The reigning champions entering the season were Leicester Tigers, who had claimed their eighth title after defeating London Irish in the 2009 final.

Leicester Tigers won their ninth title after defeating Saracens in the final at Twickenham having also topped the regular season table.

As usual, round 1 included the London Double Header at Twickenham, the sixth instance since its inception in 2004.

Twelve teams compete in the league – the top eleven teams from the previous season and Leeds Carnege who were promoted from the 2008–09 National Division One after a top flight absence of one year.

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules.