2001–02 Premiership Rugby
The 2001-02 Zurich Premiership was the 15th season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions.
| 2001-2002 Zurich Premiership | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England |
| Champions | Leicester Tigers (6th title) |
| Runners-up | Sale Sharks |
| Relegated | None |
| Matches played | 139 |
| Attendance | 1,043,625 (average 7,508 per match) |
Leeds Tykes were promoted to replace the relegated Rotherham.
Halfway through the season, with Leicester odds-on to win their fourth title in succession, it was decided that the winners of the playoffs would be crowned champions. After a public outcry at moving the goalposts halfway through the tournament, this was not followed through. Instead, they launched the Zurich Championship, a play off competition involving 8 teams below the champions, providing the winner with a 'wildcard' European qualification. Leicester did finish top of the league and were crowned champions; their fourth title in succession and their sixth overall. Gloucester won the eight team Zurich Championship play-offs in 2001–02.
Leeds Tykes finished bottom of the table but avoided relegation due to the inadequacies of Rotherham's ground.