Fixtures release for British & Irish Cup

The inaugural British & Irish Cup will get underway on the weekend of Saturday, November 21.

Leinster open with an away game against Pool A rivals Plymouth Albion, Munster kick off their Pool B campaign in Coventry, while Ulster will host Bedford Blues in Pool C.

The tournament will be played out over five rounds in total but will not clash with any AIB League weekends or the latter stages of the AIB Cup.

Each pool consists of six teams, with each side to play each other just once, and only the pool winners will progress to the semi-finals, which are scheduled to take place on April 24, with the final pencilled in for May 15.

The competition is being viewed by the Irish Rugby Football Union as a key development in its bid to strengthen the existing provincial ‘A’ game within the country.

British and Irish Cup

November 21

Pool A: Plymouth Albion v Leinster, Cornish Pirates v SRU National Academy, Newport v Exeter Chiefs.

Pool B: Heriots FP v Nottingham, Neath v Bristol Rugby, Coventry v Munster.

Pool C: Llanelli v Aberavon, Ulster v Bedford Blues, Moseley v London Welsh.

Pool D: Rotherham Titans v Birmingham & Solihull, Doncaster Knights v Ayr, Pontypridd v Cardiff.

November 28

Pool A: Newport v Plymouth Albion, Leinster v Cornish Pirates, Exeter Chiefs v SRU National Academy

Pool B: Coventry v Heriots FP, Nottingham v Neath, Munster v Bristol Rugby

Pool C: Bedford Blues v Llanelli, Moseley v Ulster, Aberavon v London Welsh

Pool D: Ayr v Rotherham Titans, Pontypridd v Doncaster Knights, Birmingham & Solihull v Cardiff

February 13

Pool A: Plymouth Albion v Cornish Pirates, Exeter Chiefs v Leinster, Newport v SRU National Academy

Pool B: Heriots FP v Neath, Munster v Nottingham, Bristol Rugby v Coventry

Pool C: Llanelli v Ulster, Aberavon v Moseley, London Welsh v Bedford Blues

Pool D: Rotherham Titans v Pontypridd, Doncaster Knights v Cardiff, Ayr v Birmingham & Solihull

February 27

Pool A: SRU National Academy v Plymouth Albion, Leinster v Newport, Cornish Pirates v Exeter Chiefs

Pool B: Bristol Rugby v Heriots FP, Nottingham v Coventry, Neath v Munster

Pool C: Llanelli v Moseley, Ulster v London Welsh, Bedford Blues v Aberavon

Pool D: Cardiff v Rotherham Titans, Ayr v Pontypridd, Doncaster Knights v Birmingham & Solihull

March 6 / 10 / 11

Pool A: Plymouth Albion v Exeter Chiefs, Cornish Pirates v Newport, SRU National Academy v Leinster

Pool B: Munster v Heriots FP, Neath v Coventry, Nottingham v Bristol Rugby

Pool C: London Welsh v Llanelli, Moseley v Bedford Blues, Ulster v Aberavon

Pool D: Rotherham Titans v Doncaster Knights, Birmingham & Solihull v Pontypridd, Cardiff v Ayr

April 24

Semi finals

May 15

Final