A journey that began nearly nine months ago is about to come to an end at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. This Saturday, either Northampton Saints or Exeter Chiefs will become the latest team to lift the Gallagher PREM trophy.

Saints topped this season’s PREM Rugby table, and subsequently secured their place in the final by overcoming local rivals Leicester Tigers in a pulsating 45-31 semi-final victory at Franklin’s Gardens.

Chiefs earned the right to face them the following day, coming back from 26-10 down at half-time to beat reigning champions Bath in their own back yard.

Both teams have seen remarkable turnarounds in their domestic fortunes this year, having finished eighth and ninth, respectively, last season. But who will come out on top on what’s set to be a scorcher in south-west London?

Read on to find out what Rugby World predicts will happen on Saturday, along with team news and key information ahead of the game.

Read more: How to watch PREM Rugby wherever you are

PREM final 2026 predictions

Joseph Robinson, Editor of Rugby World

To see the teams that finished eighth and ninth last season reach the PREM final a year later shows the unpredictability of the league and is a forewarning to anyone looking to predict a winner at Twickenham on Saturday.

Northampton Saints should win. They won the title two years ago, reached a Champions Cup final last year and, player for player, have the edge over Exeter Chiefs. But the fact that Rob Baxter’s men have battled to this point demonstrates the dog in this fight.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s return from injury (and G&T soaking) is of monumental significance as he is the team’s biggest threat in attack. Len Ikitau and Henry Slade have been superb in the centres while Greg Fisilau and Tom Hooper in the back-row are of the highest quality. Then there is Dafydd Jenkins, a man who does the dirty work better than almost everyone else.

Despite that, the English core of Saints will be enough to slay the Chiefs. Phil Dowson has a team that are capable of scoring from any phase, either on rapid counter-attack or through patient phase-play. This variety means defences cannot switch off to the threat which the likes of Fin Smith, Tommy Freeman and Henry Pollock constantly propose.

It will be tight in the opening exchanges but I suspect a few moments of quality from these England internationals will pull Saints away to a 15-point win and bring home a second PREM title in three season.

Exeter Chiefs came back from 26-10 down against Bath at half-time to secure their place in Saturday’s final (David Rogers/Getty Images)

Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs: key details, kick-off time and TV channels

• Kick-off time: 3.00pm BST, Saturday 20 June
• UK TV channels: ITV4/ITVX (free); TNT Sports/HBO Max
• Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
• Capacity: 82,000

Read more: How to watch the PREM rugby final from anywhere in the world!

Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs facts

• Northampton Saints will be glad to know that finishing top of the PREM Rugby table generally bodes well heading into the final. The league leaders have claimed the title in each of the last four seasons, while – over the last 20 seasons – 50% of finals have been won by the number one seed.
• Another good omen for Saints – the winner of the first semi-final has gone on to lift the title in each of the last five seasons.
• The bad news for Exeter Chiefs? No side has yet lifted the PREM Rugby title from third in the table.
• Chiefs shouldn’t worry too much about past stats, however. Last weekend’s victory over Bath was only the second time in a decade that an away side has emerged victorious from a play-off semi-final.
• These two teams have never met in a PREM final before now.
• Saints’ last title came as recently as 2024, so they’re looking for their second PREM trophy in three years. Exeter Chiefs last won in 2020, though they were losing finalists the following year.
• One of these teams will break a sequence of a different team lifting the PREM trophy in each of the last six seasons.
• The winning captain will be the first to lift a freshly minted Gallagher PREM trophy. PREM Rugby claims that, at 26kg, it’s the heaviest in UK sport, surpassing football’s Premier League silverware.

Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs: head-to-head results

• Exeter Chiefs 28 v 35 Northampton Saints (Gallagher PREM, 18 April 2026)
• Exeter Chiefs 31 v 14 Northampton Saints (PREM Rugby Cup, 8 March 2026)
• Northampton Saints 33  v 33 Exeter Chiefs (Gallagher PREM, 28 September 2025)
• Exeter Chiefs 42 v 14 Northampton Saints (Gallagher PREM, 11 May 2025)
• Northampton Saints 30 v 24 Exeter Chiefs (Gallagher PREM, 28 September 2024)

PREM final 2026 line-ups and officials

Northampton Saints

15. George Furbank (captain)
14. Tommy Freeman
13. Tom Litchfield
12. Rory Hutchinson
11. George Hendy
10. Fin Smith
9. Archie McParland

1. Emmanuel Iyogun
2. Curtis Langdon
3. Elliot Millar Mills
4. Alex Coles
5. Ed Prowse
6. Josh Kemeny
7. Tom Pearson
8. Henry Pollock

Replacements:
16. Craig Wright
17. Danilo Fischetti
18. Luke Green
19. JJ Van Der Mescht
20. Tom Lockett
21. Callum Chick
22. Alex Mitchell
23. Fraser Dingwall

Exeter Chiefs

15. Olly Woodburn
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
13. Henry Slade
12. Len Ikitau
11. Campbell Ridl
10. Harvey Skinner
9. Stephen Varney

1. Scott Sio
2. Max Norey
3. Josh Iosefa-Scott
4. Dafydd Jenkins (captain)
5. Andrea Zambonin
6. Tom Hooper
7. Ethan Roots
8. Greg Fisilau

Replacements:
16. Joseph Dweba
17. Ethan Burger
18. Bachuki Tchumbadze
19. Christ Tshiunza
20. Ross Vintcent
21. Kane James
22. Tom Cairns
23. Will Haydon-Wood

Matthew Carley has been selected to referee the finale of the English domestic season, assisted by Adam Leal and Anthony Woodthorpe. Ian Tempest is the TMO.

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