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Prinipality Premiership Fixtures Released

8th July 2010


Glamorgan Wanderers travel to champions Neath on opening weekend of the league

Glamorgan Wanderers travel to champions Neath on opening weekend of the league

Principality Premiership champions Neath kick-off the defence of their title with a home clash against Glamorgan Wanderers at The Gnoll on Saturday, 28 August.

Pat Horgan’s side were comfortable winers 48-17 in the corresponding fixture last season, running in eight tries, but know not to take the Wanderers lightly having been beaten 33-24 at the Memorial Ground.

While outside half Arwel Thomas has finally hung up his boots, and former Wales full back Kevin Morgan has taken up a full-time role as Ospreys conditioning coach, Nathan Bonner-Evans has joined the club from London Welsh. Former Wales Under 21 full back and Wales Sevens squad member Aaron Bramwell has been recruited from Pontypridd along with young Ospreys prop Ross Davies, Aberavon’s Chris Morgan and former Glamorgan Wanderers outside half James Thomas has joined from Coventry.

Premiership newcomers Tonmawr, who won the Swalec Division 1 West title last season, will launch their debut season in the top flight with an attractive home fixture with Aberavon.

So dominant were the side coached by Jason Hyatt last season that Tonmawr won their division by a clear margin of 29 points and suffered only two defeats. Among the new recruits are former Neath duo Kevin James and Wayner Mitchell, utility-back Kiba Richards from National League Division 2 South club Ealing and four ex-Ebbw Vale players, utility-back Andrew Williams, flanker Andy Llewellyn, lock Jonathan Griffiths and prop Matt Jeffries and Ystrad Rhondda flanker Howard Stoddart, brother of Scarlets full back Morgan.

Veteran lock Matthew Veater, who has won the Premiership crown with both Newport and Cardiff, has joined Pontypool and the Torfaen club will be hoping to build on their end of season form earlier in the year when they staved off the threat of relegation.

They open their season with a home clash with Bedwas, a game in which new back row recruit Luke Dyckoff could face his former team mates. Pontypool have lost goalkicker Sam Mills to relegated Ebbw Vale, while Bedwas have lost this season’s Wales Under 20 captain Dan Watchurst to Newport and gained former Wales Under 20 prop Scott Roberts from Coventry.

A storming second half of the season left Llandovery comfortably placed in eighth place and earned them a crack at the Play-Offs where they gained a British and Irish Cup place. They will be looking to continue that form when they host Swansea on opening day.

The All Whites did the double over the Drovers last term, so it will take a mighty effort for the Church Bank side to open with a victory. Lyndon Lewis will be head coach and Euros Evans has come in as forwards coach.

Newport start with an attractive game against Llanelli at Rodney Parade and, with both last season's meetings being closely contested affairs, another tight game is anticipated. Amongst the Black and Ambers’ new faces are Gareth Chapman from Cardiff and Watchurst from Bedwas.

Scarlets academy members George North, Rhodri Jones and Kirby Myhill will be turning out for Llanelli this season, along with new recruits Owen Williams (Ystradgynlais), Liam Williams (Waunarlwydd) and former England Under 20 back row Matt Gilbert who joins from Italian outfit Rugby Alghero.

Cross Keys will head to Sardis Road to face a Pontypridd side that led the Premiership for a chunk of last season. Ponty also did the double over their visitors and will be confident of making a winning start, even though Keys have brought in a number of new players.

Cardiff entertain a Carmarthen Quins outfit that found life difficult in the top flight last term before a solid finish to the season left them in a comfortable ninth place with a SWALEC Cup final appearance to boot.

Cardiff did the double over them and have recruited Scott Sneddon and Wales Under 20 full back Dan Fish from Glamorgan Wanderers, along with Richard Hodges who will take over the coaching reins. Quins have enlisted the help of former Scarlets speedster Darren Daniel and front rowers Ian Jones (Llanelli) and former Scarlets academy hooker Dan George from London Welsh, although they have lost lost Tristan Davies to Ebbw Vale and Ioan Cunningham to Bridgend.

 

Principality Premiership Fixtures 2010/11

28/08/10

 

Llandovery v Swansea

Pontypool v Bedwas

Newport v Llanelli

Neath v Glam. Wdrs.

Cardiff v Carmarthen

Pontypridd v Cross Keys

Tonmawr v Aberavon

 

04/09/10

 

Aberavon v Pontypool

Llanelli v Llandovery

Bedwas v Neath

Carmarthen v Newport

Glam. Wdrs. v Pontypridd

Cross Keys v Cardiff

Swansea v Tonmawr

 

11/09/10

 

Aberavon v Bedwas

Newport v Swansea

Pontypool v Glam. Wdrs.

Cardiff v Llanelli

Neath v Cross Keys

Pontypridd v Carmarthen

Tonmawr v Llandovery

 

18/09/10

 

Aberavon v Pontypridd

Carmarthen v Swansea

Pontypool v Neath

Cross Keys v Llandovery

Bedwas v Cardiff

Glam. Wdrs. v Newport

Llanelli v Tonmawr

 

22/09/10

Midweek

 

Newport v Carmarthen

Pontypridd v Glam. Wdrs.

 

25/09/10

 

Cardiff v Aberavon

Swansea v Cross Keys

Pontypridd v Pontypool

Llanelli v Carmarthen

Llandovery v Glam. Wdrs.

Newport v Bedwas

Tonmawr v Neath

 

02/10/10

 

Aberavon v Newport

Glam. Wdrs. v Swansea

Pontypool v Cardiff

Cross Keys v Llanelli

Neath v Pontypridd

Bedwas v Llandovery

Carmarthen v Tonmawr

 

09/10/10

 

Llandovery v Aberavon

Swansea v Bedwas

Llanelli v Glam Wdrs

Cardiff v Neath

Carmarthen v Cross Keys

Newport v Pontypool

Tonmawr v Pontypridd

 

16/10/10

 

Bedwas v Cross Keys

Glam Wdrs v Tonmawr

Neath v Aberavon

 

23/10/10

 

Aberavon v Swansea

Pontypool v Llandovery

Bedwas v Llanelli

Neath v Newport

Glam. Wdrs. v Carmarthen

Pontypridd v Cardiff

Cross Keys v Tonmawr

 

30/10/10

 

Llanelli v Aberavon

Swansea v Pontypool

Llandovery v Neath

Carmarthen v Bedwas

Cross Keys v Glam. Wdrs.

Newport v Pontypridd

Tonmawr v Cardiff

 

Weekend of 06/11/10*

Wales v Australia

 

Cardiff v Swansea

Pontypool v Cross Keys

Pontypridd v Llanelli

Newport v Llandovery

Neath v Carmarthen

Tonmawr v Bedwas

 

09/11/10

Midweek

 

Aberavon v Llandovery

Bedwas v Swansea

Glam. Wdrs. v Llanelli

Neath v Cardiff

Pontypool v Newport

Pontypridd v Tonmawr

Cross Keys v Carmarthen

 

Weekend of 13/11/10*

Wales v S. Africa

 

Aberavon v Glam. Wdrs.

Swansea v Pontypridd

Carmarthen v Pontypool

Llanelli v Neath

Llandovery v Cardiff

Tonmawr v Newport

 

20/11/10*

Wales v Fiji

(Friday)

 

Cardiff v Cross Keys

Bedwas v Glam. Wdrs.

Pontypool v Swansea

Neath v Llandovery

Pontypridd v Newport

Tonmawr v Carmarthen

 

Weekend of 27/11/10*

Wales v N. Zealand

 

Swansea v Neath

Llanelli v Pontypool

Llandovery v Pontypridd

Newport v Cardiff

 

01/12/10

Midweek

 

Newport v Aberavon

Swansea v Glam. Wdrs.

Llanelli v Cross Keys

Llandovery v Bedwas

 

04/12/10

 

Swansea v Newport

Glam. Wdrs. v Pontypool

Llanelli v Cardiff

Cross Keys v Neath

Carmarthen v Pontypridd

Llandovery v Tonmawr

 

11/12/10

(non B & I Cup clubs)

 

Bedwas v Pontypool

Carmarthen v Cardiff

Aberavon v Tonmawr

 

18/12/10

(non B & I Cup clubs)

 

Cross Keys v Bedwas

Carmarthen v Aberavon

Tonmawr v Glam. Wdrs.

Cardiff v Pontypool

 

27/12/10

 

Aberavon v Neath

Llanelli v Swansea

Llandovery v Carmarthen

Bedwas v Pontypridd

Cross Keys v Newport

Glam. Wdrs. v Cardiff

Pontypool v Tonmawr

 

03/01/11

 

Pontypridd v Aberavon

Swansea v Carmarthen

Neath v Pontypool

Llandovery v Cross Keys

Cardiff v Bedwas

Newport v Glam. Wdrs.

Tonmawr v Llanelli

 

08/01/11

 

Aberavon v Cardiff

Cross Keys v Swansea

Pontypool v Pontypridd

Carmarthen v Llanelli

Glam. Wdrs. v Llandovery

Bedwas v Newport

Neath v Tonmawr

 

15/01/11

(non B & I Cup clubs)

 

Cardiff v Glam. Wdrs.

Tonmawr v Pontypool

Bedwas v Aberavon

 

22/01/11

Pontypool v Aberavon

 

29/01/11

SWALEC Cup

 

05/02/11

 

Swansea v Aberavon

Llandovery v Pontypool

Llanelli v Bedwas

Newport v Neath

Cardiff v Pontypridd

Tonmawr v Cross Keys

 

Weekend of 12/02/11*

Scotland v Wales

 

Aberavon v Llanelli

Pontypool v Carmarthen

Neath v Bedwas

Glam. Wdrs. v Cross Keys

Cardiff v Tonmawr

 

19/02/11

SWALEC Cup

 

Weekend of 26/02/11*

Italy v Wales

 

Swansea v Llanelli

Carmarthen v Llandovery

Pontypridd v Bedwas

Newport v Cross Keys

 

05/03/11

B & I Cup QF **

 

Tonmawr v Swansea

Llandovery v Llanelli

Aberavon v Carmarthen

Glam. Wdrs. v Neath

Cross Keys v Pontypridd

 

Weekend of 12/03/11*

Wales v Ireland

 

Carmarthen v Glam. Wdrs.

Swansea v Llandovery

Llanelli v Newport

Pontypridd v Neath

 

Weekend of 19/03/11*

France v Wales

 

Bedwas v Carmarthen

Cross Keys v Aberavon

Neath v Swansea

Pontypool v Llanelli

Pontypridd v Llandovery

Cardiff v Newport

 

26/03/11

SWALEC Cup

 

02/04/11

Glam. Wdrs. v Bedwas

Aberavon v Cross Keys

Pontypridd v Swansea

Neath v Llanelli

Cardiff v Llandovery

Newport v Tonmawr

 

16/04/11

 

Glam. Wdrs. v Aberavon

Swansea v Cardiff

Cross Keys v Pontypool

Llanelli v Pontypridd

Llandovery v Newport

Carmarthen v Neath

Bedwas v Tonmawr

 

* International weekend

** Fixtures subject to rearrangement if a Club qualifies for B and I Cup QFs.