Redevelopment works will displace two Premiership home fixtures
Bath will move their last two home Premiership matches of the 2026/27 season to an alternative ground while work begins on the long-awaited redevelopment of the Recreation Ground. The club received planning permission in September 2025 to expand the ground to a capacity of 18,000, an increase of 3,500 on the current size, through the construction of new East and West stands.
The club has confirmed that the scheme — now brought forward so that its target completion is the start of the 2028/29 season — will be carried out in phases and that initial construction will take place during the coming campaign. As a result, Premiership fixtures in round 16 and round 18 — against Harlequins and Saracens respectively — will be played at an alternative host venue. That venue has not yet been named.
“We are in discussion with alternative host venues and we will update you once the location for these fixtures is confirmed,”
said Tarquin McDonald, the club’s chief executive, adding that the organisation will try to limit disruption and “hope that you will all join us and help make these fixtures a proper home away from home.”
Local consequences — supporters, clubs and businesses
The move will affect season-ticket holders, matchday staff, hospitality partners and the small businesses that rely on rugby crowds. Bath have occupied the Recreation Ground site since 1894, and the ground is woven into the city’s sporting identity. The club’s progress last season — losing in the semi-finals of both the Premiership and the Champions Cup — heightened local expectations and the potential importance of late-season home fixtures.
Club officials say the works are intended to enhance facilities and increase capacity to secure the club’s long-term future, but the short-term impact will include travel to an alternative stadium and adjustments to local transport and policing plans on matchdays.
- Planning consent granted: September 2025
- New capacity target: 18,000 (uplift of 3,500)
- Work start: during the 2026/27 campaign
- Target completion: start of the 2028/29 season
- Fixtures affected: round 16 v Harlequins; round 18 v Saracens
What to expect next
The club has pledged to announce the temporary host venue in due course and to minimise disruption. The relocated matches could also affect the staging of any home play-off match, should Bath finish in the Premiership top two — that fixture would be expected to take place at the alternative ground if the redevelopment is still underway.
For supporters, the club’s challenge will be to retain the sense of a home atmosphere at another stadium. For the city, there are financial and logistical considerations: matchday income for pubs, restaurants and traders close to the Recreation Ground may fall for the displaced fixtures, while the long-term expansion aims to attract larger crowds in future seasons.
Although details such as the temporary venue and exact phasing of works remain to be confirmed, the club says the development is a progressive step for its future. The Recreation Ground has been the backdrop for Bath rugby for more than a century; the coming years will see a period of change as the ground is reshaped to meet modern demands.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Planning permission | Granted September 2025 |
| New capacity | 18,000 ( +3,500) |
| Phased work begins | During 2026/27 season |
| Completion target | Start of 2028/29 season |
| Visible impact | Two home Premiership matches relocated (rounds 16 and 18) |
The club’s supporters, local businesses and civic planners will be watching closely as further details emerge about venue arrangements, travel plans and how the phased works will be managed on matchdays.
