Trophies. They are like buses, as Bath fans often say long waits, then suddenly a cluster arrives. For 17 years, silverware has been scarce for the West Country giants. But now, under Johann van Graan’s leadership, the club believes it’s on the verge of a return to glory.
Earlier this year, Bath clinched the Premiership Cup with little fanfare. Yet, it feels like more trophies are on the horizon. The Challenge Cup final looms, with Bath set to face Lyon, followed by the Premiership final scheduled for mid-June. The hope is that the buses carrying trophies are finally arriving on schedule.
Bath earned their spot in the Challenge Cup after being knocked out of the Champions Cup but have since dominated their way to the final. The last major trophy Bath secured before this year’s Premiership Cup was the Challenge Cup itself 17 years ago, in 2008. Back then, they beat Worcester in a rain-soaked Kingsholm to claim the prize. That win was the first in a decade following their European championship victory in 1998, which marked the end of an era when trophies came frequently and regularly.
The club’s DNA is steeped in a legacy of success, and the echoes of those glory years still resonate within the historic walls of Aquae Sulis. Fans who remember those heady days are often left wondering what it feels like for the current generation to carry such a heavy legacy while wandering the trophy wilderness.
Players like Sam Underhill, who joined Bath in 2017, have grown up hearing stories of the club’s dominance but only experiencing the drought that followed. Born months after Bath’s last English title in 1996, Underhill represents a new generation determined to help restore the club’s status. Under the guidance of South African director Johann van Graan, who has been at the helm for three seasons, there is a distinct shift in mindset. Van Graan preaches belief in “the process,” focusing on the journey rather than obsessing over the outcome.
“You’re not doing things because it’s the right moment to do them,” Underhill explains. “You’re doing them because it’s the right thing to do. It becomes a sort of self-fulfilling cycle.”
This approach is perhaps crucial, given how results have been hard to come by in recent decades. The season before Van Graan’s arrival saw Bath finish bottom of the Premiership, suffering heavy defeats including a crushing 64-0 loss at Gloucester. Since then, the club has steadily improved rising to mid-table in his first season and finishing runners-up in his second. That final was marred by an early red card, a reminder that in rugby, fate can be unpredictable.
Underhill himself was sent off in the round of 16 win at Pau, officiated by Hollie Davidson the same referee who will oversee the Challenge Cup final on Friday. Davidson is making history as the first woman to referee a European cup final and the first Scot to do so since 1998, the year Bath last won the European championship.
Despite the unpredictability, Van Graan’s philosophy helps players remain unfazed. “I don’t put too much stock into how things go,” says Underhill. “If you worry too much about the outcome, you end up trying to catch smoke. You just chase it, chase it, and the more you try, the further away you get.”
Looking at league standings might suggest Bath are favorites Lyon have struggled in the French Top 14, while Bath have already secured the top spot in the Premiership regular season. But Bath’s focus remains on the process, with the aim of delivering meaningful experiences beyond just winning trophies.
“You want to give people good experiences,” Underhill adds. “That doesn’t always mean winning trophies. It’s not quite as straightforward as the fans being happy if we win and upset if we don’t. Hopefully, there’s appreciation for the process and the people.”
Sometimes, the best things come when you stop chasing them. For Bath, it may be that their trophy buses, long delayed, have finally arrived and the club is ready to board.
