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 play-off. The competition was won by Merthyr for the third consecutive year.

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

Structure

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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

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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 2018–19 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

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2018–19 Principality Premiership Table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Result
1 Merthyr (C) 30 23 0 7 885 591 +294 130 74 23 2 117 Champions
2 Cardiff 30 22 1 7 991 660 +331 129 87 17 4 111
3 Pontypridd 30 22 0 8 1015 580 +435 140 76 18 4 110
4 Llandovery 30 21 1 8 854 551 +303 112 67 15 3 104
5 Ebbw Vale 30 20 1 9 762 594 +168 95 73 9 4 95
6 Aberavon 30 18 2 10 698 603 +95 98 81 10 4 90
7 Newport 30 17 2 11 757 700 +57 97 96 11 5 88
8 RGC 1404 30 14 1 15 859 650 +209 121 83 16 11 85
9 Swansea 30 16 0 14 674 594 +80 91 75 13 4 81
10 Carmarthen Quins 30 13 1 16 637 584 +53 77 67 8 9 71
11 Bridgend 30 12 0 18 689 714 −25 87 90 9 9 66
12 Llanelli 30 12 1 17 679 723 −44 91 96 10 3 63 Relegation play-off
13 Bedwas (R) 30 12 1 17 681 835 −154 86 113 8 4 62 Relegated to 2019–20 WRU Championship
14 Cross Keys (R) 30 5 1 24 586 1093 −507 75 160 9 5 36
15 Bargoed (R) 30 6 0 24 576 1003 −427 76 134 8 3 35
16 Neath (R) 30 1 0 29 406 1274 −868 51 184 2 3 3[a]
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: "Principality Premiership". allwalessport.
Rules for classification: 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
    (C) Champion; (R) Relegated
    Notes:
  1. ^ Neath were deducted a total of 6 points for failing to fulfil fixtures against Bedwas and RGC 1404 in December.[2]

Promotion/relegation play-off

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The 12th placed team of the Premiership (Llanelli) faced the winner of the Championship (Pontypool) to determine who 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
Llanelli27–16Pontypool
Talbot Athletic Ground

References

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