2018–19 Premiership Rugby

Saracens won their fifth title after defeating Exeter Chiefs in the final at Twickenham after having finished second in the regular season table. Newcastle Falcons were relegated after being unable to win their penultimate game of the season. It was the third time that Newcastle have been relegated from the top flight since the leagues began and the first time since the 2011–12 Premiership Rugby season. For the first time since 2004, there was no London Double Header at Twickenham due to redevelopment work causing the closure of the stadium. ==Teams==

Twelve teams compete in the league – the top eleven teams from the previous season and Bristol Bears who were promoted from the 2017–18 RFU Championship after a top flight absence of one year. They replaced London Irish who were relegated after one year in the top flight. Stadiums and locations ==Preseason==

The 2018 edition of the Premiership Rugby Sevens Series would be held on 27 and 28 July at Franklin's Gardens. All twelve Premiership teams would feature in one venue over two days. Teams would be split into four pools of three which played each other once in a round-robin basis with the tournament splitting into Cup and Plate competitions on the second day. ==Table==

Fixtures for the season were announced by Premiership Rugby on 6 July 2018. Due to redevelopment work causing the closure of Twickenham Stadium, round 1 did not include the London Double Header. Despite a four-year deal being struck in 2016, no matches took place in the United States. It had previously been reported that Sale Sharks vs Harlequins in round 18 would take place at Toyota Park just outside Chicago, Illinois. However, the round 6 match between Harlequins and Saracens was broadcast live in the US on a major network with NBC as opposed to NBCSN broadcasting for the first time. All fixtures are subject to change. Highlights of the season include: • The Derby — Northampton Saints vs Leicester Tigers at Twickenham on 6 October. • Big Game 11 — Harlequins vs Wasps in this season's edition of the Big Game at Twickenham on 29 December. • Derby Day — Saracens vs Harlequins at London Stadium on 23 March. • The Big One — Newcastle Falcons vs Sale Sharks at St James' Park on 23 March. • The Clash — Bath Rugby vs Bristol Bears at Twickenham on 6 April. Regular season 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 Round 21 • Newcastle Falcons are relegated. 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 1 June 2019. Bracket Semi-finals Final ==Leading scorers==

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

Player of the Month The following received Player of the Month awards during the 2018–19 season, as selected by a panel of media commentators, in addition to monthly public polls. End-of-season awards The winners of the 2019 Premiership Rugby Awards were announced on 22 May 2019. ==Notes==