34 - 19

All eyes on The Stoop as Premiership will restart with Harlequins facing Sale next month

10 Jul 2020

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

As revealed by RugbyPass on Thursday, the suspended Gallagher Premiership season will swing back into action on August 14 with Harlequins hosting Sale Sharks into a live TV showdown in London. The match will bridge a 159-day gap in between matches in the league as the last game played before the coronavirus stoppage was the meeting of Bristol and Harlequins at Ashton Gate on March 8.

Before Gallagher Premiership Rugby was suspended, Sale were one of the form teams, only losing one out of their last six matches, while Harlequins have lost just once to the Sharks at the Twickenham Stoop in Premiership Rugby since 2008.

Following the opener in west London, there will be four matches on Saturday, August 15 – at Bath, Worcester Warriors, Bristol Bears and leaders Exeter Chiefs – before the weekend ends at Franklin’s Gardens where Northampton Saints face Wasps.

Wasps and New Zealand’s Lima Sopoaga guests on The Breakdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

Video Player is loading.

Current Time 0:00

Duration 24:40

Loaded: 0%

Stream Type LIVE

Remaining Time 24:40

Wasps and New Zealand’s Lima Sopoaga guests on The Breakdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

Announcing the dates and times for the first four rounds of Gallagher Premiership matches, which takes us to the end of August, tournament CEO Darren Childs said: “With just over a month to go, we are delighted to be on track to bring rugby back to fans and see our players out in the competition.

“The good news I can bring is that the Gallagher Premiership will be back a little earlier than we previously announced with the first game scheduled on August 14. I must thank all of our players, clubs, partners, the RFU and RPA who have all supported us on this journey, and we are now cautiously optimistic for a safe return to the season.”

This would be brilliant!https://t.co/wxHlYGfmcs
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 9, 2020

Harlequins boss Paul Gustard said: “We are delighted to be the first club back hosting a fixture as the Gallagher Premiership recommences. It has, of course, been an unprecedented time – the global impact of Covid-19 has been seismic.

“We are all excited to have the opportunity to represent the club and look to push on in the second half of the season. It is brilliant that we get to run out at The Stoop once more. We are hugely thankful for the goodwill of our owners, the support of the board and the continued generosity of our amazing supporters.

“We also recognise and are grateful for all the hard work undergone by the game’s key stakeholders. They have played significant roles in getting us back out on the field from – the lengthy work of Premiership Rugby, the RFU, BT and Gallagher to namecheck just a few.”

Sale boss Steve Diamond added: “It’s fantastic that we have the opportunity to return to play after such a long lay-off. Everyone across the league is chomping at the bit to get going again.

“It’s been a turbulent period for everyone but as a club, we feel we have come out of the other end of this period stronger than ever. We have a top bunch of players here and all the lads have put their hands up and worked hard for the club during our return to play preparations. We are ready and raring to go.”

Premiership Rugby also confirmed that the Premiership final 2020 will take place on Saturday, October 24.

ROUND 14

Friday, August 14: Harlequins v Sale

Saturday, August 15: Exeter v Leicester, Bath v London Irish, Worcester v Gloucester, Bristol v Saracens

Sunday, August 16: Northampton v Wasps

ROUND 15

Friday, August 21: Sale v Exeter, Gloucester v Bristol, Wasps v Worcester

Saturday, August 22: Saracens v Harlequins, London Irish v Northampton, Leicester v Bath

ROUND 16

Tuesday, August 25: Wasps v Sale, Bristol v Exeter

Wednesday, August 26: Saracens v Gloucester, Worcester v Harlequins, Northampton v Bath, Leicester v London Irish

ROUND 17

Saturday, August 29: Sale v Bristol

Sunday, August 30: Harlequins v Northampton, Exeter v Worcester, London Irish v Saracens, Gloucester v Leicester, Bath v Wasps

Incredible contribution by the Tuilagi family ?
https://t.co/uFYtcnZu2R
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 10, 2020

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Steve Borthwick's deluge of back-rowers and clever use of the bench points the way forward for teams who cannot deploy a bruising 7:1 split.

LONG READ

Underpants, duvet covers and Louis Bielle-Biarrey

LBB as he's known in France is a superstar-in-waiting and his genius will help those longing for the return of Antoine Dupont bearable

LONG READ

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

Steve Borthwick's men were much maligned at the start of the Six Nations but their renaissance is gathering momentum

Comments on RugbyPass

Head high tackle 10 minutes ago

Super Rugby Pacific has turned the ship around in the right direction

The ship was always heading in the right direction Hamish its just that all you ever did was stay in your room watching All Black defeats over the last hundred years so you could write your terrible articles. If you bothered going up to the deck and having a look the rugby has been great for years.

7 Go to comments

Stevenson Turner 17 minutes ago

'They booed me': World Cup winner Tamara Taylor reflects on legendary career

"Work smart and not hard" that's these scammers' slogan. They lure you with promises of luxury and lifetime riches without you doing anything besides investing in their investment schemes, and if you ever fall prey, they will siphon you of every penny dry. I fell victim to it, but was fortunate to be helped by the best recovery expert (TRUST GEEKS HACK EXPERT). They are more than just recovery specialists; they are allies in the fight against online fraud. Trust their expertise and let them guide you towards reclaiming control over your financial future.for assistance, visit website https://trustgeekshackexpert.com/ Wh@t's A p p +1-7-1-9-4-9-2-2-6-9-3 <> E mail: Trustgeekshackexpert{@}fastservice{.}com

0 Go to comments

Stevenson Turner 18 minutes ago

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

6 Go to comments

fl 27 minutes ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

you’re the stupidist man in the northern hemisphere

13 Go to comments

Stevenson Turner 34 minutes ago

Why the ‘State of Origin’ will have a big say in Schmidt’s Wallabies selection

78 Go to comments

Amelia Jonathan 47 minutes ago

Five Springbok rookies who could be blooded in 2025

My name is Amelia Jonathan from the United States, Using this opportunity to thank Dr. Ughulu is a grateful thing to me, for over years I have been sick with Hepatitis B disease, I have done a lot of things to get cured of my diseases and nothing has worked out. I have taken different types of medication for it , but it still doesn’t work for me. I still keep going for a check up so that the doctor will tell me my disease has gone, because i’m taking my medicine with no result nothing has been cured, I have spent a lot of money just to get cure of Hepatitis B. until my old time friend came to my place and saw what am going through, and then direct me to contact Dr. Ughulu who is a very powerful man, which I did explain my problem to Dr. Ughulu and send me a herbal remedy bottle and explain to me how I should drink it. So I started to drink the herbal tea in one week that I drink the herbal tea. I went for a check up to check if I’m cured from Hepatitis B disease, then the nurse told me nothing is wrong with me anymore and said I’m fine. I am the happiest person right now. I promise Dr Ughulu I will testify about his good work on the internet. Reach out to Dr. Ughulu Via: drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com Thank you so much sir for what you did for me you are the best of all. TEXT OR CALL: +1(252) 409-1841 WHATSAPP NUMBER: +1(720) 794-2516

2 Go to comments

Tom 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Borthwick definitely deserves credit for the performance against Wales. He's been justly criticised for taking so long to get a performance out of them but it definitely feels like he was the architect of that win. He picked a very strangely balanced 23 and it played out perfectly. Fingers crossed Borthwick will take the shackles off now. If we went after Ireland with that level of determination and self belief it may have been a different result. That's not to say we would have been able to play in the same manner but it felt like the first time since last year's Ireland that the players were singing off the same hymn sheet. There was a shared purpose and everyone played their part to near perfection. Again, it was a poor Wales so can't get ahead of ourselves but I hope Borthwick will turn a corner.

13 Go to comments

Alex Jackson 1 hour ago

2025 Autumn Nations Series fixtures announced

BEST AND REAL LOVE SPELL CASTER TO BRING BACK YOUR EX LOVER HE IS SO PERFECT MY IS FINE AND SHE BACK WITH ME LIVING HAPPILY ALL THANKS TO DOCTOR ABDUL LOVE SPELL CONTACT HIM ON WHATSAPP +2348081728256 doctorabdulspellcaster@gmail. com

13 Go to comments

Amelia Jonathan 1 hour ago

The defining moment that will 'raise massive question marks' for Ireland

My name is Amelia Jonathan from the United States, Using this opportunity to thank Dr. Ughulu is a grateful thing to me, for over years I have been sick with Hepatitis B disease, I have done a lot of things to get cured of my diseases and nothing has worked out. I have taken different types of medication for it , but it still doesn’t work for me. I still keep going for a check up so that the doctor will tell me my disease has be gone, because i’m taking my medicine with no result nothing has been cured, I have spent a lot of money just to get cure of Hepatitis B. until my old time friend came to my place and saw what am going through, and then direct me to contact Dr. Ughulu who is a very powerful man, which I did explain my problem to Dr. Ughulu and send me a herbal remedy bottle and explain to me how I should drink it. So I started to drink the herbal tea in one week that I drink the herbal tea. I went for a check up to check if I’m cured from Hepatitis B disease, then the nurse told me nothing is wrong with me anymore and said I’m fine. I am the happiest person right now. I promise Dr Ughulu I will testify about his good work on the internet. Reach out to Dr. Ughulu Via: drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com Thank you so much sir for what you did for me you’re the best of all. TEXT OR CALL: +1(252) 409-1841 or website: https://drughulupowerfulsp.wixsite.com/my-site-ughulu WHATSAPP NUMBER: +1(720) 794-2516

10 Go to comments

Amelia Jonathan 1 hour ago

The defining moment that will 'raise massive question marks' for Ireland

My name is Amelia Jonathan from the United States, Using this opportunity to thank Dr. Ughulu is a grateful thing to me, for over years I have been sick with Hepatitis B disease, I have done a lot of things to get cured of my diseases and nothing has worked out. I have taken different types of medication for it , but it still doesn’t work for me. I still keep going for a check up so that the doctor will tell me my disease has be gone, because i’m taking my medicine with no result nothing has been cured, I have spent a lot of money just to get cure of Hepatitis B. until my old time friend came to my place and saw what am going through, and then direct me to contact Dr. Ughulu who is a very powerful man, which I did explain my problem to Dr. Ughulu and send me a herbal remedy bottle and explain to me how I should drink it. So I started to drink the herbal tea in one week that I drink the herbal tea. I went for a check up to check if I’m cured from Hepatitis B disease, then the nurse told me nothing is wrong with me anymore and said I’m fine. I am the happiest person right now. I promise Dr Ughulu I will testify about his good work on the internet. Reach out to Dr. Ughulu Via: drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com Thank you so much sir for what you did for me you’re the best of all. TEXT OR CALL: +1(252) 409-1841 or website: https://drughulupowerfulsp.wixsite.com/my-site-ughulu WHATSAPP NUMBER: +1(720) 794-2516

10 Go to comments

Alex Jackson 1 hour ago

2025 Autumn Nations Series fixtures announced

13 Go to comments

Bob Salad II 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Possibly, but the Prem is high scoring, played fast and with high ball in play times, so I’m not sure it’s simply down to SH refs officiating.

13 Go to comments

Tom 1 hour ago

Lions selection: 3 winners and losers from each country

Start of the tournament I thought Morgan was guaranteed to go but given how the English backrow have performed in the back end of the 6N he's going to be lucky to make it. Realistically there aren't any Welshman who are guaranteed or even odds on to go… which is sad. Do they take Morgan and T Williams for the sake of the Welsh fans?

Tom Jordan will go as a utility player. He covers the whole backline. Kinghorn nailed on to start the first test.

1 Go to comments

Bob Salad II 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Through the lens of ‘scenarios’ as you put it, the AIs could also have been very different. Yes, Wales are currently the worst team in the NH, but even so, neither Ireland or France dominated them so emphatically and - in the case of Ireland, after Wales had shown some improvement on previous form.

England were always going to find some groove at some point, so I don’t buy the line that Borthwick is simply ‘lucky’ anymore than I didn’t buy the line that England were unlucky on tour against the ABs and through the AIs.

With a largely development squad being sent on tour against the Pumas this summer, we’ll have to wait until the AIs in November to see whether the performance against Wales was just an outlier or reflective of a team that are starting to click.

13 Go to comments

d 1 hour ago

Kiwis dominate the performers of the week for Super Rugby Pacific round five

.. and let’s face it, the bar for tipping out the incumbent isn’t that high.

4 Go to comments

Tom 1 hour ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Maybe teams need to start heading the ball more? Genge at first receiver playing it through for Freeman? It's worked a few times by accident, just imagine what they could achieve with practice! Jamie Roberts could have been the Welsh Ronaldo!

13 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 2 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Very interesting article, Nick. Thanks for writing. I have not even read a full report on the game yet, let alone watched it. So it is all news to me. Fascinating move, so many backrowers and 7’s on the field at the one time.

I must say though, that I do ponder on how well England would have done against the Boks, AB’s, or France playing as they have done at the end of the 6 N. I think any of those teams would have almost certainly exposed Earl playing at centre, and they would have been in a different world to Wales as opponents.

My view is that England have had a lot of good fortune in this 6 N. On another day, France would not have dropped so much ball, and would have defended those last two tries way better. Scotland would have beaten England had Russell got any one of three kicks between the posts. I do think that England still don’t fully use the back resources they have, and could be badly exposed by any one of the top three teams in the world, which I would see as the three I named above. Though Ireland still sit third, that is, imo, very tenuous.

And it has been a funny old 6 N this year, with Ireland also having had a fair measure of good fortune. They also could have lost the games against Italy, and Wales too. They have dropped away badly.

13 Go to comments

Tom 2 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

It's certainly hard to read too much into a demolition of a struggling Welsh side in terms of how that will transpire against better teams.

What I can say is that it was a very good performance. There was genuine trepidation about a resurgent Wales at home with nothing to lose and England blew them away. England weren't ruthless enough to do the same to Italy the week before. It's a step in the right direction. It would be really cool if we could take some of this innovation and build on it. I'd hate for it to be built on sand and come crashing down the next time a bomb squad trundles across the touchline.

13 Go to comments

AA 2 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Firstly England were terrific for 82 minutes and deserve the plaudits.

Borthwick, though, must be the luckiest coach around .

Had a broken arm not occured Marcus would still be no 10 , had Russell put the kick over and France not dropped the ball , had Lawrence not been injured the scenario would be very different .

England beat the worst team in the northern hemisphere , let’s not get carried away .

The forwards scored 6 of the 10 tries and Mitchell’s was somewhat flukish .

The speed and power of play was the difference and the forwards were unrecognisable from previous games.

Had Marcus had such a ride in his games he too would have been praised for his play .

Ford came on against a poor and beaten team with the score 40 up . Easy peasy. Short memories fail to remember against Nz and Aus , top teams, he lost both games.

The changes were forced on Borthwick , not by natural selection and they have been all for the better.