Shannon to face Division Two winners in opener

Old Belvedere, last year's Division Two table-toppers, have been handed a tough start to the new AIB League season with eight-time Division One champions Shannon to visit Anglesea Road on the opening day.

The AIB League fixtures for the 2007/08 season were confirmed today by the IRFU with Division One getting underway on Saturday, October 27.

'Belvo' will entertain Shannon on the opening day and also face a trip to Cork Constitution, last year's beaten finalists, two weeks later.

Greystones, who beat 'Belvo' in last season's Division Two final, will open with a Cork double as they play Dolphin (October 27) and Cork Constitution (November 3).

The Dublin derby between Lansdowne and Clontarf is arguably the tie of the opening weekend while the top flight's defending champions Garryowen will begin their campaign away to Ballymena.

As champions, Garryowen will be representing Ireland at the Languedoc-Roussillon tournament in France next month and that could give them the competitive edge over their league opponents in the opening rounds.

Certainly the Dooradoyle residents will have to be on their toes on November 3 when their Limerick rivals Shannon come hunting for revenge after the loss of their title last term.

Meanwhile, John Andrews' first league game in charge of Dungannon will see his side tussling will Terenure College at Stevenson Park.

The division's two university clubs - UL Bohemians and UCD - will also meet on the opening day, with Galwegians and St. Mary's College, who finished 11th and 10th respectively last season, pencilled in to clash at Crowley Park.

The closing stages of Division One's regulation phase will throw up some cracking ties.

The final day of action, April 19, will see Ballymena meeting their Ulster rivals Dungannon, capital duels between Blackrock College and St. Mary's College and Terenure College and Lansdowne, the all-Cork clash of Cork Constitution and Dolphin and the promoted Greystones challenging former champions Shannon.

The semi-finals will follow on May 3 with the final to take place a week later on May 10.

In a letter to the AIB League club's Honorary Secretaries, Gordon Black, the IRFU's Rugby Administration Manager, pointed to the following influencing factors when the fixture lists were drawn up:

- Leinster/Lansdowne ground share in the RDS - only 1 match allowed per week

- All Munster Magners League matches will be played at Musgrave Park this season. Dolphin and Sunday's Well could not have a match against Ulster clubs on a weekend Munster were at home, TV could dictate a Saturday match

- March 29, 2008 - All Cork city clubs away as the Six Nations Schools tournament is being held in Cork

- All fixtures are a reversal of last year's fixtures

- Limerick sides not to be at home to Ulster clubs weeks 4, 7 and 9 due to potential clashes with Munster & Heineken games

- Bective and Old Wesley sharing Donnybrook - no Sunday matches in February (two rounds), schools have primacy of venue

- The Rugby World Cup means a later start to AIB League season by two weeks, thereby compressing dates

- Extension of AIB Cup to 48 clubs

2007/08 AIB LEAGUE DIVISION ONE FIXTURES:

Saturday, October 27 -

Ballymena v Garryowen

Cork Constitution v Blackrock College

Dolphin v Greystones

Dungannon v Terenure College

Galwegians v St. Mary's College

Lansdowne v Clontarf

Old Belvedere v Shannon

UL Bohemians v UCD

Saturday, November 3 -

Dolphin v Old Belvedere

Galwegians v Ballymena

Garryowen v Shannon

Greystones v Cork Constitution

St. Mary's College v Clontarf

Terenure College v Blackrock College

UCD v Dungannon

UL Bohemians v Lansdowne

Saturday, November 10 -

Blackrock College v Dungannon

Clontarf v Ballymena

Cork Constitution v Old Belvedere

Garryowen v Dolphin

Greystones v Lansdowne

Shannon v UL Bohemians

Terenure College v Galwegians

UCD v St. Mary's College

Saturday, November 17 -

Ballymena v UCD

Clontarf v Shannon

Cork Constitution v Garryowen

Dolphin v Galwegians

Dungannon v Greystones

Lansdowne v Blackrock College

Old Belvedere v Terenure College

UL Bohemians v St. Mary's College

Saturday, December 1 -

Dolphin v Lansdowne

Galwegians v UL Bohemians

Garryowen v Clontarf

Greystones v Ballymena

Shannon v Blackrock College

St. Mary's College v Dungannon

Terenure College v Cork Constitution

UCD v Old Belvedere

Saturday, December 8 -

Ballymena v Lansdowne

Blackrock College v Old Belvedere

Clontarf v Dolphin

Cork Constitution v UL Bohemians

Garryowen v Dungannon

Greystones v Galwegians

St. Mary's College v Shannon

UCD v Terenure College

Saturday, December 15 -

Ballymena v St. Mary's College

Blackrock College v Garryowen

Clontarf v Terenure College

Cork Constitution v UCD

Dungannon v Galwegians

Lansdowne v Shannon

Old Belvedere v Greystones

UL Bohemians v Dolphin

Saturday, January 12 -

Blackrock College v Dolphin

Dungannon v UL Bohemians

Galwegians v Lansdowne

Garryowen v St. Mary's College

Old Belvedere v Ballymena

Shannon v Cork Constitution

Terenure College v Greystones

UCD v Clontarf

Saturday, January 19 -

Ballymena v Blackrock College

Dolphin v Terenure College

Dungannon v Shannon

Lansdowne v Cork Constitution

Old Belvedere v Clontarf

St. Mary's College v Greystones

UCD v Galwegians

UL Bohemians v Garryowen

Saturday, January 26 -

Clontarf v UL Bohemians

Cork Constitution v Dungannon

Dolphin v Ballymena

Garryowen v Terenure College

Greystones v Blackrock College

Lansdowne v UCD

Shannon v Galwegians

St. Mary's College v Old Belvedere

Saturday, February 16 -

Clontarf v Cork Constitution

Dungannon v Old Belvedere

Galwegians v Blackrock College

Greystones v Garryowen

Shannon v Ballymena

St. Mary's College v Lansdowne

Terenure College v UL Bohemians

UCD v Dolphin

Saturday, March 1 -

Blackrock College v UCD

Clontarf v Greystones

Cork Constitution v St. Mary's College

Dolphin v Dungannon

Lansdowne v Garryowen

Old Belvedere v Galwegians

Shannon v Terenure College

UL Bohemians v Ballymena

Saturday, March 22 -

Ballymena v Cork Constitution

Dolphin v Shannon

Dungannon v Clontarf

Galwegians v Garryowen

Greystones v UCD

Old Belvedere v Lansdowne

St. Mary's College v Terenure College

UL Bohemians v Blackrock College

Saturday, March 29 -

Blackrock College v Clontarf

Galwegians v Cork Constitution

Garryowen v Old Belvedere

Greystones v UL Bohemians

Lansdowne v Dungannon

St. Mary's College v Dolphin

Terenure College v Ballymena

UCD v Shannon

Saturday, April 19 -

Ballymena v Dungannon

Blackrock College v St. Mary's College

Clontarf v Galwegians

Cork Constitution v Dolphin

Garryowen v UCD

Old Belvedere v UL Bohemians

Shannon v Greystones

Terenure College v Lansdowne

Saturday, May 3 -

Semi-Finals

Saturday, May 10 -

Final