The JAECOO Next Gen Cup

The JAECOO Next Gen Cup (formerly PWR Cup) is staged between all nine Premiership Women’s Rugby clubs, initially split into two pools.

In 2025-26 the competition was won by Saracens (above), with Harlequins as runners-up.

The final placings were: Saracens, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks, Loughborough Lightning, Trailfinders Women, Gloucester Hartpury, Leicester Tigers.

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The Format for the 2026-27 season:

The Cup will comprise a pool stage, involving the nine PWR clubs, followed by a knockout stage for the top qualifiers. There are two Pools. Pool A is made up of five teams, and Pool B of four teams.

Pool A will consist of Saracens, Exeter Chiefs, Sale Sharks, Loughborough Lightning and Leicester Tigers, with pool B containing Harlequins, Bristol Bears, Trailfinders and Gloucester Hartpury.

The pools were drawn based on seedings using the final standings from 2025/26 cup competition. The top eight teams were allocated to the pools using the alternate seeding method (i.e. one in Pool A, two in Pool B, three in Pool A, four in Pool B etc.). The ninth team were drawn into the pools randomly to determine which pool had the make-up of five teams.

The knock-outs will comprise the top two teams from each pool advancing to crossover Semi-final fixtures.

Semi-finals: A1 v B2 and B1 v A2.

The two losing Semi-finalists will play-off for third place and the two winning semi-finalists will compete in the Final. All knock-out fixtures will be played at the home venue of the highest-seeded club (based on pool standings – finer details for calculating seeding order, if necessary, will be confirmed in the competition regulations).

All other teams will play no further part in the Cup competition and are free to arrange their own fixtures during the knock-out period.

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Fixtures

The 2026/27 JAECOO Next Gen Cup will start in mid-September and conclude with a final on the weekend of November 7/8.

The first weekend of group action is on the weekend of September 19/20, with Leicester hosting Saracens and Sale Sharks welcoming Loughborough Lightning in Group A. The Group B opening weekend sees Trailfinders head to Bristol Bears and Harlequins play host to Gloucester Hartpury.

That is the first of five consecutive weekends of group matches, with a reserve weekend in place on October 17/18. Teams in Pool B will have two ‘bye’ weekends, in Round 2 and Round 4.

The semi-finals will take place on the weekend of October 31/November 1. The winner of Pool A will face the runner-up from Pool B in the first semi-final, with the Pool B winner taking on the Pool A runner-up in the second semi-final. The final will then take place the following weekend.

To see the fixture list, click here.