Bath Rugby Face Temporary Move From the Rec as Stadium Redevelopment Accelerated
Bath Rugby are preparing to play several major home fixtures away from their spiritual home at the Rec, with the club's long-awaited stadium redevelopment now being fast-tracked for completion by the start of the 2028-29 season.
According to BBC Sport, Bath's Premiership clash with Harlequins on the weekend of 15 May and their fixture against Saracens on 5 June are both due to be moved from the Rec. If Bath were to reach the Premiership semi-finals and earn a home tie next June, that match would also be played elsewhere. The reason is straightforward: the Rec, a compact riverside ground in central Bath that has hosted the club since the late 19th century, is at the heart of a redevelopment project the club's owners say is now being accelerated to ensure the new Stadium for Bath is ready for the 2028-29 campaign.
The most likely temporary home is Reading's SCL Stadium, a venue with rugby pedigree. The ground, formerly known as the Madejski Stadium, was home to London Irish rugby club from 2000 until the club's suspension and subsequent exile in 2020. Bath have played there before — the club reports a previous victory at the venue — and the infrastructure is proven.
Reading owner Rob Couhig has been vocal about the potential arrangement, highlighting upgrades made at the SCL Stadium this summer including improvements to the stands and a new pitch. Couhig said the new surface is built to handle rugby and recover quickly from it, a key consideration given the different demands rugby places on a playing field compared to football. He was also clear about priorities: Reading's football team remains the first tenant and, in his words, would be handled the right way. Any revenue generated from a Bath agreement would be reinvested in Reading's football squad, and Couhig noted that a deal would give the club additional spending room under the SCMP — the salary cost management protocol that governs how much League One clubs can spend on players.
Reading's final home game of the upcoming season is against Sheffield Wednesday on 1 May, and the club could also host a play-off match in May if they reach the League One play-offs. Those football fixtures would need to coexist with any Bath rugby matches scheduled at the same venue in the same month.
For Bath supporters, the prospect of watching big home matches an hour down the M4 rather than on the Rec's famous terrace is not ideal. But the club has framed the disruption as a necessary step toward a permanent solution. Chief Executive Tarquin McDonald issued an update to supporters in August 2026 describing positive progress on the Stadium for Bath construction, according to the club's LinkedIn.
Before the temporary relocation becomes reality, Bath fans will get one more chance to gather at the Rec. The club is hosting a free-to-attend Fan Village on Monday 31 August — the August Bank Holiday — to launch the 2026/27 season. Gates open at 13:00, with rugby skills challenges, player and coaching interviews, and autograph sessions on the agenda, according to Bath Rugby.
It may be one of the last chances to celebrate at the Rec before the diggers move in for good.
