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
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here