PRINCIPALITY Premiership clubs have learnt their fixtures for the scramble to avoid the drop – with Pontypool potentially lying in wait in a promotion play-off.

Ring-fencing has ended with the bottom four relegated for a revamped 12-team top flight in 2019/20.

The club that finishes 12th will also be sweating on their Premiership place – they will face a battle with the Championship victors, likely to be big-spending Pooler.

After last year's east-west split, the league has returned to a home and away format with Merthyr aiming to win a hat-trick of titles.

"We felt it was a common-sense approach as it gives all teams 15 homes fixtures and 15 away games," said Welsh Rugby Union head of performance Geraint John.

"We listened to the clubs' feedback and with no ring fencing in this year's competition, it should lead to an exciting season ahead."

There are no Boxing Day clashes, although teams have the freedom to rearrange games and the fixture list is provisional with potential live coverage on the BBC sure to have an impact.

Newport's fixture secretary is certain to have a busy time as the Black and Ambers have just TWO games that are set in stone for Saturdays (Llanelli on February 2 and Llandovery on final day).

They have been given 13 Saturday dates but seven of them must definitely move because of clashes with Newport County or the Dragons, who share their Rodney Parade home, while four others will depend on the latter's schedule in the European Challenge Cup group stages and potential knockout clashes.

September 1: Cross Keys v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Newport, RGC 1404 v Neath, Bargoed v Llandovery, Aberavon v Swansea, Cardiff v Merthyr, Llanelli v Ebbw Vale, Bedwas v Pontypridd

September 8: Carmarthen v Cross Keys, Neath v Bridgend, Newport v Bargoed, Swansea v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Cardiff, Ebbw Vale v Aberavon, Merthyr v Bedwas, Pontypridd v Llanelli

September 15: Cross Keys v Neath, Bridgend v Swansea, Bargoed v Carmarthen, Cardiff v Newport, RGC 1404 v Ebbw Vale, Bedwas v Llandovery, Aberavon v Pontypridd, Llanelli v Merthyr

September 22: Bargoed v Cross Keys, Ebbw Vale v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Cardiff, Swansea v Neath, Newport v Bedwas, Pontypridd v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Llanelli, Merthyr v Aberavon

September 29: Cross Keys v Swansea, Bridgend v Pontypridd, Bedwas v Carmarthen, Neath v Ebbw Vale, Cardiff v Bargoed, Llanelli v Newport, RGC 1404 v Merthyr, Aberavon v Llandovery

October 6: Cardiff v Cross Keys, Merthyr v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Llanelli, Pontypridd v Neath, Bargoed v Bedwas, Ebbw Vale v Swansea, Newport v Aberavon, Llandovery v RGC 1404

October 13: Ebbw Vale v Cross Keys, Bridgend v Llandovery, Aberavon v Carmarthen, Neath v Merthyr, Llanelli v Bargoed, Swansea v Pontypridd, Bedwas v Cardiff, RGC 1404 v Newport

October 20: Cross Keys v Bedwas, Newport v Bridgend, Carmarthen v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Neath, Bargoed v Aberavon, Cardiff v Llanelli, Merthyr v Swansea, Pontypridd v Ebbw Vale

October 27: Pontypridd v Cross Keys, Bridgend v Carmarthen, Neath v Newport, RGC 1404 v Bargoed, Swansea v Llandovery, Aberavon v Cardiff, Ebbw Vale v Merthyr, Llanelli v Bedwas

November 9 (Friday): Cross Keys v Llanelli, Bargoed v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Neath, Newport v Swansea, Cardiff v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Ebbw Vale, Merthyr v Pontypridd, Bedwas v Aberavon

November 16 (Friday): Merthyr v Cross Keys, Bridgend v Cardiff, Swansea v Carmarthen, Neath v Bargoed, Ebbw Vale v Newport, RGC 1404 v Bedwas, Pontypridd v Llandovery, Aberavon v Llanelli

November 23 (Friday): Cross Keys v Aberavon, Bridgend v Bedwas, Ebbw Vale v Carmarthen, Neath v Cardiff, Swansea v Bargoed, Pontypridd v Newport, RGC 1404 v Llanelli, Merthyr v Llandovery

December 1: Cross Keys v Llandovery, Llanelli v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Pontypridd, Bedwas v Neath, Bargoed v Ebbw Vale, Cardiff v Swansea, Newport v Merthyr, Aberavon v RGC 1404

December 8: RGC 1404 v Cross Keys, Bridgend v Aberavon, Merthyr v Carmarthen, Neath v Llanelli, Pontypridd v Bargoed, Swansea v Bedwas, Ebbw Vale v Cardiff, Llandovery v Newport

December 15: Bridgend v Cross Keys, Newport v Carmarthen, Neath v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Bargoed, Swansea v Aberavon, Merthyr v Cardiff, Ebbw Vale v Llanelli, Pontypridd v Bedwas

December 22: Cross Keys v Carmarthen, Bridgend v Neath, Bargoed v Newport, RGC 1404 v Swansea, Cardiff v Llandovery, Aberavon v Ebbw Vale, Bedwas v Merthyr, Llanelli v Pontypridd

December 29: Cross Keys v Newport, RGC 1404 v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Llandovery, Aberavon v Neath, Bargoed v Merthyr, Llanelli v Swansea, Bedwas v Ebbw Vale, Cardiff v Pontypridd

January 5: WRU National Cup, round one

January 12: Neath v Cross Keys, Swansea v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Bargoed, Newport v Cardiff, Ebbw Vale v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Bedwas, Pontypridd v Aberavon, Merthyr v Llanelli

January 19: Cross Keys v Bargoed, Bridgend v Ebbw Vale, Cardiff v Carmarthen, Neath v Swansea, Bedwas v Newport, RGC 1404 v Pontypridd, Llanelli v Llandovery, Aberavon v Merthyr

January 26: WRU National Cup, round two

February 2: Swansea v Cross Keys, Pontypridd v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Bedwas, Ebbw Vale v Neath, Bargoed v Cardiff, Newport v Llanelli, Merthyr v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Aberavon

February 8 (Friday): Cross Keys v Cardiff, Bridgend v Merthyr, Llanelli v Carmarthen, Neath v Pontypridd, Bedwas v Bargoed, Swansea v Ebbw Vale, Aberavon v Newport, RGC 1404 v Llandovery

February 16: Cross Keys v Ebbw Vale, Llandovery v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Aberavon, Merthyr v Neath, Bargoed v Llanelli, Pontypridd v Swansea, Cardiff v Bedwas, Newport v RGC 1404

March 2: Bedwas v Cross Keys, Bridgend v Newport, RGC 1404 v Carmarthen, Neath v Llandovery, Aberavon v Bargoed, Llanelli v Cardiff, Swansea v Merthyr, Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd

March 8 (Friday): Cross Keys v Pontypridd, Carmarthen v Bridgend, Newport v Neath, Bargoed v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Swansea, Cardiff v Aberavon, Merthyr v Ebbw Vale, Bedwas v Llanelli

March 23 (WRU National Cup, round three): Llanelli v Cross Keys, Bridgend v Bargoed, Neath v Carmarthen, Swansea v Newport, RGC 1404 v Cardiff, Ebbw Vale v Llandovery, Aberavon v Bedwas, Pontypridd v Merthyr

March 30: Cross Keys v Merthyr, Cardiff v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Swansea, Bargoed v Neath, Newport v Ebbw Vale, Bedwas v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Pontypridd, Llanelli v Aberavon

April 6 (WRU National Cup semi-finals): Aberavon v Cross Keys, Bedwas v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Ebbw Vale, Cardiff v Neath, Bargoed v Swansea, Newport v Pontypridd, Llanelli v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Merthyr

April 13: Llandovery v Cross Keys, Bridgend v Llanelli, Pontypridd v Carmarthen, Neath v Bedwas, Ebbw Vale v Bargoed, Swansea v Cardiff, Merthyr v Newport, RGC 1404 v Aberavon

April 20: Newport v Cross Keys, Bridgend v RGC 1404, Llandovery v Carmarthen, Neath v Aberavon, Merthyr v Bargoed, Swansea v Llanelli, Ebbw Vale v Bedwas, Pontypridd v Cardiff

April 27: WRU National Cup final

May 4: Cross Keys v RGC 1404, Aberavon v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Merthyr, Llanelli v Neath, Bargoed v Pontypridd, Bedwas v Swansea, Cardiff v Ebbw Vale, Newport v Llandovery