PLYMOUTH ALBION 2026/27: READY TO GO AGAIN
After a third-place finish, a promotion play-off and a summer that has brought significant experience to Brickfields, Plymouth Albion begin the new National 1 season looking to build on the progress of 2025/26. In a division packed with contenders, another fascinating campaign awaits.
A new season begins with Plymouth Albion knowing just how fine the margins can be at the top of National 1.
Last season took Ryan Lamb’s side firmly into the promotion conversation. Albion finished third, behind champions Rotherham Titans and second-placed Blackheath, earning a place in the promotion play-offs and an opportunity to extend their season.
It was a campaign which demonstrated considerable progress.
Albion won 20 of their 26 league matches, put together an impressive 11-match winning run and scored exactly 1,000 points across the campaign.
Brickfields played its part too, becoming an increasingly difficult place for visiting teams throughout the season.
At the top, however, the margins were incredibly tight.
Rotherham eventually secured the National 1 title and automatic promotion, with Blackheath finishing second and Albion completing the top three.
Third place earned Albion a place in the newly introduced promotion play-offs, where they travelled to Blackheath with the opportunity to continue their push towards Champ Rugby.
It was not to be, with Albion’s season ultimately coming to an end at the play-off stage.
But rather than viewing the end of the campaign as a setback, Managing Director Max Venables believes the season provided another important step in Albion’s development.
“Last season wasn’t something for us to be disappointed about. We finished third, reached the play-offs and continued to make progress both on and off the pitch. It gave us a fantastic building block for where we want to take Plymouth Albion.
“The off-season has been incredibly positive. We’ve strengthened the playing squad, continued to grow commercially and there is a real sense of momentum around the club heading into the new campaign.
“We know where we want this club to go, but we also understand that it takes time and we have to keep building in the right way. What’s encouraging is that we’re seeing progress across so many areas of the club.”
That progress provides the platform for what comes next.
The challenge for 2026/27 is to build on it.
EXPERIENCE ARRIVES AT BRICKFIELDS
Rather than embarking on a major rebuild, Albion have retained an established core while adding significant experience around it.
And there are some impressive CVs among the players arriving at Brickfields.
One of the headline additions is James Kenny, who joins from Ealing Trailfinders.
Kenny brings considerable experience from higher levels of the game, having previously represented Exeter Chiefs and England Under-20s, as well as spending time with Cornish Pirates, Coventry and Ospreys.
His arrival from Ealing adds another experienced operator to Albion’s front row and further competition within a pack that will be crucial over another long National 1 campaign.
There is also an impressive CV arriving in the shape of Morgan Eames.
The towering forward has played his rugby on both sides of the Channel.
After beginning his senior career with Nottingham, Eames established himself with Doncaster Knights before heading to France to play in Pro D2.
He has also represented Premiership side Bristol Bears, with further spells in France following before his move back to England and Brickfields this summer.
At 6ft 7in, Eames provides an obvious physical presence, but his experience of professional environments in England and France could prove equally important.
Another player with experience in France is Sam Daly, although his name will already be familiar to Albion supporters.
Daly has previously worn the Plymouth Albion shirt and returns to Brickfields with considerably more experience behind him, including rugby with Doncaster Knights and time playing in France.
He has already made an impression during pre-season, picking up the Nuffield Health Man of the Match award against Cornish Pirates.
Chris Preen is another significant addition following his time with Worcester, bringing further experience to a squad that now contains an intriguing mixture of established Albion players, experienced recruits and younger players looking to make their mark.
Those younger additions include Cameron Doak, formerly of Harlequins and the Ulster academy, who also gained experience on loan with Chinnor in Champ Rugby.
Former Exeter Chiefs academy player Hudson Edkins has also put pen to paper after impressing throughout pre-season.
Charlie Crawley, formerly of Esher and currently serving with the Royal Marines, has earned his opportunity after working with the squad during the summer. He joins fellow Marines Rhys Williams and Jarrad Hayler at Brickfields.
There are familiar faces returning too, including quick-footed winger Pita Ratukadreu, who has represented the British Army and UK Armed Forces, and Ben Raivalitia.
The important point is that Albion have not had to start again.
The foundations of last season’s third-place side remain and the summer has been about adding competition, experience and depth around them.
NEW CAPTAIN, ESTABLISHED LEADERSHIP
Albion head into the new campaign with Huw Taylor as Club Captain, supported by Dan Pullinger and Jack Oulton as Co-Captains.
Taylor joined Albion during the latter stages of last season and quickly established himself as an influential figure within the group.
The experienced forward has played at a high level throughout his career, including with Worcester Warriors, and represented England at Under-18 and Under-20 level, helping England win the 2016 World Rugby Under-20 Championship.
Pullinger and Oulton provide important continuity alongside him, having led the side together last season and remaining central figures within the squad.
For Taylor, taking the captaincy comes alongside a clear ambition for where he believes Albion can ultimately go.
“I’m really grateful and excited for the opportunity to be named captain for the 2026/27 season. It is a massive honour to captain such a prestigious club as Albion, but we’ve got plenty of leaders within the group that I’ll be leaning on to help me through the season.
“I truly believe this club is a top-six Championship club in the making, and it’s important that we start behaving like it and believing it.
“Pre-season has started really strongly, we’ve added some experience to an already top squad, and that is driving standards across the whole group.”
With Taylor, Pullinger and Oulton forming the leadership group, Albion enter the season with experience at the heart of a squad looking to take another step forward.
A POSITIVE PRE-SEASON
Albion have given themselves a varied preparation for the new campaign.
Their first outing came on the road against Swansea before rugby returned to Brickfields with a much-anticipated meeting against Championship opposition Cornish Pirates.
Albion produced an encouraging performance against the higher-ranked visitors, racing into an early 14-point advantage before the Pirates demonstrated their quality and fought their way back into the contest.
More important than the result was the opportunity for Albion to test themselves against opposition from the division above.
Nearly 2,000 supporters were inside Brickfields for the fixture, while Ryan Lamb and his coaching team were given a valuable opportunity to assess the squad against Championship opposition.
Sam Daly’s performance earned him the Nuffield Health Man of the Match award.
Pre-season then concluded back at Brickfields against Exeter University, providing one final opportunity to fine-tune preparations before competitive rugby.
For Head Coach Ryan Lamb, the summer has been another positive step in the development of his squad.
“We’ve had a really positive off-season and pre-season. The group came back in good shape, the new players have settled in well and the competition across the squad has really lifted standards.
“Last season gave us a fantastic building block. Of course, we wanted to go further, but when you look at the progress we made and the position we put ourselves in, there was a lot to be positive about. The challenge now is to build on that and keep moving forward.
“We’ve picked up a few niggles through pre-season, which you expect at this stage, and it’s still too early to say exactly what the starting 15 will look like against Rosslyn Park. There’s good competition for places and we’ve got some decisions to make before the weekend.
“Rosslyn Park is always a tough place to start, particularly with how well they’ve recruited, but we’re excited to get the league campaign underway and see where we are.”
The preparation is complete.
National 1 awaits.
A COMPETITIVE NATIONAL 1
Predicting National 1 is rarely straightforward and 2026/27 looks unlikely to be any different.
Rotherham’s promotion removes last season’s champions from the equation, but several clubs will begin the campaign believing they can challenge towards the top.
Rosslyn Park are certainly among them.
Fourth last season, immediately behind Albion, Park have recruited particularly well during the summer and will provide the very first examination of Albion’s credentials.
Their squad has been strengthened by players with experience from higher levels of the game, adding further intrigue to an opening weekend meeting between two sides separated by just one league position last season.
Sale FC are another side worth watching.
After finishing fifth last season, Sale have enjoyed an impressive pre-season and will be looking to carry that momentum into the competitive campaign.
Then there are two sides arriving from the division above.
London Scottish and Cambridge have both been relegated from Champ Rugby and immediately become interesting additions to the National 1 landscape.
Dropping down from the Championship does not guarantee success in such a competitive league, particularly as squads change during the summer, but both clubs bring experience of competing at a higher level and will be among the teams to watch.
There are also newly promoted sides looking to establish themselves, including one which will attract particular attention in the South West.
A NEW LOCAL RIVALRY
Camborne’s promotion adds a fascinating new dimension to Albion’s season.
The Cornish club arrive after winning National Two West and will now test themselves in the third tier of English rugby.
For Albion, their arrival creates a new local rivalry.
The journey across the Tamar is considerably shorter than many Albion supporters have become accustomed to in National 1, but the significance of the fixture goes beyond geography.
Plymouth against Cornwall always carries something extra and the prospect of meaningful National 1 points being contested between Albion and Camborne gives supporters on both sides of the Tamar a new fixture to circle on the calendar.
Camborne arrive with momentum, confidence and considerable excitement surrounding their promotion.
And Albion will get an early look at them.
A KEY OPENING MONTH
There will be no gentle introduction to 2026/27.
Albion begin with three away matches in their opening four fixtures, including trips to three sides that will provide very different tests of Ryan Lamb’s squad.
First comes Rosslyn Park away on Saturday 5 September.
Last season’s third-placed side against last season’s fourth-placed side provides an immediate examination, particularly following Park’s summer recruitment.
Then Albion head west to face Camborne on Saturday 12 September.
It will be the first chapter of the new local rivalry and an opportunity for the newly promoted Cornish side to test themselves against one of last season’s leading National 1 teams.
Only in round three does league rugby return to Brickfields.
Albion welcome newly promoted Sheffield on Saturday 19 September, with a 1500 kick-off, for the first home National 1 fixture of the season.
Then it is straight back on the road.
Albion travel to London Scottish on Saturday 26 September, newly relegated from Champ Rugby, for another significant early test.
Rosslyn Park away. Camborne away. Sheffield at home. London Scottish away.
It is a demanding opening block and one which could provide an early indication of where Albion stand.
Last season demonstrated just how important those early points can eventually become. The difference between competing for the title, securing a play-off opportunity and falling just short can be remarkably small across a 26-match campaign.
A strong opening month would provide momentum, but Albion know from experience that nothing in National 1 comes easily.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
The landscape has changed.
Rotherham have gone up. London Scottish and Cambridge have come down. Camborne and Sheffield have arrived. Rosslyn Park have strengthened. Sale appear well prepared.
Albion have changed too.
Much of the group responsible for last season’s third-place finish remains, but it has been supplemented by players with Premiership, Championship and French professional experience.
There is greater competition for places, an experienced leadership group headed by Huw Taylor and another year of development under Ryan Lamb and his coaching team.
Most importantly, this is a squad which knows what it feels like to be involved at the business end of a National 1 season.
Last year was another significant step forward.
Third place. Twenty league victories. One thousand points scored. A promotion play-off.
Those achievements provide the foundations, but they will count for very little when the first whistle blows.
A new National 1 campaign means starting again.
Twenty-six matches. A highly competitive division. An ambitious Albion squad. And an opening month which will immediately ask questions of their credentials.
It begins at Rosslyn Park.
Then, after trips to London and Cornwall, National 1 rugby returns to Brickfields onSaturday 19 September, when newly promoted Sheffield provide the opposition for Albion’s first home league fixture of 2026/27.
Kick-off is 1500.
After a summer of recruitment, preparation and anticipation, it will be the first opportunity for the Brickfields crowd to see the new-look Albion in competitive action on home soil.
Managing Director Max Venables added: “Now the focus turns to the season ahead. We have a hugely competitive National 1 campaign in front of us and we’re excited to see Brickfields come alive again when we return for our first home league game against Sheffield on 19 September.”
FOLLOW ALBION THROUGH 2026/27
Whether you are at Brickfields, following on the road or keeping up from further afield, there are more ways than ever to stay close to Albion throughout the season.
Follow Plymouth Albion across our social media channels for team news, matchday coverage, interviews, highlights and the latest from around Brickfields.
The Plymouth Albion Podcast, proudly sponsored by Nuffield Health, is also back for Series Two, with Paul and Pabz taking supporters behind the scenes and speaking to the players, coaches and staff throughout the campaign.
Supporters can also follow Plymouth Albion on YouTube, with exclusive behind-the-scenes content providing another perspective on the squad, matchdays and life inside the club as the 2026/27 story develops.
Last season showed how close Albion can get.
This season, the journey begins again.
Plymouth Albion 2026/27. Ready to go again.
