For this season and next the clubs are split geographically into East and West leagues of eight teams. Each club will play each other on a home and away basis before all 16 come together before the New Year in one division.
The clubs in the West League are Aberavon, Bridgend, Carmarthen Quins, Llandovery, Llanelli, Neath, RGC 1404 and Swansea. The East League is comprised of Bargoed, Bedwas, Cardiff, Cross Keys, Ebbw Vale, Merthyr, Newport and Pontypridd.
When the home and away games in East and West have finished, the clubs will carry over points into the 16-strong division based on their finishing position. The top team will get eight points, with the bottom team getting one.
When all the teams come together they will play a further 15 fixtures – one each against every other team on a home or away basis. It means each club is guaranteed 29 league matches during the season and the champions will be the top that finishes at the top of the Premiership table.
The Premiership clubs will continue to work with the Regions to select Regional Premiership Select XVs for the British & Irish Cup, but there will be no Foster’s Challenge Cup this season.
Reigning champions Merthyr kick-off the defence of their title with a home game against Cross Keys at The Wern, while last season’s runners-up, Aberavon, also have home advantage against Bridgend. Neath hooker Sion Crocker will notch his 100th appearance for the Welsh All Blacks when they host Swansea, while Cardiff’s new full back Llywarch Ap Myrddin will make a quickfire return to his former club Newport on Sunday.
PRINCIPALITY PREMIERSHIP ROUND 1
East – Saturday, 26 August
Bargoed v Ebbw Vale
Merthyr v Cross Keys
Pontypridd v Bedwas
Sunday, 27 August
Newport v Cardiff Rugby
West – Saturday, 26 August
Aberavon v Bridgend
Llandovery v RGC 1404
Llanelli v Carmarthen Quins
Neath v Swansea (7.30pm)
WEST
Aberavon v Bridgend
Aberavon: TBC
Bridgend: Ed Doe; Ryan Griffiths, Nathan Edwards, Jamie Murphy (captain), Mike Powell; Joe Scrivens, Will Baird 1. Rhodri Apsee 2. Gareth Harvey 3. Cai Lewis 4. Jack Pope, Chris John, Tom Morgan, Adam O’Driscoll, Ashton Evans
Reps: Iestyn Merriman, Owen Jordan, Garyn Daniel, Kieran Martin, Zac O’Driscoll, Connor Tantum, Ryan Evans, Tyler Williams
Llandovery v RGC 1404
Llandovery: Jack Evans; Lee Williams, Ryan Evans, Rhodri Jones, Aaron Warren; Jack Maynard, Lee Rees; Dean Howells, Ricky Guest, Nicky Thomas, Jack Jones, Joe Powell, Duane Eager, Stuart Worrall, Richard Brooks (captain)
Reps: Greg Cunniffe, Berian Watkins, Jake Baker, Emyr Price, Matthew Moore, Rhodri Wall, Kristian Jones, Alex Davies
RGC 1404: Dion Jones; Rhys Williams, Tom Hughes, Tiaan Loots, Aron Evans; Jacob Botica, Alex Schwarz; Curtis Reynolds, Evan Yardley, Sam Wainwright, Robin Williams, Andrew Williams (captain), Tim Grey, Will Bryan, Alex Taylor
Reps: George Roberts, Joe Simpson, Jordan Scott, Dan Owen, Josh Leach, Efan Jones, Harri Evans, Ianto Pari
Llanelli v Carmarthen Quins
Llanelli: Kalum Evans; Ashley Evans, Matthew Jenkins, Oliver Reyland, Ryan Conbeer; Ioan Hughes, Declan Smith; Rhys Fawcett, Craig Thomas, Ben Leung, Tom Price, Bryce Morgan, Christian Long, Lloyd Pike (captain), Tom Phillips
Reps: Ben Edwards, Rhys Thomas, Simon Gardiner, Nathan Hart, Ellis Thomas, Gareth George, Ioan Nicholas, Ryan Davies
Carmarthen Quins: Chris Banfield; Dylan Morgans, Nic Reynolds, Jack Price, Morgan Griffiths; Steffan Marshall, Aled James; Nathan Williams, Rhodri Clancy, Javan Sebastien, Josh Helps, Hadyn Pugh (captain), Shaun Jones, Lewys Millin, Lawrence Reynolds
Reps: Lewis Roberts, Steff Thomas, Sion Colella, Aron Hemmings, Jac Wilson, Josh Batcup, Gavin Thomas
Neath v Swansea
Neath: Ed Howley; Mike Evans, Richard Smith, Matthew Pearce, Geraint Llewellyn; Gavin Evans, Scott Gibson; Ben Uphill, Sion Crocker, Geraint James, Rhys Jones, Ryan Bean, Jordan Collier (captain), Aled Morris, Scott Hicks
Reps: David Edwards, Joe Davies, Ryan Thomas, Matthew Davies, Leon Ward, Chris Morgans, Iwan Evans, Keiran Williams
Swansea: TBC
EAST
Bargoed v Ebbw Vale
Bargoed: Matthew Lewis; Duane Dyer, Jordan Howells, Darren Humphries, David Evans; Iain Smerdon, Matthew Bancroft; Rhys Morgan (captain), Lewys Lippiett, Jack Williams, Matthew Thomas, Louis Blacker, Adam Coupe, Alex Herbert, Ieuan Jones
Reps: James Hallett, Julian Mogg, Luke Smalley, Grant Rogers, Leigh Meades, Lewis Weyman, Kieron Brown, Scott Evans
Ebbw Vale: Carl Meyer; Steffan Thomas, Srdan Majkic, Dom Franchi, Toby Fricker; Callum Hall, Dai Jones; Ross Jones, Joe Franchi, Rob Sevenoaks; Kristian Parker; Lance Randall; Rhys Clarke, Ronny Keynes (captain), Jonathan Davies.
Reps: Liam Belcher, Joel Harries, Dean Brooker, Cameron Regan, Owen Jones, Carl Lewis, Lewis Dennett, James Lewis
Newport v Cardiff
Newport: Hayden Simons; Harri Lang, Chay Smityh, Tom Pascoe, Curtis Ayling; Matt O’Brien, Owen Davies; Nick Boyce, Will Evans, Tom Piper, James Little, Joe Bartlett, Morgan Burgess, Alex Everett, Rhys Jenkins (captain)
Reps: Henry Palmer, Phil Price, Garin Harris, Adam Brown, Kyle Tayler, Ryan Bates, Adam Sabri, Jon Morris
Cardiff: Llywarch Ap Myrddin; James Beal, Owen Lane, Will Rees Hole, Pat Lewis; Gareth Thompson, Rhodri Cole; Rhys Carre, Joe Tomlinson, Dylan Lewis, Corey Tucker, Ben White, Luke Crocker, Jim Botham, Sion Bennett
Reps: Fraser Young, Ethan Lewis, Ken Dowding, Joe Miles, Tom Wilson, Lewis Jones, Ben Thomas, Ceri Young
Pontypridd v Bedwas
Pontypridd: Lloyd Rowlands; Dale Stuckey, Cameron Lewis, Dafydd Lockyer (captain), Geraint Walsh; Diggy Bird, Dane Blacker; Chris Phillips, Joe Page, Scott Andrews, Josh Hawkins, Callum Bradbury, Shane Lewis-Hughes. Morgan Sieniawski, Chris Dicomidis
Reps: Wayne Evans, Ceri Sweeney, Lewis Williams, Corrie Tarrant, Alun Lawrence, Gruff Lloyd, Bradley Thyer,Will Davies-King
Bedwas: Aaron Bramwell; Rory Budina, Ross Wardle, Adam Williams, Mathew John; Steffan Jones (captain), Tom Rowlands; Dan Preece, Ellis Shipp, Rhys Hutcherson, Robson Blake, Craig Hudd, Andrew Waite, Nathan Hudd, Morgan Allen
Reps: Brynley Toms, Mike Dacey, Chris Budgen, Taine Basham, James Richards, Tavis Knoyle, Mike Callow, Luke Crane
Merthyr v Cross Keys
Merthyr: Martyn Thomas; Steff Andrews, Tom Riley, Terri Gee, Richard Carter; Ben Jones, Rhys Downes; James Howe (captain), Matt Dwyer, Pete Edwards, Ben Murphy, Lou Reed, Neil White, Osian Davies, Phil Rees
Reps: Nathan Trevett, Richard Wilkes, Joe Rees, Ed Siggery, Joe Bearman, Justin James, Richard Powell, Matt Jarvis
Cross Keys: David Richards; Mathew Powell, Lewis Barnett, Barney Nightingale, Joe Goodchild; Josh Prosser, Owain Leonard; Corey Hewlett, Darren Hughes, Richard Cornock, Tom Lampard, Josh Skinner, Liam Davies, Scott Matthews (captain), Adam Powell
Reps: Rob Jones, Lewis Smout, Nathan Buck, Joe Thomas, Max George, Corey Shephard, James Leadbeater, Ben Snell
