Premiership Rugby clubs' biggest ever defeats
In 2022, Bath Rugby were embarrassed by their bitter rivals Gloucester when they lost 0-64. It was the blue black and white’s biggest ever loss in the premiership; this got us thinking, what was each premiership team’s heaviest defeat?
Although this list focuses purely on English Premiership teams, there are some notable mentions from around the world…
In 1973, Denmark side Lindo lost 0-194 to league rivals Comet, and in Belgium, first division team Saigres have the heaviest defeat ever recorded in rugby when they lost 3-356 to Royal Kituro. Those three points scored by Saigres were a consolation drop goal!
Exeter Chiefs 12 – 55 Sale Sharks 2014 (43 Points)
One of the more modern fixtures on this list, Exeter Chiefs experienced their heaviest defeat four years after gaining promotion to England’s top tier.
At the time, the result was a shock with the two teams evenly matched on paper. Sale however were brilliant at Sandy Park, with a vintage display from Danny Cipriani at fly half. The Sharks scored two tries in two minutes before half time and really stretched their lead in the second half.
Despite this humiliating result, Exeter’s heaviest defeat of all time is the smallest of any Premiership team.
Leicester Tigers 7 – 54 Wasps 2020 (47 points)
When these two famous English rugby clubs met in September 2020, a youthful Leicester Tigers team were dominated from the first minute to the last.
It was a breakout game for No.8 Alfie Barbery who scored three of Wasps’ seven tries. Despite only being up by seven points at half time, the home side shutout Liecester and scored 40 more points of their own in the second period.
Leicester’s Director of Rugby at the time, Geordan Murphy was frank when describing the game: ‘I feel like I’ve been punched in the face quite a few times’
It was a game, and season, to forget for Leicester Tigers but if there was one positive to be found, it is that this thrashing marked Ellis Genge’s first game as Tiger’s captain. A role that he would go on to thrive in, during the 2021/22 season.
London Irish 16 – 64 Bath 2000 (48 points)
Not just happy with handing Harlequins their biggest defeat ever, the 2000 Bath side did the same to London Irish, this time winning by a margin of 48 points, which was followed up by another hammering by Bath in December of that same year.
During this period there is very little information on the games played and who scored. Nevertheless, this horrific result was clearly not indicative of the entire season as the exiles went on to finish mid table.
This record was close to being beaten 3 years ago when London Irish lost 63-19, to, you guessed it, Bath.
Gloucester 12 – 62 Saracens 2018 (50 points)
In a contest where Saracens dominated all aspects of the game, Gloucester shipped over 60 points and eight tries. On the day, discipline proved fatal for the away team who gave away 6 penalties to Saracens’ three.
Gloucester actually made a very bright start to the game, scoring inside the first minute and leading 12-7 for a brief period. This was as good as it got for the Cherry and Whites however, as it went on to become a brutal Saracens performance, spearheaded by Ben Spencer, Owen Farell and Liam Williams.
Northampton Saints 7 – 57 Exeter Chiefs 2020 (50 points)
2020 was evidently not a season for defences as four of the fixtures on this list occurred in that year.
The game was played under weather warnings as a result of Storm Ciara and Dennis and in all honesty Northampton Saints would have wished that the game was cancelled.
It was built up to be a tight encounter with Northampton only four points behind Exeter Chiefs who topped the table. On the day however, there was only ever one team in the contest.
An eight try Exeter demolition job including scores from Sam Simmonds, Johnny Hill and two for Tom Hendrickson. The Devonshire side were 22-0 up by halftime and never looked back from there.
Saints, it must be said, did not field their best side, with a number of absentees due to injury or international call ups.
Saracens 10 – 60 Wasps 2020 (50 points)
Saracens are the third team on this list who have experienced their biggest defeat playing against Wasps.
In a year full of scandal for the three time European Cup winners, their performance against Wasps was nothing short of an embarrassment
Saracens never really fired a shot in the contest as Jimmy Gopperth ran the show from No.10, being heavily involved throughout.
2019 / 2020 was a completely contrasting season for both of these sides. Wasps played some superb rugby and ended up as beaten finalists. In comparison, Saracens were relegated due to breaking the salary cap in what goes down as one of the biggest stories in English rugby history.
Sale Sharks 5 – 58 Wasps 2000 (53 Points)
Another game from the 2000 season, this time Sale shipped over 50 points to Wasps.
Played at Wasps’ old home of Loftus Road, Sharks fell to their biggest ever domestic defeat on April 30th 2000.
It was a dismal season for Sale who finished second from bottom and had a points difference of -252.
Worcester Warriors 5 – 62 Saracens 2020 (57 Points)
Worcester Warriors largest ever defeat came at a sold out Allianz Park in 2020 as a star studded Saracens side ran riot.
Although the game was won for quite some time it was the final period of the encounter where it became truly embarrassing for Worecester. The away team conceded three tries in the final eleven minutes, scored by Duncan Taylor, Jackson Wray and Elliot Daly.
Harlequins 19 – 77 Bath 2000 (58 points)
In 2000, Harlequins were handed their heaviest ever defeat by Bath at the Recreation Ground. Despite the scoreline, this was not a terrible Quins side, the London based team finished fourth the season before and was boasting players such as Zinzan Brooke and Jason Leonard.
On the day however, Bath steamrolled Harlequins, who themselves had rugby legends like Mike Tindall and Steve Borthwick on the pitch. Bath would go on to have a very strong season in 2000, fishing second. A stark contrast from Harlequins who would only avoid relegation as a result of Bedford Blue’s woeful season.
Wasps 13 – 74 Northampton Saints 2014 (59 Points)
A surprising trend on this list is that the teams who lose have often started the games better. Once again this is the case as Wasps quickly gained a 13-0 lead. However, from that moment they were completely outclassed by Saints who scored 74 unanswered points.
George North was at his rampaging best and Ben Foden set up an incredible try after he left the majority of Wasps defenders for dead.
Wasps conceded 11 tries on the day and gave Northampton all the confidence they needed heading into the playoffs that year.
Bath Rugby 0 – 64 against Gloucester 2022 (64 points)
Bath’s heaviest defeat came this year at the hands of arch rivals Gloucester, who trounced them 0-64 at the Shed. It was an embarrassment from start to finish as Stuart Hooper’s side gave a lethargic, passive performance, which left fans fuming.
Gloucester racked up 10 tries during the 80 minutes and were up 24-0 by halftime. What stung Bath fans even more about this defeat was how Gloucester never switched off and wanted to inflict as much damage on their opponents as possible.
After the abject display Bath Head Coach at the time, Neal Hatley said ‘To come off a defeat like that is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in rugby. It’s the hardest thing most of that group has ever done in rugby’.
Newcastle 10 – 83 Leicester Tigers 2005 (73 points)
Newcastle Falcons‘ 73 point defeat to Leicester Tigers at Welford Road is perilously close to the 76 point all-time record held by Bristol.
Remarkably it was Newcastle who opened the scoring but after that, the floodgates well and truly opened. A fresh faced Andy Goode had a personal tally of 28 points, as Leicester ran in a total of eleven tries.
The Tigers team was full of stars including Neil Back, Austin Healey and Henry Tuilagi; but it was Andy Goode who stole the headlines as he had a hand in almost every try.
Clearly a day that will make Newcastle fans wince.
Bristol Bears 0 – 76 Sale Sharks 1997 (76 points)
Good news Bristol Bears fans, your team have topped a list. Bad news, it’s this list.
Bristol’s loss to Sale in 1997 is the largest margin of defeat experienced by any of the current premiership teams. Although there is very little information surrounding the game, Bristol shipped nearly 80 points away to Sale Sharks in the early rounds of the 1997 season.
It was a terrible season for the West Country side who were relegated and had a points difference of -382. It was not the only heavy defeat for Bristol in that year, as they lost to Newcaste 8-50 and to Richmond 3-43.
Despite the shocking result to Sale and relegation that season, the action on the pitch was not the worst of their worries. Bristol were perilously close to collapse entirely and also lost their stadium, the Memorial Ground, to local football side, Bristol Rovers.
Overall, the 1997 season is one to forget for Bears fans.
Comments on RugbyPass
The Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
18 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
18 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
18 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
18 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
18 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
18 Go to commentsI hadn’t watched much Canes this season but sat through a replay of that Chiefs game with no distractions. That pack is beastly. I really like the look of Iose. He loves the tough stuff. The first Quins clip may be the best I have even seen for a TH driving his opposite into oblivion. i need to take your word for the contribution of Walker, but Collier there with a straight back pushing up from under was a lovely thing to see. Have you fallen in love with Baxter also, Nick? I think Stuart Barnes may have written his column about him recently, naked. He positively frothed.
15 Go to commentsSmart guy. I wish he was running the RFU or something!
3 Go to commentsWhy Barrett, when Leinster already have at least 4 top centres.?
15 Go to comments