The 2022-23 Gallagher Premiership season kicks off on Friday with a west country derby between Bristol and Bath at Ashton Gate.
Less than three months after Leicester won a first Premiership title since 2013, the race for silverware will be off and running.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the talking points heading into a new campaign.
Worcester’s fight for survival
Tigers on the prowl
Round 1️⃣ preparation in full swing. #COYT ? pic.twitter.com/JORMHFYG4v
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) September 6, 2022
It took head coach Steve Borthwick just two years to transform Leicester from Premiership relegation contenders into league champions as Tigers triumphed by beating Saracens in a pulsating Twickenham final. Leicester were at the wrong end of the table before Borthwick arrived in mid-2020, but alongside key individuals like Kevin Sinfield, George Ford and Ellis Genge, a stunning transformation was completed. Ford and Genge have now moved elsewhere, yet Borthwick has brought in the likes of international stars Anthony Watson and Handre Pollard, so expect another big season.
Hot or cold Bath?
Bristol’s Genge factor
Can Gloucester be the big cheese?
