2008–09 Premiership Rugby

The previous season

Northampton Saints gained promotion to the league this season by finishing top of the National Division One, taking the place of Leeds Carnegie who were relegated. In 2007–2008, Gloucester RFC finished top of the league but were beaten by Leicester Tigers in the semi-finals. London Wasps went on to beat Leicester Tigers 26–16 in the final.

Season synopsis

Leicester Tigers finished top of the league table, then were crowned Champions after defeating Bath 24–10 in the semi-final and London Irish 10–9 in the final at Twickenham.

Going into the season, the top six clubs were all assured of berths in the 2009–10 Heineken Cup. By advancing to the final of the 2008–09 competition, Leicester secured a seventh place for England. The four Premiership semi-finalists—Leicester, Harlequins, London Irish, and Bath—plus Sale Sharks and Gloucester secured Heineken Cup berths. The seventh berth was secured by Northampton Saints when they defeated French side Bourgoin in the European Challenge Cup final on 22 May. The remaining clubs that will compete in the 2009–10 Premiership will compete in the 2009–10 Challenge Cup.

The club that finishes bottom of the table is relegated and replaced by the club that tops the second-level National Division One. This season, Bristol were relegated, to be replaced by Leeds Carnegie, which won promotion at the first opportunity.

Teams

Northampton Saints, having won the 2007–08 National Division One, replaced Leeds Carnegie, who were relegated last season after finishing bottom of the table.

;Notes

Table

qualified for 2009–10 Heineken Cup

1. Number of matches won
2. Difference between points for and against
3. Total number of points for
4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled

Results

Round 1

Con: Hewat (2) Pen: Hewat (4) Con: Staunton, van Gisbergen Con: Jackson Pen: Jackson (3) Con: Evans Pen: Evans (2), Luveniyali Drop Goal: Evans Con: Reihana Pen: Reihana (3) Con: Jones Pen: Jones (2)

Con: Adrian Jarvis (2) Pen: Adrian Jarvis (2) Con: Butch James (3) Pen: Butch James(4) Pen: Rory Clegg (2) Drop Goal: Rory Clegg Pen: Luke McAlister (3)

Pen: Ryan Lamb Con: Toby Flood, Julien Dupuy Pen: Toby Flood (2)

Round 2

Charlie Hodgson (2)

Drop Goal: Charlie Hodgson

Pen: Glen Jackson (5) Con: Shaun Berne

Con: Willie Walker Pen: Willie Walker (2) Drop Goal: Willie Walker Tom Guest Con: Waisea Luveniyali (3)

Con: Luke Arscott Pen: Adrian Jarvis (2) Ben Herring Con: Toby Flood (3) Pen: Toby Flood Con: Peter Hewat (2) Pen: Eoghan Hickey Con: Dave Walder Pen: Dave Walder

Pen: Matt Jones, Loki Crichton Con: Jonny Wilkinson (2) Pen: Jonny Wilkinson (5)

Drop Goal: Jonny Wilkinson Con: Bruce Reihana Pen: Bruce Reihana (4), Carlos Spencer

Round 3

Charlie Hodgson

Con: Willie Walker Pen: Olly Barkley, Willie Walker (2) Drop Goal: Willie Walker Chris Malone Con: Chris Malone Pen: Chris Malone Pen: Peter Hewat, Eoghan Hickey Pen: Butch James (2), Jack Cuthbert (3) Con: Bruce Reihana (2), Stephen Myler Pen: Bruce Reihana

Pen: Dave Walder (5) Con: Loki Crichton (2) Pen: Loki Crichton Con: Julien Dupuy Pen: Toby Flood (4) Gordon Ross Con: Gordon Ross, Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (4) Drop Goal: Glen Jackson

Con: Jonny Wilkinson (2)

Round 4

Con: Luke McAlister, Lee Thomas Pen: Luke McAlister (2), Lee Thomas

Pen: Olly Barkley (3) Con: Jonny Wilkinson (2) Pen: Jonny Wilkinson

Pen: Ed Barnes Con: Toby Flood Pen: Toby Flood (4) Con: Jeremy Staunton Pen: Jeremy Staunton (5) Drop Goal: Jeremy Staunton (2) Duncan Bell Con: Butch James (3) Pen: Butch James (2)

Con: Loki Crichton Pen: Loki Crichton (3), Chris Pennell Con: Glen Jackson (2) Pen: Glen Jackson (3), Gordon Ross

Pen: Stephen Myler (3)

Drop Goal: Stephen Myler Tom Guest Con: Chris Malone (2), Waisea Luveniyali Pen: Chris Malone (2)

Con: Peter Hewat (2)

Pen: Peter Hewat (3)

Round 5

James Simpson-Daniel (2) Con: Willie Walker Pen: Olly Barkley (4) Phil Dowson Con: Rory Clegg Pen: Rory Clegg, Jonny Wilkinson

Con: Danny Cipriani, Jeremy Staunton Pen: Danny Cipriani (3) Con: Butch James (2)

Pen: Butch James Con: Adrian Jarvis Pen: Ed Barnes (2), Adrian Jarvis

Pen: Glen Jackson (5) Drop Goal: Glen Jackson Toby Flood Con: Toby Flood Pen: Toby Flood (4)

Con: Stephen Myler Pen: Stephen Myler (4) Alex Corbisiero, Thorpe, Peter Hewat Con: Peter Hewat Pen: Peter Hewat Drop Goal: Peter Hewat

Pen: Charlie Hodgson (2)

Con: Matt Jones (2) Pen: Matt Jones (2) Drop goal: Matt Jones **Con:**Chris Malone (2) Pen: Chris Malone (2)

Round 6

Pen: Charlie Hodgson (3) Pen: Matt Jones (4) Con: Butch James (2) Pen: Butch James (2)

Con: Geordan Murphy Pen: Derick Hougaard (3) Con: Ed Barnes, Adrian Jarvis Con: Stephen Myler Pen: Stephen Myler (2) Tom Guest Con: Nick Evans Pen: Nick Evans (4) Drop Goal: Chris Malone

Con: Dave Walder Pen: Jeremy Staunton

Pen: Rory Clegg Con: Peter Hewat (3) Pen: Peter Hewat

Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (3) Con: Ryan Lamb (2) Pen: Ryan Lamb (2)

Round 7

Con: Ryan Lamb (4) Pen: Ryan Lamb Drop Goal: Ryan Lamb

Con: Ed Barnes Pen: Adrian Jarvis Con: Loki Crichton (2) Pen: Loki Crichton (2), Chris Pennell, Matt Jones

Pen: Rory Clegg (2) Soane Tongaʻuiha Con: Bruce Reihana, Stephen Myler Pen: Stephen Myler (2) Drop Goal: Stephen Myler Con: Butch James (2)

Pen: Butch James (3) Con: Derick Hougaard (3) Pen: Derick Hougaard (2)

Pen: Nick Evans (3) Pen: Peter Hewat (4) Pen: Glen Jackson (3)

Pen: Dave Walder (4) Con: Charlie Hodgson Pen: Charlie Hodgson (2)

Round 8

**Con:**Luke McAlister (3) Pen: Luke McAlister (2)

Con: Julien Dupuy Pen: Julien Dupuy (2) Con: Rory Clegg (2) Pen: Rory Clegg

Pen: Dave Walder (6) Con: Ryan Lamb (2) Pen: Ryan Lamb (3)

Con: Stephen Myler Pen: Stephen Myler

Con: Ed Barnes Pen: Ed Barnes (2) Shane Geraghty Con: Peter Hewat Pen: Peter Hewat (2) **Con:**Nick Evans Pen: Nick Evans (3)

Pen: Butch James (3) Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (2)

Pen: Chris Pennell (2)

Round 9

Con: Toby Flood (2) Pen: Toby Flood (2)

Pen: Steve Jones Josh Lewsey Con: Dave Walder (3) Pen: Danny Cipriani (3), Dave Walder

Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (4) **Con:**Butch James Pen: Butch James (4) Con: Luke McAlister Pen: Luke McAlister Sailosi Tagicakibau, Paul Hodgson, Declan Danaher Con: Peter Hewat (2) Pen: Peter Hewat (6)

Pen: Ryan Lamb (3), Willie Walker **Con:**Stephen Myler (2) Pen: Stephen Myler (3) Con: Nick Evans Pen: Nick Evans (2) Con: Eoghan Hickey (2) Pen: Eoghan Hickey (2) Con: Ed Barnes (2) Pen: Ed Barnes (2)

Round 10

Con: Charlie Hodgson (4) Pen: Charlie Hodgson

Pen: Dave Walder Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (3) Con: Peter Hewat Pen: Peter Hewat (2) Matt Banahan **Con:**Butch James (2) Pen: Butch James (2)

Pen: Stephen Myler (3)

Con: Adrian Jarvis

Pen: Ed Barnes Con: Ryan Lamb (2), Olly Barkley Pen: Ryan Lamb **Con:**Rory Clegg Pen: Rory Clegg (3) Con: Eoghan Hickey Pen: Eoghan Hickey (3) Con: Nick Evans (2) Pen: Nick Evans (4) Con: Toby Flood (2) Pen: Toby Flood (4)

Round 11

Con: Olly Barkley Pen: Olly Barkley (5) Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (3) Seilala Mapusua, Alex Corbisiero, Declan Danaher, Steffon Armitage, Mike Catt Con: Peter Hewat (4), Shane Geraghty Pen: Peter Hewat

Pen: Rory Clegg Jon Clarke Con: Stephen Myler (3) Pen: Stephen Myler (3)

Pen: Ed Barnes

Con: Derick Hougaard Pen: Derick Hougaard (3) Drop Goal: Derick Hougaard Stuart Hooper Con: Butch James (2) Pen: Butch James Con: Danny Cipriani Pen: Danny Cipriani (3), Dave Walder Con: Nick Evans Pen: Nick Evans, Chris Malone

Round 12

Pen: Charlie Hodgson (2) Drop-goals: Charlie Hodgson Pen: Shane Geraghty Con: Stephen Myler Con: Toby Flood Pen: Toby Flood (2) Con: Rory Clegg Pen: Tom May Con: Olly Barkley Con: Glen Jackson (3), Gordon Ross Pen: Glen Jackson (3)

Con: Ed Barnes

Pen: Ed Barnes (2)

Rearranged fixtures

Pen: Olly Barkley (6) Con: Peter Hewat Pen: Peter Hewat (3) Penalty try Con: Nick Evans (3) Pen: Nick Evans (2)

Con: Joe Carlisle (2) Pen: Joe Carlisle (2) Con: Charlie Hodgson (4) Pen: Charlie Hodgson (2) Drop Goal: Charlie Hodgson

Round 13

Pen: Ed Barnes Con: Tom May (3) Pen: Tom May (3) Pen: Peter Hewat (2) Alfredo Lalanne Pen: Nick Evans (3) Con: Olly Barkley Pen: Olly Barkley (3) Drop Goal: Ryan Lamb Con: Charlie Hodgson (2) Pen: Charlie Hodgson Pen: Stephen Myler (5) Pen: Glen Jackson (4) Drop Goal: Glen Jackson Con: Joe Carlisle (2) Pen: Willie Walker Con: Butch James (4) Pen: Butch James (2) Chris Bishay, John Hart Con: Danny Cipriani (3)

Pen: Danny Cipriani(5) Con: Julien Dupuy (2), Sam Vesty Pen: Julien Dupuy

Round 14

Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, Nick Macleod, Neil Briggs Con: Charlie Hodgson (3) Pen: Charlie Hodgson(2)

Con: Adrian Jarvis Pen: Adrian Jarvis (2) Con: Tom May Pen: Tom May (2)

Pen: Glen Jackson(3) Con: Butch James Pen: Butch James Con: Shane Geraghty Pen: Shane Geraghty Con: Nick Evans, Chris Malone

Pen: Olly Barkley (3) Sam Vesty, Marcos Ayerza, Ben Youngs Con: Sam Vesty (3) , Julien Dupuy (2) Pen: Julien Dupuy

Round 15

Charlie Sharples, Rory Lawson Con: Carlos Spencer, Olly Barkley Pen: Carlos Spencer, Olly Barkley (3)

**Con:**Butch James (3)

Pen: Butch James (2)

Con: Stephen Myler Pen: Stephen Myler, Barry Everitt Jon Golding Con: Tom May (2) Con: Willie Walker Pen: Willie Walker Drop Goal: Willie Walker

Pen: Danny Cipriani (4) Steffon Armitage (2), Sailosi Tagicakibau Con: Shane Geraghty Pen: Shane Geraghty (2)

Con: Julien Dupuy (2) Pen: Julien Dupuy (4)

Con: Ed Barnes (2) Ugo Monye Con: Chris Malone Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (3) Drop Goal: Glen Jackson Con: Lee Thomas Pen: Lee Thomas (2)

Round 16

Con: Butch James(6) Pen: Butch James

Pen: Ed Barnes

Pen: Julien Dupuy (7) Drop Goal: Geordan Murphy Con: Olly Barkley Pen: Olly Barkley

Con: Nick Evans Pen: Nick Evans (3) Wikus van Heerden Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson

Pen: Willie Walker (4) Joe Ansbro Con: Barry Everitt (2) Pen: Barry Everitt

Con: Charlie Hodgson Pen: Charlie Hodgson (6) Con: Tom May (3) Pen: Tom May (2) Con: Danny Cipriani Pen: Danny Cipriani (3) Con: Shane Geraghty Pen: Shane Geraghty (3)

Round 17

Con: Ed Barnes (2) Pen: Ed Barnes Con: Sam Vesty, Julien Dupuy Pen: Sam Vesty (3)

Pen: Olly Barkley (3)

Con: Dave Walder Pen: Dave Walder (5) James Downey, Roger Wilson Con: Barry Everitt Stephen Myler (2) Pen: Barry Everitt (4)

Drop Goal: Charlie Hodgson Hala’ufia Con: Tom Homer (2) Pen: Tom Homer (3)

Con: Willie Walker (2) Pen: Willie Walker Con: Tom May Pen: Tom May (4) Con: Mike Brown Pen: Nick Evans (3)

Con: Butch James Pen: Butch James (3)

Round 18

Con: Butch James (2), Shaun Berne Pen: Butch James (5) Brent Wilson Con: Tom May (2)

Pen: Tom May (2) Con: Julien Dupuy (2), Sam Vesty, Derick Hougaard (2) Pen: Julien Dupuy, Derick Hougaard

Con: Glen Jackson

Pen: Glen Jackson (2)

Drop Goal: Justin Marshall Con: Tom Homer (2) Pen: Tom Homer (6) Con: Barry Everitt Pen: Bruce Reihana (4), Barry Everitt Con: Chris Malone (3) Pen: Chris Malone (4)

Pen: Charlie Hodgson (5) Con: Dave Walder Pen: Danny Cipriani (3) Con: Ed Barnes (2)

Pen: Willie Walker (3) Con: Carlos Spencer Pen: Carlos Spencer

Round 19

Con: Charlie Hodgson Pen: Charlie Hodgson (2)

Con: Jack Cuthbert Pen: Ryan Davis (3)

Pen: Tom May (2) Drop Goal: Tom May Con: Toby Flood Pen: Toby Flood Mariano Sambucetti, Haydn Thomas Con: Ed Barnes (2)

Drop Goal: Tom Arscott

Con: Willie Walker Pen: Willie Walker (2) Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (4)

Pen: Danny Cipriani (3)

Rearranged fixtures

Jordan Turner-Hall, Ugo Monye, Danny Care, Tani Fuga, Chris Robshaw, Nick Easter (3) Con: Chris Malone (2), Waisea Luveniyali (3)

Con: Loki Crichton, Joe Carlisle Con: Butch James Pen: Butch James (5)

Pen: Danny Cipriani (2), Jeremy Staunton

Round 20

Pen: Butch James Con: Chris Malone Pen: Chris Malone (3) Drop Goal: Danny Care Paul Hodgson, Nick Kennedy (2), Steffon Armitage Con: Delon Armitage Pen: Tom Homer (2) David Lemi

Con: Tom Arscott (3) Con: Stephen Myler (2), Barry Everitt (2) Pen: Stephen Myler (4) Will James Con: Ryan Lamb (2)

Pen: Olly Barkley Con: Willie Walker Pen: Willie Walker (3), Matt Jones Drop Goal: Willie Walker

Pen: Gordon Ross Con: Sam Vesty, Toby Flood (2) Pen: Toby Flood (2)

Con: Charlie Hodgson (2)

Pen: Charlie Hodgson (4) Drop Goal: Danny Cipriani

Round 21

Con: Hodgson (4) Con: Myler Pen: Myler (3) Pen: Armitage (4) Con: Barnes Pen: Barnes (2) Con: Cipriani (4) Pen: Cipriani Con: Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (2) Pen: Vesty (2) Con: May (2) Con: Davis Pen: Davis Con: Walker Pen: Walker (2)

Round 22

Con: Ryan Davis (3) Pen: Ryan Davis (4)

Con: Glen Jackson Pen: Glen Jackson (2) Tani Fuga, Nick Easter (2) Con: Waisea Luveniyali (3)

Con: Tom May Con: Geordan Murphy (2), Sam Vesty (3), Julien Dupuy (4) Simon Shaw Con: Danny Cipriani (2), Jeremy Staunton (2) Pen: Danny Cipriani (2) Eifion Lewis-Roberts, Dean Schofield, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe Con: Charlie Hodgson (2) Con: Stephen Myler Pen: Stephen Myler (2)

Con: Joe Carlisle Pen: Joe Carlisle Con: Delon Armitage (2) Pen: Delon Armitage

Play-offs

Semi-finals

Vesty 38' c Moody 69' c Conv: Dupuy (3/3) Pen: Dupuy 51' Hooper 57' m Catt 75' c Conv: D. Armitage (2/2) Pen: D. Armitage 43'

Final

Report 2 Conv: Dupuy (1/1) Pen: Dupuy 17' DG: Hewat 0'

|} | Touch judges:

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Television Match Official:

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Top scorers

Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who did not earn international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.

Most points

Source:

Most tries

Source:

Notes

References

1. Under Heineken Cup rules, an extra berth is given to either England, France, or Italy, depending on which country's club advances the farthest in the previous season's Heineken Cup. No Italian team made the knockout stage; France's only representative in the knockout stage; [[Stade Toulousain. Toulouse]], went out in the quarter-finals.
2. "2008-09 Premiership Rugby top points scorers". ESPNScrum.
3. "2008-09 Premiership Rugby top try scorers". ESPNscrum.