September 21, 2026

Rugby Premiership Predictions for Round 1

Team Ratings for Round 1

The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.

Current Rating Rating at Season Start Difference
Leicester Tigers 9.92 9.92 -0.00
Bath 9.66 9.66 -0.00
Northampton Saints 8.34 8.34 -0.00
Saracens 8.04 8.04 -0.00
Exeter Chiefs 7.58 7.58 -0.00
Bristol -0.11 -0.11 0.00
Sale Sharks -2.31 -2.31 -0.00
Gloucester -3.46 -3.46 0.00
Harlequins -3.58 -3.58 0.00
Newcastle Red Bulls -25.37 -25.37 -0.00

 

Predictions for Round 1

Here are the predictions for Round 1. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.

Game Date Winner Prediction
1 Harlequins vs. Bath Sept 26 Bath -6.20
2 Northampton Saints vs. Newcastle Red Bulls Sept 26 Northampton Saints 40.70
3 Exeter Chiefs vs. Gloucester Sept 27 Exeter Chiefs 18.00
4 Sale Sharks vs. Bristol Sept 27 Sale Sharks 4.80
5 Leicester Tigers vs. Saracens Sept 28 Leicester Tigers 8.90

 

avatar

David Scott obtained a BA and PhD from the Australian National University and then commenced his university teaching career at La Trobe University in 1972. He has taught at La Trobe University, the University of Sheffield, Bond University and Colorado State University, joining the University of Auckland, based at Tamaki Campus, in mid-1995. He has been Head of Department at La Trobe University, Acting Dean and Associate Dean (Academic) at Bond University, and Associate Director of the Centre for Quality Management and Data Analysis at Bond University with responsibility for Short Courses. He was Head of the Department of Statistics in 2000, and is a past President of the New Zealand Statistical Assocation. See all posts by David Scott »

Add a comment

First time commenting? Please use your real first name and surname and read the Comment Policy.