2016–17 Premiership Rugby

Exeter Chiefs won their first title after defeating Wasps in the final at Twickenham after having finished second in the regular season table. Bristol Bears were relegated with two games of the season remaining. It was the fourth time that Bristol have been relegated from the top flight since the leagues began and the first time since the 2008–09 Premiership Rugby season. As usual, round 1 included the London Double Header at Twickenham, the thirteenth instance since its inception in 2004. ==Teams==

Twelve teams compete in the league – the top eleven teams from the previous season and Bristol Bears who were promoted from the 2015–16 RFU Championship after a top flight absence of seven years. They replaced London Irish who were relegated after twenty years in the top flight. Stadiums and locations ==Pre-season==

The 2016 Singha Premiership Rugby Sevens was held in July and August. Once again, the four Welsh Regions contested as a group, alongside the twelve Premiership clubs, which were split into three groups. The top two sides from each group contested the series final at the Ricoh Arena on 6 August. ==Table==

Fixtures for the season were announced by Premiership Rugby on 7 July 2016. As is the norm, round 1 included the London Double Header at Twickenham. For the first time since its 2004 inception, the Double Header involved only two of the original London teams – Harlequins and Saracens – with London Irish having been relegated to the Championship for 2016–17 and Wasps no longer being based near London. Unlike the previous year, no games were scheduled to take place abroad. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Round 10 Round 11 Round 12 Round 13 Round 14 Round 15 Round 16 Round 17 Round 18 Round 19 Round 20 • Bristol are relegated providing the 2016–17 RFU Championship winners meet the minimum standards criteria. Round 21 Round 22 ==Play-offs==

As in previous seasons, the top four teams in the Premiership table, following the conclusion of the regular season, contest the play-off semi-finals in a 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd format, with the higher ranking team having home advantage. The two winners of the semi-finals then meet in the Premiership Final at Twickenham on 27 May 2017. Bracket Semi-finals Final ==Leading scorers==

Note: Flags indicate national union as defined under World Rugby (WR) eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality. Most points Source: Most tries Source: ==Awards==

The following received Player of the Month awards during the 2016–17 season, as selected by a panel of media commentators, in addition to monthly public polls. ==References==