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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.

Contents

• Silverware and trophies
• Teams
• League table
• Round-by-round
• Matches
• Championship
• Playoffs
• Promotion Playoff
• National Championship Playoff
• References

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.

League table

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

# 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 Beckett Leeds 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.

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.

Playoffs

References