Newcastle stun Leicester as Quins, Exeter and Gloucester win Cup ties
Dan McFarland could hardly have asked for a louder start. His Newcastle Red Bulls beat Leicester Tigers 36-24 at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday, 12 September 2026, in the Prem Rugby Cup — the early-season competition for England's top-flight clubs BBC Sport.
It was McFarland's first senior fixture as Newcastle head coach. It also ended a run of nine straight defeats to Leicester.
Newcastle led 21-0 at half-time. Will Rigg, Harrison Obatoyinbo and Alex Hearle all crossed for tries — touching the ball down over the line for five points — and Leicester had no answer before the break.
Leicester fought back after it. Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Archie van der Flier, Adam Radwan and Charlie Bemand all scored, but Newcastle held their nerve. Werner Kok and Allan Ferrie added further tries for the visitors, and Zack Henry kicked a late penalty to seal it.
Harlequins produced the comeback of the day. They trailed Northampton Saints 14-5 before winning 29-14 to go top of Pool B.
Northampton's lead came through scores from Will Hobson, Tom Pearson and Toby Thame. Quins then took control with tries from Sean Kerr, Stuart Townsend, Cameron Anderson and Josh Bellamy.
At Sandy Park, Exeter Chiefs beat Bristol Bears 45-21. Winger Olly Woodburn did the early damage with a nine-minute hat-trick to put Exeter 17-0 ahead.
Bristol never recovered. Kane James scored twice for Exeter and Ethan Roots added another to complete a comfortable home win.
Gloucester also won big, beating Sale Sharks 43-26 for their first Pool A victory of the campaign. Hooker Seb Blake scored twice in the first half, with Ben Redshaw, Will Joseph and Ollie Thorley also crossing before the interval.
What makes this stand out is the timing. The Cup is a chance for squads to test depth and young players before the league grind. This season features all 10 Prem Rugby clubs, with live free-to-air coverage streamed on the league's YouTube channel PREM Rugby.
For fans, this means early clues, not conclusions. Newcastle will take belief from winning at Welford Road. The rest will take lessons.
