Tigers overpower Chiefs to win PREM Rugby Cup
- 152
Leicester Tigers stormed to this season’s first piece of silverware after they dispatched Exeter Chiefs 66-14 in the PREM Rugby Cup final at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, writes Phil Campbell.
In torrential conditions in the East Midlands, it was Tigers who reigned over their visitors, running in 10 tries on their way to a record points haul in a domestic showpiece.
Will Wand and Billy Searle both grabbed first-half braces as Tigers built a commanding 35-7 lead at the break, but Ross Vintcent made sure Exeter put their first points on the board.
But Archie van der Flier’s second score early in the second half continued Leicester’s momentum as further scores from a penalty try, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Tarek Haffar and James O’Connor completed the rout and secured a first-ever PREM Rugby Cup.
On home soil, Tigers made the brighter start and broke the deadlock after six minutes.
With Leicester two metres out from the try line, the ball found its way to Wand who finished cleverly as he rotated himself over the line to score.
Van der Flier followed his teammate over the line four minutes later as the prop finished off after Ollie Hassell-Collins’ burst through a gap in Exeter’s defence.
Tigers assumed full control two minutes later when Searle, named Player of the Match, incepted Will Haydon-Wood’s pass and sprinted downfield to score.
Wand notched up Tigers’ fourth try just before the half-hour mark when he had the easy job of walking the ball home after collecting Tom Whiteley’s cross-field kick to exploit the acres of space he found himself in.
Searle, having converted all four tries up to that point, got his second before the first half was out, duly adding the extras from his own effort, but Exeter did go in at half-time with something to build on after Vintcent went over.
PREM RUGBY CUP CHAMPIONS ๐@LeicesterTigers ๐ pic.twitter.com/yd5NNDf4cc
— PREM Rugby (@premrugby) March 15, 2026
With Leicester in the ascendancy in the first major final in 113 years held at their ground, Van der Flier ended any talk of an Exeter comeback on 44 minutes after his grounding was award after a TMO check
Things went from bad to worse for Exeter as Martin Maloney saw yellow after Tigers were awarded a penalty try following an infringement close to the try line.
Haydon-Wood’s score on 57 minutes proved to be little more than a conciliation as Tigers continued to rally; the Exeter fly-half’s defensive kick on the hour collected by Hamer-Webb who scored well in the corner.
As the weather improved, so did Tigers’ buffer as Haffar dotted down for the men in green’s ninth visit beyond Exeter’s try line.
Double digits in the tries scored collum was then brought up by Australia International O’Connor with four minutes to go to round off the scoring.
Jubilant scenes followed the full-time whistle at Mattioli Woods Welford Road as skipper Tommy Reffell lifted the club’s first trophy since their Gallagher PREM title in 2022.
