 0 7 395 401 −6 0 0 0 0 32
5 Nottingham 14 7 0 7 401 455 −54 0 0 0 0 28
6 Hartpury 15 7 0 8 434 483 −49 0 0 0 0 28
7 Cardiff Met 15 6 0 9 368 390 −22 0 0 0 0 24
8 Leeds Beckett 15 6 0 9 341 479 −138 0 0 0 0 24
9 Cardiff 15 4 0 11 390 606 −216 0 0 0 0 16
10 Swansea 14 2 0 12 282 495 −213 0 0 0 0 8 Relegation to Premier North 1 or Premier South 1
Source: [4]

# Current Challenge Shield Holders

Quarter Finals: 1st v 8th // 2nd v 7th // 4th v 5th // 3rd v 6th
Semi Finals: 1st or 8th v 4th or 5th // 2nd or 7th v 3rd or 6th

Correct as of: 13th Feb 2026

Round-by-round

The table below shows each team's progression throughout the season. For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets:

Team progression
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 QF SF Final
Bath Bath 21-54 42-14 12-35 35-38 54-22 43-26 38-42 14-77 36-19 21-41 29-24 14-29 39-26 18-20 56-26
Cardiff Cardiff 41-7 56-28 21-43 49-24 19-54 31-24 33-50 14-77 17-16 29-31 24-21 82-14 19-28 28-34 56-26
Cardiff Met Cardiff Met 36-32 56-28 12-35 17-14 14-10 25-34 36-33 15-19 13-17 29-31 29-24 17-14 30-28 27-26 38-19
Durham Durham 27-24 26-29 21-43 17-14 45-7 43-24 38-42 33-14 56-7 24-21 24-21 32-14 29-21 27-26 26-21
Exeter Exeter 36-32 12-41 52-28 35-38 45-7 14-33 33-50 5-29 26-42 63-33 49-40 32-14 30-28 18-20 61-28
Hartpury Hartpury† 21-54 54-36 39-27 19-60 45-21 14-33 36-33 33-14 17-16 14-19 29-36 26-35 39-26 48-26 26-21
Leeds BeckettLeeds Beckett 27-24 42-14 33-26 40-14 45-21 31-24 24-22 5-29 13-17 21-41 19-23 26-35 29-21 12-53 61-28
Loughborough Loughborough 28-39 54-36 52-28 40-14 19-54 43-26 26-19 15-19 56-7 14-19 49-40 82-14 52-22 12-53 38-19
Nottingham Nottingham 28-39 26-29 39-27 49-24 54-22 25-34 24-22 25-32 26-42 24-21 29-36 14-29 52-22 28-34 18/02
Swansea Swansea 41-7 12-41 33-26 19-60 14-10 43-24 26-19 25-32 36-19 63-33 19-23 17-14 19-28 48-26 18/02
Key: Win Draw Loss Bye DNQ = Did not qualify

† Not to be confused with Hartpury University R.F.C., who play in the RFU Championship.

Matches

Home \ Away BAT CAR CMT DUR EXE HAR LEE LOU NOT SWA
BAT — 56–26 29–24 38–42 35–38 39–26 42–14 04/03/26 54–22 36–19
CAR 14–77 — 29–31 21–43 11/03/26 25/02/26 31–24 19–54 28–34 41–7
CMT 12–35 56–28 — 27–26 30–28 11/03/26 13–17 15–19 04/03/26 14–10
DUR 11/03/26 24–21 17–14 — 32–14 33–14 29–21 25/02/26 26–29 43–24
EXE 18–20 33–50 36–32 45–7 — 04/03/26 61–28 52–28 26–42 63–33
HAR 21–54 17–16 36–33 26–21 14–33 — 26–35 14–19 39–27 48–26
LEE 21–41 04/03/26 25/02/26 27–24 5–29 45–21 — 12–53 11/03/26 33–26
LOU 43–26 82–14 38–19 56–7 49–40 54–36 40–14 — 52–22 11/03/26
NOT 14–29 49–24 25–34 24–21 25/02/26 29–36 24–22 28–39 — 18/02/26
SWA 25/02/26 19–28 17–14 04/03/26 12–41 19–60 19–23 26–19 25–32 —
Updated to match(es) played on 2025/26 Season. Source: [5]

Championship

The Championship competition has three rounds and typically takes place in April. It features the teams who finished in the top eight of the league.

Men's BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championships

Quarter Finals:

  • 1st v 8th
  • 2nd v 7th
  • 4th v 5th
  • 3rd v 6th

Semi Finals:

  • 1st or 8th v 4th or 5th
  • 2nd or 7th v 3rd or 6th
Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
1  
8  
 
 
4  
5  
 
 
2  
7  
 
 
3  
6  

Playoffs

Promotion Playoff

In Premier South 1, only 2 teams were eligible for promotion at the start of the season, one of which was Bristol. On Wednesday 28th January 2026, the only other eligible side (Brunel University) defeated Cardiff Met 2s to claim the league title. This confirms their qualification for the 2026 BUCS Super Rugby Promotion Playoff match.

On 4th February 2026 Newcastle University claimed the Premier North 1 league title to confirm their place as the second promotion playoff competitor.

As per 2025-26 format changes, the 10th placed BSR team will not defend their place in the league and will be automatically relegated.

National Championship Playoff

Upon completion of the League matches, the 8 team bracket will be set.

The National Championship Final will be played on 22 April 2026, at Rodney Parade.

References

  1. ^ "Fixtures and Results". www.bucs.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  2. ^ "Fixtures and Results". www.bucs.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  3. ^ "League Tables". www.bucs.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  4. ^ "League Tables". www.bucs.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
  5. ^ https://www.bucs.org.uk/premier-sports/super-rugby/league-tables.html
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