There will be an explosive start to the Guinness PRO14 season when the reigning European Rugby Challenge Cup champions Cardiff Blues host the Champions Cup and PRO14 winners Leinster.
The Friday night shoot-out at the Arms Park on 31 August will give new Blues coach John Mulvihill the toughest of starts, but with Leinster unlikely to have their leading Irish internationals available so early in the season it might be a slightly easier task than later in the campaign.
The Ospreys will also be in action on opening night when they host Richard Cockerill’s much improved Edinburgh side at the Liberty Stadium. Both games will come under close scrutiny by Welsh rugby fans as they will be the first of 152 games screened by new PRO14 broadcast partners Premier Sports.
The Blues will feature on Premier Sports 1, while the Ospreys will appear on Premier Sports 2. S4C have finally been announced as the latest member of the PRO14’s broadcast stable and they will screen the Saturday night clash between Ulster and the Scarlets at the Kingspan Stadium.
That game will also be live on Premier Sports 1, although there will be now Red Button English language commentary option on S4C this season. Neither will their matches be available on the BBC iPlayer, although their matches, which will be produced by BBC Wales, will also be broadcast live online via the new-look S4C Clic service.
Of the 21 games that S4C have secured the rights to broadcast, 17 will be simulcast live in conjunction with Premier Sports. Four further Welsh derbies will be screened on delayed coverage.
The Dragons will also be at home on the opening weekend, hosting Benetton Treviso at Rodney Parade in a game that will be live on Premier Sports 1. There will also be a game available free-to-air for those able to access Free Sports – Zebre Rugby v Southern Kings on Saturday, 1 September.
The first round of Welsh derbies will be on Saturday, 6 October, with another two rounds coming up on the weekends surrounding the Christmas and New Year period, although not on festive days such as Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve or New Years Day.
Please note: The broadcast partner for Italy will be announced in due course.
GUINNESS PRO14 FIXTURES
ROUND 1
(all kick-off times are local)
Friday, 31 August 31
19:35 Cardiff Blues v Leinster Rugby, Cardiff Arms Park
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport 1
19:35 Ospreys Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Liberty Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport 2
Saturday, 1 September
15:00 Connacht Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, The Sportsground
Live on TG4, eir sport 1 & Premier Sports
17:15 Ulster Rugby v Scarlets, Kingspan Stadium
Live on Premier Sports, S4C & eir sport 2
17:15 Munster Rugby v Toyota Cheetahs (venue TBC)
Live on eir sport 2, Premier Sports & Super Sport
19:35 Dragons v Benetton Rugby, Rodney Parade
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport 2
20:35 Zebre Rugby Club v Southern Kings, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Live on Premier Sports, Super Sport & eir sport 1
ROUND 6
Saturday, 6 October
15:00 Scarlets v Ospreys Rugby, Parc y Scarlets
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
17:15 Dragons v Cardiff Blues, Rodney Parade
Live on Premier Sports and eir sport
ROUND 11
Saturday, 22 December
15:00 Ospreys Rugby v Scarlets, Liberty Stadium
Live on Premier Sports
17:15 Cardiff Blues v Dragons, Cardiff Arms Park
Live on S4C, Premier Sports & eir sport
ROUND 12
Saturday, 29 December
17:15 Scarlets v Cardiff Blues, Parc y Scarlets
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
Sunday, 30 December
15:00 Dragons v Ospreys Rugby, Rodney Parade
Live on S4C, Premier Sports & eir sport
ROUND 13
Saturday, 5 January
17:15 Scarlets v Dragons, Parc y Scarlets
Live on Premier Sport & eir sports
4/5/6 January
TBC – Ospreys Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
ROUND 18
22/23/24 March
Cardiff Blues v Scarlets
Ospreys Rugby v Dragons
Quarter-Finals
3/4/5 May
Semi-Finals
17/18/19 May
Guinness PRO14 Final
25 May
Fixtures available here: https://www.pro14rugby.org/match-centre/fixtures/