Newport RFC will face a team from Heineken Cup champions Leinster in the new British and Irish cup.
As the region’s team in the tournament, Newport RFC has been drawn against Exeter Chiefs, Leinster, Cornish Pirates, Plymouth Albion and The Thistles
The competition will feature teams from the level immediately below the top tier of teams in British and Irish rugby.
POOL A: Exeter Chiefs, Leinster, Cornish Pirates, Newport, Plymouth Albion, The Thistles
POOL B: Coventry, Bristol Rugby, Heriot's, Munster, Neath, Nottingham
POOL C: Aberavon, Bedford Blues, Llanelli, London Welsh, Moseley, Ulster
POOL D: Ayr, Birmingham & Solihull, Cardiff, Doncaster Knights, Pontypridd, Rotherham Titans
The four pools of six will play over five weekends during the Invesco Perpetual Series and RBS 6 Nations windows with semi-finals and finals on April 24 and May 15 respectively.
The draw of the Welsh teams which took place in Cardiff at the Principality Premiership Awards dinner in the Millennium Stadium this week completes the pools for the new cup competition.
BACKGROUND
24 teams
-12 English Championship clubs (Bedford, Birmingham & Solihull, Bristol Rugby, Cornish Pirates, Coventry, Doncaster Knights, Exeter Chiefs, London Welsh, Moseley, Nottingham, Plymouth Albion, Rotherham Titans)
- top 6 Welsh Principality Premiership clubs (Aberavon, Cardiff, Llanelli, Neath, Newport, Pontypridd)
- 3 Irish provinces (Munster, Leinster, Ulster)
- 3 Scottish teams - top two finishers in Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership Division 1 (champions Ayr and runners-up Heriot's) and the Scottish Thistles, a team drawn from Edinburgh and Glasgow and members of Scottish Rugby's National Academy
Pool Stages
- 4 pools of 6 playing once (5 matches)
- pools based on travel/geography with the aim of maximising local interest and minimising cost to teams and supporters
- 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for either a) scoring 4 or more tries or b) losing by 7 points or less
- pool matches scheduled for November 7 and 28, February 13, February 27, March 13 (all dates to be confirmed)
- pool winners progress to knockout stage
Semi finals and final
- 4 pool winners progress to semi finals and final
- Semi finals scheduled for April 24, final for May 15
As the region’s team in the tournament, Newport RFC has been drawn against Exeter Chiefs, Leinster, Cornish Pirates, Plymouth Albion and The Thistles
The competition will feature teams from the level immediately below the top tier of teams in British and Irish rugby.
POOL A: Exeter Chiefs, Leinster, Cornish Pirates, Newport, Plymouth Albion, The Thistles
POOL B: Coventry, Bristol Rugby, Heriot's, Munster, Neath, Nottingham
POOL C: Aberavon, Bedford Blues, Llanelli, London Welsh, Moseley, Ulster
POOL D: Ayr, Birmingham & Solihull, Cardiff, Doncaster Knights, Pontypridd, Rotherham Titans
The four pools of six will play over five weekends during the Invesco Perpetual Series and RBS 6 Nations windows with semi-finals and finals on April 24 and May 15 respectively.
The draw of the Welsh teams which took place in Cardiff at the Principality Premiership Awards dinner in the Millennium Stadium this week completes the pools for the new cup competition.
BACKGROUND
24 teams
-12 English Championship clubs (Bedford, Birmingham & Solihull, Bristol Rugby, Cornish Pirates, Coventry, Doncaster Knights, Exeter Chiefs, London Welsh, Moseley, Nottingham, Plymouth Albion, Rotherham Titans)
- top 6 Welsh Principality Premiership clubs (Aberavon, Cardiff, Llanelli, Neath, Newport, Pontypridd)
- 3 Irish provinces (Munster, Leinster, Ulster)
- 3 Scottish teams - top two finishers in Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership Division 1 (champions Ayr and runners-up Heriot's) and the Scottish Thistles, a team drawn from Edinburgh and Glasgow and members of Scottish Rugby's National Academy
Pool Stages
- 4 pools of 6 playing once (5 matches)
- pools based on travel/geography with the aim of maximising local interest and minimising cost to teams and supporters
- 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for either a) scoring 4 or more tries or b) losing by 7 points or less
- pool matches scheduled for November 7 and 28, February 13, February 27, March 13 (all dates to be confirmed)
- pool winners progress to knockout stage
Semi finals and final
- 4 pool winners progress to semi finals and final
- Semi finals scheduled for April 24, final for May 15
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