Fans of the four Welsh regions will have no weekly free-to-air English language coverage of their teams in the Guinness Pro14 next season.

Welsh language broadcaster S4C have announced they have agreed a new three-year deal for the tournament, but they have been stopped from providing a red button English commentary service as in past years.

With BBC Wales having lost the live rights to Premier Sports and having failed to agree any deal for a Scrum V highlights programme, it means there will be no regular English language free output.

Premier Sports’ free-to-air channel, FreeSports, will show occasional matches featuring the Welsh regions. But in the main, they will feature the sides from South Africa and Italy. Premier Sports has also yet to announce details of any highlights programme, or if it will be made available on FreeSports.

It does not get much better for Welsh radio listeners at the moment, either. BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Ulster have both agreed deals with Pro14 negotiators, but no agreements have been made with Radio Wales.

S4C will broadcast 17 matches a season and online via the S4C Clic service, mainly in the early Saturday eveing 5.15pm or 5.30pm slot.

A further four games will be shown as a delayed, as-live broadcast and should a Welsh region be involved, the channel will show live coverage of the Guinness Pro14 final.

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Owen Evans, S4C chief executive, said: “I’m delighted that S4C will be continuing with live coverage of our four Welsh regions in the Guinness PRO14, one of the world’s leading rugby competitions.

“This three-year agreement underlines our commitment to broadcasting rugby in the Welsh language, and we hope the news will be welcomed by all supporters of Welsh rugby. It is important to us and our audience that we can continue to offer free-to-air coverage of the Guinness PRO14.”

Organisers have announced fixtures for the first 17 rounds of league action, which see two seven-team conferences unchanged from last term.

Leinster line up in Conference B along with the likes of last season’s Champions Cup semi-finalists the Scarlets, with the Welsh region’s opener being a September 1 appointment with Ulster in Belfast.

South African sides the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings, meanwhile, launch their second PRO14 campaigns against Munster and Zebre respectively.

The first weekend’s fixtures are completed by Ospreys entertaining Edinburgh, Connacht hosting Glasgow and Italian side Benetton meeting the Dragons in Newport.

The first game in South Africa is on September 15 when the Cheetahs meet Glasgow, while Leinster and Scarlets are set for an early rematch following last season’s PRO14 final when they clash in west Wales on September 8.

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The top three teams in each conference will progress to play-offs next May, with the two conference winners having byes into the semi-finals, when they also get home advantage.

The final will take place on May 25, with Glasgow’s Celtic Park being speculated upon as a possible venue.

PRO14 tournament director David Jordan said: “For the first time ever we have produced fixtures with kick-off times and dates right up to round 17, which we have never been able to do before.

“When you consider the planning required around incoming and outbound South African tours, it’s fantastic to have so much of the season mapped out ahead of us at this point.”

 

Guinness PRO14 Fixtures for the 2018/19 Championship Season

(All fixtures are subject to change)

Fixtures available here: https://www.pro14rugby.org/match-centre/fixtures/
ROUND 1
 
Friday, August 31 (all kick-off times are local)

​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, September 1
​
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 Free Sports, Super Sport & eir sport 1
 
Broadcast channels from Round 2 will be confirmed in due course
 
ROUND 2
 
Friday, September 7 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Glasgow Warriors v Munster Rugby, Scotstoun Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport 
 
19:35 Ulster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Kingspan Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport 
 
Saturday, September 8 (all kick-off times are local)
 
15:00 Dragons v Southern Kings, Rodney Parade
Live on Premier Sports, Super Sport & eir sport 
 
17:15 Connacht Rugby v Zebre Rugby Club, The Sportsground
Live on TG4 & Premier Sports
 
17:30 Ospreys Rugby v Toyota Cheetahs, Liberty Stadium
Live on S4C, Premier Sports, Super Sport & eir sport
 
19:35 Scarlets v Leinster Rugby, Parc y Scarlets
Live on Premier Sports, eir sport & TG4
 
20:35 Benetton Rugby v Cardiff Blues, Stadio Monigo
Live on Free Sports
​
ROUND 3
 
Friday, September 14 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Edinburgh Rugby v Connacht Rugby, BT Murrayfield
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
19:35 Munster Rugby v Ospreys Rugby, Irish Independent Park
Live on eir sport, Premier Sports & TG4
 
Saturday, September 15 (all kick-off times are local)
 
17:15 Scarlets v Benetton Rugby, Parc y Scarlets
Live on S4C, Premier Sports & eir sport 
 
17:15 Leinster Rugby v Dragons, RDS Arena
Live on eir sport, Premier Sports & TG4
 
19:30 Toyota Cheetahs v Glasgow Warriors, Toyota Stadium
Live on Super Sport, Free Sports & eir sport
 
20:35 Zebre Rugby Club v Cardiff Blues, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
Sunday, September 16 (all kick-off times are local)
 
14:15 Southern Kings v Ulster Rugby (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium)
Live on Super Sport, Premier Sports & eir sport
 
ROUND 4
 
Friday, September 21 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:15 Toyota Cheetahs v Ulster Rugby, Toyota Stadium
Live on Super Sport & Premier Sports
 
19:35 Cardiff Blues v Munster Rugby, Cardiff Arms Park
Live on Premier Sports, eir sport & TG4
 
Saturday, September 22 (all kick-off times are local)
 
15:00 Southern Kings v Glasgow Warriors, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Live on Super Sport, Premier Sports, Free Sports & eir sport
 
17:15 Connacht Rugby v Scarlets, The Sportsground
Live on TG4 & Premier Sports
 
17:15 Dragons v Zebre Rugby Club, Rodney Parade
Live on S4C, Premier Sports & eir sport
 
19:35 Leinster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, RDS Arena
Live on eir sport & Premier Sports
  
19:35 Ospreys Rugby v Benetton Rugby, Liberty Stadium
Premier Sports & eir sport
 
ROUND 5
 
Friday, September 28 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Cardiff Blues v Toyota Cheetahs, Cardiff Arms Park
Live on Super Sport & Premier Sports & eir sport
 
19:35 Edinburgh Rugby v Benetton Rugby, BT Murrayfield
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
Saturday, September 29 (all kick-off times are local)
 
16:00 Zebre Rugby Club v Ospreys Rugby, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
17:15 Connacht Rugby v Leinster Rugby
Live TG4, eir sport & Premier Sports
 
18:30 Scarlets v Southern Kings
Live on S4C, Super Sport, Premier Sport and eir sport
 
19:35 Glasgow Warriors v Dragons
Live on Free Sports

19:35 Munster Rugby v Ulster Rugby
Live on eir sport and Premier Sports
 
ROUND 6
 
Friday, October 5 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Edinburgh Rugby v Toyota Cheetahs, BT Murrayfield
Live on Free Sports & Super Sport
 
19:35 Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Rugby, Scotstoun Stadium
Live on Premier Sports
 
19:35 Ulster Rugby v Connacht Rugby, Kingspan Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
Saturday, October 6 (all kick-off times are local)
 
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
 
18:00 Leinster Rugby v Munster Rugby, Aviva Stadium
 Live on eir sport and Premier Sports
 
20:00 Benetton Rugby v Southern Kings, Stadio Monigo
Live on Free Sports & Super Sport
 
ROUND 7
 
Friday, October 26 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:00 Southern Kings v Scarlets, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Live on Super Sport, Premier Sports & eir sport
 
19:55 Ulster Rugby v Dragons, Kingspan Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
20:00 Zebre v Edinburgh Rugby, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Live on Free Sports
 
Saturday, October 27 (all kick-off times are local)
 
16:00 Benetton Rugby v Leinster Rugby, Stadio Monigo
Live on eir sport & Premier Sports
 
17:15 Munster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, Thomond Park
Live on eir sport & Premier Sports
 
19:15 Toyota Cheetahs v Cardiff Blues, Toyota Stadium
Live on Super Sport, S4C & Premier
 
October 26/27/28
 
TBC Ospreys v Connacht, Liberty Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & TG4
 
ROUND 8
 
Friday, November 2 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Edinburgh Rugby v Scarlets, BT Murrayfield
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
19:35 Ospreys Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, Liberty Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
Saturday, November 3 (all kick-off times are local)
 
16:00 Benetton Rugby v Ulster Rugby, Stadio Monigo
Live on Premier Sports
 
17:15 Connacht Rugby v Dragons, Sportsground
Live on TG4, S4C & Premier Sports
 
Sunday, November 4 (all kick-off times are local)
 
14:45 Cardiff Blues v Zebre, Cardiff Arms Park
Live on Free Sports, Premier Sports & eir sport
 
14:45 Southern Kings v Leinster Rugby, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Live on Super Sport, Premier Sports & eir sport
 
16:45 Toyota Cheetahs v Munster Rugby, Toyota Stadium
Live on Super Sport, eir sport & Premier Sports
 
ROUND 9
 
Friday, November 23 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues, Scotstoun
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
19:35 Leinster Rugby v Ospreys Rugby, RDS Arena
Live on eir sport, Free Sports, TG4
 
19:35 Scarlets v Ulster Rugby, Parc y Scarlets
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
  
Saturday, November 24 (all kick-off times are local)
 
14:30 Toyota Cheetahs v Benetton Rugby, Toyota Stadium
Live on Super Sport, Premier Sports & eir sport
 
Sunday, November 25 (all kick-off times are local)
 
15:00 Southern Kings v Connacht Rugby, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Live on Super Sport, eir sport and Premier Sports
 
16:30 Zebre v Munster Rugby, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Live on eir sport & Premier Sport
 
17:30 Dragons v Edinburgh Rugby, Rodney Parade
Live on S4C and Premier Sports
 
ROUND 10
 
Friday, November 30 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Ospreys Rugby v Zebre, Liberty Stadium
Live on Premier Sports and eir sport
 
19:35 Munster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Irish Independent Park
Live on eir sport and Premier Sports
 
Saturday, December 1 (all kick-off times are local)
 
15:00 Ulster Rugby v Cardiff Blues, Kingspan Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
17:00 Toyota Cheetahs v Connacht Rugby, Toyota Stadium
Live on Super Sport, Free Sports & eir sport
 
17:15 Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets, Scotstoun Stadium
Live on Premier Sports, S4C & eir sport
 
17:15 Dragons v Leinster Rugby, Rodney Parade
Live on Premier Sports, eir sport & TG4
 
19:15 Southern Kings v Benetton Rugby, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Live on Super Sport & Free Sports
 
ROUND 11
 
Friday, December 21 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Ulster Rugby v Munster Rugby, Kingspan Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
Saturday, December 22 (all kick-off times are local)
 
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
 
17:15 Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, BT Murrayfield Stadium
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport
 
19:45 Leinster Rugby v Connacht Rugby, RDS Arena
Live on eir sport and Premier Sport
 
TBC Zebre v Benetton Rugby, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Live on Free Sports

ROUND 12
 
Friday, December 28 (all kick-off times are local)
 
19:35 Connacht Rugby v Ulster Rugby, Sportsground

Live on TG4, eir sport & Premier Sports

Saturday, December 29 (all kick-off times are local)

​TBC Benetton Rugby v Zebre, Stadio Monigo

Live on Free Sports

15:00 Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby, Scotstoun

Live Premier Sports & eir sport

​17:15 Munster Rugby v Leinster Rugby, Thomond Park
Live on eir sport & Premier Sport

17:15 Scarlets v Cardiff Blues, Parc y Scarlets

Live on Premier Sports & eir sport

Sunday, December 30 (all kick-off times are local)
 
15:00 Dragons v Ospreys Rugby, Rodney Parade
Live on S4C, Premier Sports & eir sport

ROUND 13
 
Saturday, January 5 (all kick-off times are local)

15:00 Benetton Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, Stadio Monigo

Live on Premier Sports

 

17:15 Leinster Rugby v Ulster Rugby, RDS Arena

Live on eir sport & Premier Sport

 

17:15 Scarlets v Dragons, Parc y Scarlets

Live on Premier Sport & eir sports

 

19:35 Edinburgh Rugby v Southern Kings, BT Murrayfield

Live on Premier Sports & Super Sport

 

19:35 Connacht Rugby v Munster Rugby, Sportsground

Live on TG4, Premier Sports & eir sport

Sunday, January 6 (all kick-off times are local)

​14:00 Zebre v Toyota Cheetahs, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi

Live on Super Sport, Free Sports & Premier Sports

 

January 4/5/6

TBC Ospreys Rugby v Cardiff Blues

Live on Premier Sports & eir sport

ROUND 11
 
Saturday, January 19 (all kick-off times are local)
TBC Southern Kings v Toyota Cheetahs, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Live on Super Sport, Premier Sport & eir sport

 
ROUND 14
 
Friday, January 25 (all kick-off times are local)
​19:35 Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys Rugby, Scotstoun Stadium

Live on Premier Sport & eir sport

 

19:35 Leinster Rugby v Scarlets, RDS Arena

Live on eir sport, TG4 & Premier Sports

​19:35 Ulster Rugby v Benetton Rugby, Kingspan Stadium

Saturday, January 26 (all kick-off times are local)
​15:00 Dragons v Munster Rugby, Rodney Parade
Live on Premier Sports & eir sport

15:00 Toyota Cheetahs v Zebre, Toyota Stadium
Live on Super Sport & Premier Sport

17:15 Cardiff Blues v Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Arms Park

Live on S4C, TG4 and Premier Sports

 

17:15 Southern Kings v Edinburgh Rugby, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Live Super Sport and Premier Sports 
 
ROUND 12
 
Saturday, February 2 (all kick-off times are local)
 

16:00 Toyota Cheetahs v Southern Kings, Toyota Stadium

Live on Super Sport, Premier Sports and eir sport

ROUND 15
 
Friday, February 15 (all kick-off times are local)
19:35 Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons, BT Murrayfield

Live on Premier Sports

19:35 Munster Rugby v Southern Kings, Irish Independent Park

Live on eir sport, Premier Sports & Super Sport

 
Saturday, February 16 (all kick-off times are local)
16:00 Zebre v Leinster Rugby, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi

Live on Free Sports and eir sport

 

17:30 Connacht Rugby v Toyota Cheetahs, Sportsground

Live on TG4, eir sport, Premier Sport & Super Sport

18:15 Benetton Rugby v Scarlets, Stadio Monigo

Live on S4C & Premier Sports

19:35 Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors, Cardiff Arms Park

Live on Premier Sports

February 15/16/17

TBC Ospreys Rugby v Ulster Rugby, Liberty Stadium

Live on Premier Sports & eir sport

 
ROUND 16
 
Friday, February 22 (all kick-off times are local)
 ​19:35 Glasgow Warriors v Connacht Rugby, Scotstoun Stadium

Live on Free Sports

 

19:35 Ospreys Rugby v Munster Rugby, Liberty Stadium

Live on Premier Sports, eir sport & TG4

19:55 Leinster Rugby v Southern Kings, RDS Arena
Live on eir sport, Super Sport & Premier Sports

 
Saturday, February 23 (all kick-off times are local)
 

14:00 Benetton Rugby v Dragons, Stadio Monigo

Live on S4C, Premier Sports & eir sport

19:35 Edinburgh Rugby v Cardiff Blues, BT Murrayfield
Live on Premier Sport

19:35 Ulster Rugby v Zebre, Kingspan Stadium
Live on Premier Sports

​Sunday, February 24 (all kick-off times are local)

​TBC Scarlets v Toyota Cheetahs, Parc y Scarlets
Live on Premier Sports, Super Sport & eir sport

ROUND 17
 
Friday, March 1 (all kick-off times are local)
 

19:35 Leinster Rugby v Toyota Cheetahs, RDS Arena

Live on eir sport, Super Sport & Premier Sports

 
Saturday, March 2 (all kick-off times are local)

14:45 Connacht Rugby v Ospreys Rugby, Sportsground

Live on TG4 & Premier Sports

16:00 Benetton Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Stadio Monigo

Live on Premier Sports & Free Sports

17:00 Scarlets v Munster Rugby, Parc y Scarlets
Live on S4C, eir sport 1 & Premier Sports

18:15 Zebre v Glasgow Warriors, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Live on Premier Sports

 

19:35 Cardiff Blues v Southern Kings, Cardiff Arms Park

Live on Premier Sport & Super Sport

Sunday, March 3 (all kick-off times are local)
15:00 Dragons v Ulster Rugby, Rodney Parade

Live on Premier Sports & eir sport

 
ROUND 18

​March 22/23/24 
Cardiff Blues v Scarlets
​Connacht Rugby v Benetton Rugby

Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster Rugby

Glasgow Warriors v Toyota Cheetahs

Munster Rugby v Zebre

Ospreys Rugby v Dragons

Ulster Rugby v Southern Kings

 
ROUND 19

​April 5/6/7
Toyota Cheetahs v Ospreys Rugby

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster Rugby

Southern Kings v Dragons

Leinster Rugby v Benetton Rugby

Munster Rugby v Cardiff Blues

Scarlets v Edinburgh Rugby

Zebre v Connacht Rugby

 
ROUND 20

​April 12/13/14
Toyota Cheetahs v Dragons

Connacht Rugby v Cardiff Blues

Edinburgh Rugby v Ulster Rugby

Southern Kings v Ospreys

Leinster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors

Scarlets v Zebre

Benetton Rugby v Munster Rugby

 
ROUND 21

​April 26/27/28

​Cardiff Blues v Ospreys Rugby

Toyota Cheetahs v Southern Kings

Dragons v Scarlets

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby

Munster Rugby v Connacht Rugby

Ulster Rugby v Leinster Rugby

Zebre v Benetton Rugby

Quarter-Final Stage
May 3/4/5
 
Semi-Finals
May 17/18/19
Guinness PRO14 Final

May 25