Welsh supporters have to wait until Round 4 (4 November) for the first taste of derby action, when the Dragons host the Blues and the Scarlets travel to the Liberty Stadium to play the Ospreys.
The usually festive derby fixtures remain with the Blues and the Dragons meeting at the Cardiff City Stadium and the Scarlets hosting the Ospreys on Friday December 23.
There is further derby action a week later as the Dragons play the Scarlets and the Ospreys and Blues meet in Swansea.