Newcastle Falcons move back into Premiership Rugby Cup action on Saturday at Doncaster Knights. Here, we explain how the tournament works.

The 2024-25 Premiership Rugby Cup sees five pools of four, with the 10 Gallagher Premiership clubs joined by 10 from the RFU Championship.

POOL 1: Caldy, Doncaster Knights, Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks.

POOL 2: Coventry, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Nottingham.

POOL 3: Ealing Trailfinders, Harlequins, London Scottish, Saracens.

POOL 4: Ampthill, Bath, Bedford Blues, Bristol Bears.

POOL 5: Cornish Pirates, Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester, Hartpury.

Each club plays six pool games, with home-and-away matches against the other three teams in their group. At the end of the group stage the five pool winners go through to the quarter-finals, where they are joined by the three best runners-up.

At the midway stage of the group phase Newcastle Falcons are three points clear at the top of Pool A, having defeated Caldy (12-33), Doncaster Knights (31-28) and Sale Sharks (28-27).

To view the current pool tables, please click here.

The top five seeds for the quarter-finals are the five group winners, with seeds six, seven and eight being the best second-placed teams.

If teams are level on points the determining factors will be (in order): number of wins, points difference, points for, tries, fewest red cards and head-to-head record.

The quarter-finals will be seeds 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6 and 4 v 5, with home advantage to the higher seeds.

The semi-finals will be played at the home ground of the higher seed, as will the final.

Newcastle Falcons’ next home game is the Premiership Rugby Cup visit of Caldy on Sunday February 9.

The 3pm kick-off at Kingston Park IS included on the season ticket. Non-season ticket holders can buy tickets by clicking here. For hospitality bookings or queries, click here.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS’ PREMIERSHIP RUGBY CUP FIXTURES (home games in capitals)

Sat Nov 2: v Caldy (W 12-33)

SUN NOV 10: V DONCASTER KNIGHTS (W 31-28)

FRI NOV 22: V SALE SHARKS (W 28-27)

Sat Feb 1: v Doncaster Knights (2.30pm)

SUN FEB 9: V CALDY (3pm)

Sun Feb 16: v Sale Sharks (3pm)

Feb 28/Mar 1/2: Quarter-finals

Mar 7-9: Semi-finals

Mar 14-16: Final