“PREM Rugby” kicks off season geared towards YouTube generation

The most interesting aspect of any rebrand is not so much the end product as how the process was conducted. PREM Rugby is operating from a position of stability, with a broadcast partnership  deal with TNT Sports running until 2031 and a title sponsorship agreement with insurance brokers Gallagher running until 2028. Both parties were part of the consultation process, along with players and both existing and potential supporters.

The feedback from players was that the old “Gallagher Premiership” felt a little stuffy. “They were hugely proud of the stuff that happened on the pitch, but the way that the league was being presented off the pitch felt a bit conservative, a bit establishment to them,” Rob Calder, PREM Rugby’s chief growth officer, told The Observer. Calder was one of the architects of the Hundred which, depending on the cricket fan you speak to, has either been revolutionary or calamitous.

“The players wanted something that was a bit more raw, a bit more gritty and a bit more authentic,” Calder continues, and all of that is easy to get on board with. The next step is connecting the public to the players, with additional investment put in by the PREM Rugby board ahead of the new season to try and crack into the YouTube market. “We know that’s where the audiences are that we want to get to,” adds Calder.

Combine that with cross-promotion by TNT across their sports coverage – a plug for the new PREM season half an hour into Newcastle United's Champions League fixture against Barcelona did not go unnoticed – and there is a clear plan in place, not forgetting the impact of Red Bull taking over Newcastle Falcons, a globally recognised brand reviving a club who in recent years have been left behind.

After years of caution around rugby’s aggression, faced with a wave of legal action and changing tackle laws, the sport is consciously embracing its physicality again.

“[Rugby has] stopped trying to be for everyone and therefore being apologetic about what rugby really is, which is a game for brave people. It takes a lot of courage,” noted David Flatman, the former England prop and one of the best pundits in the game. Now we will find out whether that revived philosophy can lure people in.

Players to watch

Henry Arundell – Bath

Back in English rugby after two years with Racing 92 in France, there are some key things to remember about Arundell. He is still just 22 years old. He is still exceptionally fast – “his speed is frightening” was the description used by Johann van Graan, Bath's head of rugby – and his potential remains enormous.

Luka Ivanishvili – Bristol Bears

A returning world-class talent with pace to burn on the wing, Louis Rees-Zammit might seem the obvious choice here. But sources privately, and coaches publicly, keep bringing up the impact made by Ivanishvili, the Georgian back-row signed this summer. “That guy… he only knows one way,” Pat Lam, Bristol’s director of rugby, said with a chuckle recently. Expect Ivanishvili to be abrasive and direct.

Ben Coen – Exeter Chiefs

Exeter’s two senior No 10s, Harvey Skinner and Will Haydon-Wood, are both out of contract at the end of this season. Coen looked sharp for England Under-20s last season and had a month’s run of games for the senior Exeter side back in March. Expect him to feature more during this campaign.

Ross Byrne – Gloucester

Byrne is the big fish that Gloucester hope will elevate them into the top four after his years of success with Leinster, now passing on his knowledge to a Gloucester squad who would love to make the play-offs for the first time since 2019. Byrne’s half-back combination with scrum-half Tomos Williams could become one of the best in the league.

Oscar Beard – Harlequins

Harlequins love Beard, a hard-running centre with a good burst of speed who went on tour with England in the summer. At 23, he feels poised to now take a leap and push harder for England honours as an outside-centre option.

Emeka Ilione – Leicester Tigers

Towards the end of last season, Ilione made a habit of producing exciting cameos off the bench for Leicester, including an improbable try late on in the PREM final when he had three Bath defenders hanging off him. Also a medical student, Leicester wisely signed Ilione up to a new contract back in March.

Tom Christie – Newcastle Red Bulls

Newcastle fans will have to wait a little for Christie to arrive following the end of the domestic season with Canterbury back in New Zealand, but it should be worth it. “His signing is a real statement of intent about where we want to take this club,” said Steve Diamond, head coach of the recently renamed (and now well-backed) Newcastle Red Bulls.

JJ van der Mescht – Northampton Saints

It is no accident that Northampton’s pack will appear noticeably bigger this season. Van der Mescht, at close to 23 stone and 6 ft 6 ½ in, will be hard to miss. “A possible game-changer as there are not many, if any, men that size in the PREM,” as Van der Mescht was described by one source.

Rekeiti Ma'asi-White – Sale Sharks

When Alex Sanderson, the Sale head coach, was asked recently which young players had stood out in pre-season, the first name that Sanderson mentioned was Ma’asi-White, noting that the young centre had been disappointed to not tour with England in the summer. “He looks really strong; I think he will start the season well.”

Jack Bracken – Saracens

Every mention of Bracken’s name while speaking to sources over the off-season has come with a caveat. He is by all accounts explosively fast, yet still needs to develop in plenty of areas. A hat-trick on his debut for England Under-20s last year was the first sign that he might be special.

Photograph by PREM Rugby