A club-by-club breakdown of the new Premiership season

The 2022-23 Gallagher Premiership season kicks off on Friday with a west country derby between Bristol and Bath at Ashton Gate.

It is the 26th Premiership campaign, and 11-time champions Leicester will defend the crown they won after a thrilling Twickenham final against Saracens.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the 13 runners and riders, including player signings and departures.

Bath
Ground: Recreation Ground
Head of rugby: Johann van Graan
Last season: 13th
Title odds: 50-1

Players in: Niall Annett (Worcester), Matt Gallagher, Chris Cloete (both Munster), Louis Schreuder (Newcastle), Dave Attwood (Bristol), Piers Francis, JJ Tonks (both Northampton), Wesley White (Jersey), GJ van Velze (Tel Aviv Heat), Quinn Roux (Toulon), Michael Etete (Leeds).

Players out: Taulupe Faletau (Bath), Semesa Rokoduguni (Montauban), Anthony Watson (Leicester), Max Clark (Dragons), Valery Morozov (Worcester), Tian Schoeman (Newcastle), Jacques du Toit (Zebre Parma), Ollie Fox (Ealing), Danny Cipriani, Tom Prydie (both released).

Bristol Bears
Ground: Ashton Gate
Rugby director Pat Lam
Last season: 10th
Title odds: 20-1

Players in: Ellis Genge (Leicester), AJ MacGinty (Sale Sharks), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh), Gabriel Ibitoye (Tel Aviv Heat), Richard Lane (Bedford).

Players out: Dave Attwood (Bath), John Afoa (Vannes), Antoine Frisch (Munster), Tiff Eden (Zebre Parma), Alapati Leiua (Waikato), Mitch Eadie, Niyi Adeolokun, Nathan Hughes (all released).

Exeter Chiefs
Ground: Sandy Park
Rugby director: Rob Baxter
Last season: 7th
Title odds: 5-1

Players in: Jack Dunne, Rory O’Loughlin (both Leinster), Solomone Kata (Moana Pasifika), Aidon Davis (Cheetahs), Ruben van Heerden (Sharks).

Players out: Sam Skinner (Edinburgh), Jonny Hill, Tom O’Flaherty (both Sale Sharks), Will Witty (Perpignan), Alfie Petch, Aaron Hinkley (both Northampton), Sean Lonsdale (Dragons), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Benetton), Don Armand (retired).

Gloucester
Ground: Kingsholm
Head coach: George Skivington
Last season: 5th
Title odds: 16-1

Players in: Albert Tuisue (London Irish).

Players out: Jason Woodward (Sale Sharks), Will Britton, Olly Adkins, Seb Nagle-Taylor (all Cornish Pirates), Toby Venner (Jersey), Jack Stanley (released), Ed Slater (retired).

Harlequins
Ground: Twickenham Stoop
Head coach: Tabai Matson
Last season: 3rd
Title odds: 6-1

Players in: Irne Herbst (Benetton), Charlie Matthews (Kamaishi Seawaves).

Players out: Hugh Tizard (Saracens), Huw Jones (Glasgow), Christian Scotland-Williamson (released), Matt Symons, Joe Gray (both retired).

Leicester Tigers
Ground: Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Head coach: Steve Borthwick
Last season: Champions
Title odds: 7-2

Players in: Handre Pollard (Montpellier), Anthony Watson (Bath), Jimmy Gopperth (Wasps), James Cronin (Biarritz), Phil Cokanasiga, Olly Cracknell (both London Irish), Joe Taufete’e (LA Giltinis), Lachlan Shelley (Eastwood), Tom Horton (NSW Waratahs).

Players out: Ellis Genge (Bristol), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Matias Moroni (Newcastle), Marco van Staden (released), Jaco Taute (retired).

London Irish
Ground: Gtech Community Stadium
Rugby director: Declan Kidney
Last season: 8th
Title odds: 33-1

Players in: Api Ratuniyarawa (Northampton), Isaac Miller (Worcester), Danilo Fischetti (Zebre Parma), Luca Morisi (Benetton), Joe Powell (Melbourne Rebels).

Players out: Albert Tuisue (Gloucester), Terrence Hepetema (Grenoble), Steve Mafi (Oyonnax), George Nott (Dragons), Phil Cokanasiga. Olly Cracknell (both Leicester), Allan Dell (Glasgow), Nick Phipps (released), Sean O’Brien (retired).

Newcastle Falcons
Ground: Kingston Park
Head coach: Dave Walder
Last season: 12th
Title odds: 150-1

Players in: Tian Schoeman (Bath), Matias Moroni (Leicester), Josh Thomas (Ospreys), Sebastian de Chaves (Austin Gilgronis).

Players out: Louis Schreuder (Bath), Will Haydon-Wood (Wasps), Marco Fuser (Massy), Joel Hodgson (Glasgow), Mike Brown, Luther Burrell, Kyle Cooper, Ollie Lindsay-Hague (all released).

Northampton Saints
Ground: cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
Rugby director: Phil Dowson
Last season: 4th
Title odds: 14-1

Players in: Callum Braley (Benetton), Ethan Waller (Worcester), Angus Scott-Young (Queensland Reds), Aaron Hinkley, Alfie Petch (both Exeter).

Players out: Teimana Harrison (Provence), Piers Francis, JJ Tonks (both Bath), Nick Auterac (Edinburgh), Api Ratuniyarawa (London Irish), Taqele Naiyaravoro (released), Tom Wood (retired).

Sale Sharks
Ground: AJ Bell Stadium
Rugby director: Alex Sanderson
Last season: 6th
Title odds: 17-2

Players in: George Ford (Leicester), Jonny Hill, Tom O’Flaherty (both Exeter), Jason Woodward (Gloucester).

Players out: Faf de Klerk (Yokohama Canon Eagles), Lood de Jager (Saitama Wild Knights), AJ MacGinty (Bristol), JP du Preez (Glasgow), Curtis Langdon, Cameron Neild (both Worcester), Rohan Janse van Rensburg (Sharks, South Africa), Simon Hammersley (retired).

Saracens
Ground: StoneX Stadium
Rugby director: Mark McCall
Last season: Runners-up
Title odds: 15-8

Players in: Hugh Tizard (Harlequins), Christian Judge (Worcester), Eduardo Bello (Zebre Parma), James Flynn (Jersey).

Players out: Vincent Koch (Wasps), Sean Reffell (Ulster), Richard Barrington (Agen), Elliott Obatoyinbo (released), Tim Swinson (retired).

Wasps
Ground: Coventry Building Society Arena
Head coach: Lee Blackett
Last season: 9th
Title odds: 20-1
Players in: Vincent Koch (Saracens), John Ryan (Munster), Will Haydon-Wood (Newcastle), Burger Odendaal (Lions), Kiran McDonald (Glasgow).

Players out: Thomas Young (Cardiff), Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), Malakai Fekitoa (Munster), Jimmy Gopperth (Leicester), Jeff Toomaga-Allen (Ulster), Michael Le Bourgeois (Bedford), Marcus Watson (Benetton), Pieter Scholtz (Bayonne), James Gaskell, Rob Miller (both released).

Worcester Warriors
Ground: Sixways
Rugby director: Steve Diamond
Last season: 11th
Title odds: 200-1

Players in: Curtis Langdon, Cameron Neild (both Sale Sharks), Fergus Lee-Warner, Santiago Medrano (both Western Force), Hame Faiva (Benetton), Valery Morozov (Bath), Renato Giammarioli (Zebre Parma).

Players out: Ethan Waller (Northampton), Niall Annett (Bath), Sione Vailanu (Glasgow), Christian Judge (Saracens), Isaac Miller (London Irish), Melani Nanai (Bay of Plenty), Sam Lewis (released), Matt Garvey (retired).