BATH

Ground: Recreation Ground.

Capacity: 10,600.

Head coach: Steve Meehan.

Captain: To be announced.

Last season: 8th.

Players in: Butch James (Natal Sharks), Michael Claassens (Cheetahs, South Africa), Martin Purdy (Wasps), Daniel Browne (Northampton), Paulica Ion (Bucuresti), Mike Baxter (Pertemps Bees), Lorne Ward (Harlequins), Neil Clark (Cornish All Blacks).

Players out: Gareth Delve (Gloucester), David Bory (Brive), Chris Malone, Chris Brooker (both Harlequins), Andy Williams (Newport Gwent Dragons), Dave Ward (Northampton), Mike Mangeolles (Bristol), Matt Perry, Christian Loader (both retired).

Prediction: 11th.

BRISTOL

Ground: Memorial Stadium.

Capacity: 10,000.

Head coach: Richard Hill.

Captain: Matt Salter.

Last season: 3rd.

Players in: Scott Linklater (Waikato), Kevin Maggs (Ulster), Graeme Beveridge (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Bracken (Wasps), Anthony Elliott (Newcastle), Ray Hogan (Connacht), Haydn Thomas (Gloucester), Mike Mangeolles (Bath), Tom Arscott, Ed Barnes (both Plymouth Albion).

Players out: Danny Gray, Saul Nelson (both Exeter), Greg Nicholls, Richard Martin-Redman (both London Welsh), Mark Irish, Wayne Thompson (both Newbury), Geraint Lewis (Pontypridd), Marko Stanojevic (Calvisano), Justin Wring (Otley), Craig Short (retired), Bernardo Stortoni, Andy Reay, Neil Clark.

Prediction: 7th.

GLOUCESTER

Ground: Kingsholm.

Capacity: 16,500.

Head coach: Dean Ryan.

Captain: Marco Bortolami.

Last season: 1st (lost play-off final).

Players in: Jeremy Paul, Lesley Vainikolo (Bradford Bulls RL), Andy Titterrell (Sale Sharks), Gareth Cooper (Newport Gwent Dragons), Gareth Delve (Bath), Leon Lloyd (Leicester), Akapusi Qera (Pertemps Bees), Mike Prendergast (Bourgoin), Chris Paterson, Alasdair Strokosch, Alasdair Dickinson (all Edinburgh), Ali James (Newbury).

Players out: Peter Richards (London Irish), Mefin Davies (Leicester), Adam Eustace (Llanelli Scarlets), Jon Goodridge (Leeds), Brad Davies (Plymouth Albion), James Merriman (Neath), Rob Elloway (Cornish Pirates), Haydn Thomas (Bristol), Rudi Keil (Sale Sharks), Jake Boer (South Africa), Terry Sigley.

Prediction: 1st (Champions after play-off).

HARLEQUINS

Ground: Twickenham Stoop.

Capacity: 12,600.

Rugby director: Dean Richards.

Captain: Paul Volley.

Last season: 7th.

Players in: Gary Botha (Blue Bulls), De Wet Barry (Western Province), Chris Malone, Chris Brooker (both Bath), John Brooks, James Percival (both Northampton), Phil Davies (Bayonne).

Players out: Gavin Duffy, Mel Deane (both Connacht), George Harder (Mont de Marsan), Peter Cook (Cornish Pirates), Luke Sherriff (Nottingham), Lorne Ward (Bath), James Hayter (Llanelli Scarlets), James Richards (Neath), Andre Vos, Simon Miall (both retired), Andrew Mehrtens, Jimmy Richards (both released).

Prediction: 9th.

LEEDS CARNEGIE

Ground: Headingley Carnegie.

Capacity: 22,000.

Rugby director: Stuart Lancaster.

Captain: Stuart Hooper.

Last season: National League One champions.

Players in: Andy Tuilagi (Leicester), Viliami Ma'asi, Alberto Di Barnardo (both Cornish Pirates), Jon Goodridge (Gloucester), James Brooks (Wasps), Erik Lund, Joe Bedford, Hendre Fourie, Adam Hopcroft (all Rotherham), Fosi Pala'amo (Leinster).

Players out: Andre Snyman (retired), Richard Bryan, James Isaacson (both released).

Prediction: 12th.

LEICESTER

Ground: Welford Road.

Capacity: 16,815.

Rugby director: Marcelo Loffreda.

Captain: Martin Corry.

Last season: 2nd (won play-off final).

Players in: Aaron Mauger (Canterbury Crusaders), Ayoola Erinle (Wasps), Benjamin Kayser (Stade Francais), Mefin Davies (Gloucester), Richard Blaze (Worcester), Owen Finegan (Leinster), Christophe Laussucq (Castres), Boris Stankovich (Albi), Marco Wentzel (Treviso).

Players out: Leo Cullen, Shane Jennings (both Leinster), Daryl Gibson (Glasgow), Leon Lloyd (Gloucester), Michael Holford, James Buckland (both Wasps), Andy Tuilagi (Leeds), Henry Tuilagi (Perpignan), Ian Nimmo (Edinbirgh).

Prediction: 3rd.

LONDON IRISH

Ground: Madejski Stadium.

Capacity: 24,100.

Rugby director: Brian Smith.

Captain: Bob Casey.

Last season: 6th.

Players in: Clarke Dermody (Otago Highlanders), Peter Richards (Gloucester), Peter Hewat (New South Wales Waratahs), Jeremy Staunton, Warren Fury (both Wasps), Tomas de Vedia (Saracens), Eoghan Hickey (Munster), Mark Ireland (Newbury), Grant Anderson (Cornish Pirates), Tim Curran (Australia).

Players out: Riki Flutey (Wasps), Olivier Magne (Brive), Barry Everitt (Northampton), Justin Bishop (Doncaster), Michael Horak (Treviso), Richie Rees (Cardiff Blues), Michael Collins (Glasgow), Neal Hatley, Robbie Russell, Ben Willis (all retired).

Prediction: 6th.

NEWCASTLE

Ground: Kingston Park.

Capacity: 10,200.

Rugby director: John Fletcher.

Captain: Phil Dowson.

Last season: 9th.

Players in: Carl Hayman (Otago Highlanders), Steve Jones, Ross Beattie (both Borders).

Players out: Loki Crichton (Worcester), Anthony Elliott (Bristol), Robbie Morris, Mike McCarthy (both Connacht), Sean Tomes (Doncaster), Cory Harris (retired).

Prediction: 10th.

SALE SHARKS

Ground: Edgeley Park.

Capacity: 10,841.

Rugby director: Philippe Saint-Andre.

Captain Dean Schofield.

Last season: 10th.

Players in: Luke McAlister (Auckland Blues), Rory Lamont, Scott Lawson (both Glasgow Warriors), Julien Laharrague (Perpignan), Rudi Keil (Gloucester), Benoit Bourrust (Auch).

Players out: Andy Titterrell (Gloucester), Mark Taylor (Ospreys), Daniel Larrechea (Bayonne), Jon Bryant (Merthyr RFC), Barry Stewart (Northampton), Jason Robinson (retired), John Carter.

Prediction: 5th.

SARACENS

Ground: Vicarage Road.

Capacity: 19,102.

Rugby director: Alan Gaffney.

Captain: Neil de Kock.

Last season: 4th.

Players in: Chris Jack (Canterbury Crusaders), Brent Russell (Western Province), Francisco Leonelli (Glasgow), Gordon Ross (Castres), Mattias Aguero (Viadana), Edd Thrower (Wasps), Sakausa Matadigo (Nantes), Guthrie Hall (Natal Sharks).

Players out: Ben Johnston (Brive), Tomas de Vedia (London Irish), Ben Broster (Llanelli Scarlets), Ross Laidlaw (Plymouth Albion), Simon Raiwalui, Ben Russell (both Metro Racing, Paris), Thomas Castaignede, Shane Byrne (both retired), Tevita Vaikona (released).

Prediction: 2nd.

WASPS

Ground: Adams Park.

Capacity: 10,000.

Rugby director: Ian McGeechan.

Captain: John Hart (for start of season).

Last season: 5th.

Players in: Riki Flutey (London Irish), Pat Barnard (Northampton), James Buckland, Michael Holford (both Leicester).

Players out: Johnny O'Connor (Connacht), Alex King (Clermont Auvergne), Peter Bracken (Bristol), Ayoola Erinle (Leicester), James Brooks (Leeds), Jeremy Staunton, Warren Fury (both London Irish), Alistair McKenzie (Calvisano), Martin Purdy (Bath), Edd Thrower (Saracens), Jonny Barrett (retired).

Prediction: 4th.

WORCESTER

Ground: Sixways.

Capacity: 10.197.

Rugby director: Mike Ruddock.

Captain: Pat Sanderson.

Last season: 11th.

Players in: Rico Gear (Canterbury Crusaders), Sam Tuitupou, Greg Rawlinson (both Auckland Blues), Loki Crichton (Newcastle), Shaun Ruwers (Waterloo), Netani Talei (Doncaster).

Players out: Richard Blaze (Leicester), Thomas Lombard (Racing Club de France), Simon Whatling (Cornish Pirates), Miguel Avramovic (Montauban), Tom Harding (Wellington, New Zealand).

Prediction: 8th.