BLACKWOOD will open their Swalec Championship season by welcoming promotion hopefuls RGC 1404 to Glan-yr-Afon Park while Pontypool and Newbridge go on their travels.

Matthew Veater's side will be gunning for revenge against the North Walians after suffering 56-10 and 36-17 defeats last season.

Pooler, who finished fourth last term, will have to start fast in what promises to be a bruising encounter at Bargoed on opening day while 'Bridge head to Tondu.

Swansea will face a stern test of their promotion credentials following relegation from the Principality Premiership when they travel to last season's runners-up Cardiff Met.

Division One East champions Merthyr head to Llanharan while western winners Glynneath host Tata Steel.

There are no festive derbies on December 27 – RGC travel down to Pooler, Newbridge welcome Llanharan to the Welfare Ground and Blackwood head to Cardiff Met.

Swalec Championship fixtures

September 6: Cardiff Met v Swansea, Bargoed v Pontypool, Glynneath v Tata Steel, Llanharan v Merthyr, Narberth v Bridgend Ath, Tondu v Newbridge, Blackwood v RGC 1404

September 13: RGC 1404 v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Llanharan, Bridgend Ath v Glynneath, Merthyr v Tondu, Newbridge v Narberth, Swansea v Blackwood

September 20: Llanharan v RGC 1404, Swansea v Tata Steel, Cardiff Met v Bridgend Ath, Tondu v Pontypool, Glynneath v Newbridge, Narberth v Merthyr, Blackwood v Bargoed

September 27: RGC 1404 v Tondu, Bridgend Ath v Swansea, Bargoed v Llanharan, Newbridge v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Narberth, Merthyr v Glynneath, Tata Steel v Blackwood

October 4: Narberth v RGC 1404, Swansea v Newbridge, Tondu v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Bridgend Ath, Cardiff Met v Merthyr, Glynneath v Pontypool, Blackwood v Llanharan

October 11: RGC 1404 v Glynneath, Merthyr v Swansea, Bargoed v Narberth, Newbridge v Tata Steel, Llanharan v Tondu, Pontypool v Cardiff Met, Bridgend Ath v Blackwood

October 18: Cardiff Met v RGC 1404, Swansea v Pontypool, Tata Steel v Merthyr, Narberth v Llanharan, Bridgend Ath v Newbridge, Glynneath v Bargoed, Blackwood v Tondu

October 25: RGC 1404 v Swansea, Bargoed v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Tata Steel, Llanharan v Glynneath, Merthyr v Bridgend Ath, Tondu v Narberth, Newbridge v Blackwood

November 1: Tata Steel v RGC 1404, Swansea v Bargoed, Cardiff Met v Llanharan, Bridgend Ath v Pontypool, Newbridge v Merthyr, Glynneath v Tondu, Blackwood v Narberth

December 6: RGC 1404 v Bridgend Ath, Llanharan v Swansea, Bargoed v Tata Steel, Tondu v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Newbridge, Narberth v Glynneath, Merthyr v Blackwood

December 13: Newbridge v RGC 1404, Swansea v Tondu, Bridgend Ath v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Llanharan, Cardiff Met v Narberth, Merthyr v Pontypool, Blackwood v Glynneath

December 20: RGC 1404 v Merthyr, Narberth v Swansea, Bargoed v Newbridge, Tondu v Tata Steel, Glynneath v Cardiff Met, Llanharan v Bridgend Ath, Blackwood v Pontypool

December 27: Pontypool v RGC 1404, Swansea v Glynneath, Merthyr v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Narberth, Newbridge v Llanharan, Bridgend Ath v Tondu, Cardiff Met v Blackwood

January 3: Swansea v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Glynneath, Merthyr v Llanharan, Bridgend Ath v Narberth, Newbridge v Tondu, RGC 1404 v Blackwood

January 10: Swalec Cup round one

January 17: Bargoed v RGC 1404, Cardiff Met v Tata Steel, Llanharan v Pontypool, Glynneath v Bridgend Ath, Tondu v Merthyr, Narberth v Newbridge, Blackwood v Swansea

January 24: RGC 1404 v Llanharan, Tata Steel v Swansea, Bridgend Ath v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Tondu, Newbridge v Glynneath, Merthyr v Narberth, Bargoed v Blackwood

January 31: Tondu v RGC 1404, Swansea v Bridgend Ath, Llanharan v Bargoed, Cardiff Met v Newbridge, Narberth v Pontypool, Glynneath v Merthyr, Blackwood v Tata Steel

February 7: RGC 1404 v Narberth, Newbridge v Swansea, Bargoed v Tondu, Bridgend Ath v Tata Steel, Merthyr v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Glynneath, Llanharan v Blackwood

February 14: Glynneath v RGC 1404, Swansea v Merthyr, Narberth v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Newbridge, Tondu v Llanharan, Cardiff Met v Pontypool, Blackwood v Bridgend Ath

February 21: Swalec Cup round two

February 28: RGC 1404 v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Swansea, Merthyr v Tata Steel, Llanharan v Narberth, Newbridge v Bridgend Ath, Bargoed v Glynneath, Tondu v Blackwood

March 7: Swansea v RGC 1404, Cardiff Met v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Pontypool, Glynneath v Llanharan, Bridgend Ath v Merthyr, Narberth v Tondu, Blackwood v Newbridge

March 28: (Swalec Cup QF) RGC 1404 v Tata Steel, Bargoed v Swansea, Llanharan v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Bridgend Ath, Merthyr v Newbridge, Tondu v Glynneath, Narberth v Blackwood

April 4: Bridgend Ath v RGC 1404, Swansea v Llanharan, Tata Steel v Bargoed, Cardiff Met v Tondu, Newbridge v Pontypool, Glynneath v Narberth, Blackwood v Merthyr

April 11 (Swalec Cup semi-final): RGC 1404 v Newbridge, Tondu v Swansea, Bargoed v Bridgend Ath, Llanharan v Tata Steel, Narberth v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Merthyr, Glynneath v Blackwood

April 18: Merthyr v RGC 1404, Swansea v Narberth, Newbridge v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Tondu, Cardiff Met v Glynneath, Bridgend Ath v Llanharan, Pontypool v Blackwood

April 25: RGC 1404 v Pontypool, Glynneath v Swansea, Bargoed v Merthyr, Narberth v Tata Steel, Llanharan v Newbridge, Tondu v Bridgend Ath, Blackwood v Cardiff Met