4. Northampton Saints – 2013/14 Premiership & Challenge Cup Double
Northampton Saints are eyeing up to go one better than the history books, a decade after their impressive Premiership and EPCR Challenge Cup double from the 2013/14 season. The most recent double to feature a Premiership side to win the league and also the secondary European competition, Northampton took home silverware from the Challenge Cup, after dropping down into the competition from the Champions Cup pool stage exit.
The Saints marched on through knock-out stage victories over Premiership opponents, as they sent Sale Sharks and Harlequins packing from their own European glory hopes. Northampton then took on a third Premiership opponent in the Challenge Cup Final, as a litany of sides from England’s top division populated the Challenge Cup knockout stages. Northampton and Bath met in the final, with Cardiff Arms Park hosting over 12,000 fans of the two English sides.
Northampton took the spoils from the Welsh capital following a 30-16 triumph, with tries from Ben Foden, and the now Saints Director of Rugby Phil Dowson. Stephen Myler played an integral role in the fixture, with the majority of the point scoring coming from the tee. Myler hammered six penalties through the uprights, as Saints stretched their lead over Bath.
In the Premiership, Northampton finished second behind Saracens, whom they would go on to meet in the Grand Final at Twickenham. A fierce East Midlands derby was witnessed in the semi-final, with Franklin’s Gardens witnessing a barnstorming battle between the physical Premiership rivals. Saints edged out the Tigers 21-20, and clinched the title in ‘HQ’, following a dramatic 24-20 win. After 14-14 stalemate at 80 minutes, the Premiership Final witnessed extra time for the first time in it’s history, for an unforgettable Saints win.
5. Wasps – 2003/04 Premiership & Champions Cup Double
The 2022/23 Premiership season was truly one that will never be forgotten, as Wasps (along with Worcester Warriors and London Irish), entered financial administration and left the Premiership. A side of such iconic status and identified in glory, Wasps are the fifth most recent team to ‘do the double’, dating back to the 2003/04 season.
With the Premiership under the ‘Zurich’ banner, and the Wasps nestled up in London, the famous black and yellows finished the 2003/04 Premiership season in second place, with Bath Rugby taking poll position. The old format of the Premiership automatically qualified the Blue, Black and Whites for the final, whilst Wasps thumped Northampton 57-20 to secure a place at Twickenham. The season finale lacked the same sting as the semi-final, as the 10-6 Wasps victory was one for the purists, as England legend Lawrence Dallaglio lifted his second of three consecutive league title with the club.
The European campaign saw Wasps embark on the Heineken Cup, as they cruised to the top of Pool 6. Victories over the short lived Celtic Warriors, Pepignan and Calvisano established the Wasps as the apex predator of the pool, for a progressive slot into the next round. Then came more established names of the early Heineken Cup days, as Wasps battled past Gloucester and Munster to set-up a final against Toulouse. The 27-20 triumph in Twickenham cemented Wasps’ European legacy as a powerhouse of the domestic game.