2018–19 Principality Premiership

The 2018–19 Principality Premiership was the third season of the new format of the Principality Premiership, the top tier of club rugby in Wales run by the Welsh Rugby Union. It was contested by sixteen Welsh clubs following an expansion from twelve teams at the start of the 2016–17 season. The 2018–19 season saw the end of "ring-fencing" and relegation returned for this season with four teams being automatically relegated to the 2019–20 WRU Championship and a fifth team avoiding relegation by winning a playoff.

2018–19 Principality Premiership
Countries Wales
Date1 September 2018 – 18 May 2019
ChampionsMerthyr (3rd title)
RelegatedBedwas
Cross Keys
Bargoed
Neath
Matches played240

Structure

The structure this year has reverted to a traditional league. Each team will play each other team on a home and away basis for a total of 30 games. League points are awarded as such – 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw and 0 for a loss. Teams can also earn an additional bonus point by scoring four or more tries in a match and/or losing by less than seven points. This season sees the return of relegation from the Premiership after two seasons of ring fencing. The bottom four sides will automatically be relegated to the Championship for the 2019–20 season. The 12th placed side will play-off against the winners of the 2018–19 WRU Championship at a neutral venue to determine the 12th team in next season's Premiership. If the winners of the Championship do not have an 'A License' necessary to compete in the Premiership, then the 12th placed team will remain in the Premiership for next season.[1]

Teams

The same 16 teams that competed the previous season competed again this season. Merthyr are the reigning champions and are aiming to win the league for the third year in succession.

Locations of the 2017–18 Principality Premiership teams with colour markers to represent the region they belong to:

Orange = Dragons
Blue = Cardiff Blues
Black = Ospreys
Red = Scarlets

  • RGC acts as a de facto club representing North Wales
Club Stadium Capacity Area
Aberavon Talbot Athletic Ground 3,000 Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot
Bargoed Bargoed Park 1,500 Bargoed, Caerphilly
Bedwas Bridge Field 2,000 Bedwas, Caerphilly
Bridgend Brewery Field 8,000 Bridgend
Cardiff Cardiff Arms Park 12,125 Cardiff
Carmarthen Quins Carmarthen Park 3,000 Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire
Cross Keys Pandy Park 3,000 Crosskeys, Caerphilly
Ebbw Vale Eugene Cross Park 8,000 Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent
Llandovery Church Bank Playing Fields 3,000 Llandovery, Carmarthenshire
Llanelli Parc y Scarlets 14,870 Llanelli, Carmarthenshire
Merthyr The Wern 4,500 Merthyr Tydfil
Neath The Gnoll 6,000 Neath, Neath Port Talbot
Newport Rodney Parade 11,676 Newport
Pontypridd Sardis Road 7,861 Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf
RGC 1404 Eirias Stadium 6,000 Colwyn Bay, Conwy
Swansea St Helen's 4,500 Swansea

Standings
2018–19 Principality Premiership Table
Team Played Won Drawn Lost PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP Total Points Notes
1Merthyr (C)30230788559129413074232117Champions
2Cardiff30221799166033112987174111
3Pontypridd302208101558043514076184110
4Llandovery30211885455130311267153104
5Ebbw Vale30201976259416895739495
6Aberavon301821069860395988110490
7Newport301721175770057979611588
8RGC 1404301411585965020912183161185
9Swansea301601467459480917513481
10Carmarthen Quins30131166375845377678971
11Bridgend3012018689714-2587909966
12Llanelli3012117679723-46919610363Relegation play-off
13Bedwas (R)3012117681835-154861138462Relegated to 2019–20 WRU Championship
14Cross Keys (R)3051245861093-507751609536
15Bargoed (R)3060245761003-427761348335
16Neath (R)3010294061274-86651184233*[n 1]
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Number of tries scored
  3. Ratio between points for:points against
  1. *Neath were deducted a total of 6 points for failing to fulfil fixtures against Bedwas and RGC 1404 in December.[2]

    Updated: 18 May 2019
    Source: "Principality Premiership". allwalessport.

    Promotion/relegation play-off

    The 12th placed team of the Premiership (Llanelli) faced the winner of the Championship (Pontypool) to determine who the 12th team will be in next season's Premiership. The play-off was a one-off game played at a neutral venue. The venue was announced as Aberavon's home ground the Tablbot Athletic Ground on 7 May 2019.[3] Llanelli won the game and would therefore remain in the Premiership for the 2019–20 season. Pontypool would contest the Championship for the 2019–20 season

    17 May 2019
    19:05
    Llanelli 27–16 Pontypool
    Talbot Athletic Ground

    References
    1. "THE WELSH RUGBY UNION NATIONAL LEAGUE RULES 2018-20" (PDF). Wru.co.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
    2. "Statement - Neath". Welsh Rugby Union. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
    3. http://pontypoolrugby.co.uk/news-article/302/Details-for-Principality-Premiership-play-off-released-by-Welsh-Rugby-Union
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