PONTYPOOL will start the defence of their Championship title at Beddau, while relegated Bedwas and Cross Keys begin life outside the Premiership against each other.

Pooler are hunting a fourth crown on the spin and are aiming to finally win promotion after suffering the agony of a play-off defeat to Llanelli last season.

The Welsh Rugby Union has abolished that shootout match, meaning that first place in the Championship, now sponsored by Specsavers along with the other leagues, carries the prize of a place in the 12-team Premiership.

Leighton Jones’ men have enjoyed two perfect league seasons of 22 victories but life will be tougher in 2019/20 with Bedwas, Keys, Neath and Bargoed dropping into the division.

Bedwas have home advantage at Bridge Field for their opener against Keys, the Bulls start at Cardiff Met while the Welsh All Blacks travel to Trebanos.

The festive fixtures, on December 28, pit Keys against Pooler at Pandy Park and Bedwas head to Bargoed Park.

WRU Specsavers National Championship

September 7: Bedwas v Cross Keys, Cardiff Met v Bargoed, Maesteg Quins v Glamorgan Wands, Pontypool v Beddau, Tata Steel v Narberth, Trebanos v Neath, Ystrad Rhondda v Ystalyfera

September 14: National Cup round one

September 21: Bargoed v Maesteg Quins, Beddau v Bedwas, Cross Keys v Cardiff Met, Glamorgan Wands v Tata Steel, Narberth v Trebanos, Neath v Ystrad Rhondda, Ystalyfera v Pontypool

September 28: Bedwas v Ystalyfera, Cardiff Met v Beddau, Glamorgan Wands v Bargoed, Maesteg Quins v Cross Keys, Pontypool v Neath, Tata Steel v Trebanos, Ystrad Rhondda v Narberth

October 5: Narberth v Pontypool, Cross Keys v Glamorgan Wdrs, Trebanos v Ystrad Rhondda, Beddau v Maesteg Quins, Neath v Bedwas, Ystalyfera v Cardiff Met, Bargoed v Tata Steel

October 12: Bedwas v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Beddau, Pontypool v Trebanos, Bargoed v Cross Keys, Maesteg Quins v Ystalyfera, Cardiff Met v Neath, Tata Steel v Ystrad Rhondda

October 19: Narberth v Cardiff Met, Ystalyfera v Glamorgan Wdrs, Trebanos v Bedwas, Beddau v Bargoed, Ystrad Rhondda v Pontypool, Neath v Maesteg Quins, Cross Keys v Tata Steel

October 26: Maesteg Quins v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Neath, Bargoed v Ystalyfera, Bedwas v Ystrad Rhondda, Cross Keys v Beddau, Cardiff Met v Trebanos, Tata Steel v Pontypool

November 9: (Cup round two) Narberth v Glamorgan Wdrs, Trebanos v Maesteg Quins, Neath v Bargoed, Ystrad Rhondda v Cardiff Met, Ystalyfera v Cross Keys, Pontypool v Bedwas, Beddau v Tata Steel

November 16: Bargoed v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Trebanos, Maesteg Quins v Ystrad Rhondda, Cross Keys v Neath, Beddau v Ystalyfera, Cardiff Met v Pontypool, Tata Steel v Bedwas

November 23: Narberth v Cross Keys, Ystrad Rhondda v Glamorgan Wdrs

Trebanos v Bargoed, Pontypool v Maesteg Quins, Neath v Beddau, Bedwas v Cardiff Met, Ystalyfera v Tata Steel

December 7: Beddau v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Pontypool, Cross Keys v Trebanos, Bargoed v Ystrad Rhondda, Maesteg Quins v Bedwas, Ystalyfera v Neath, Tata Steel v Cardiff Met

December 14: Narberth v Ystalyfera, Bedwas v Glamorgan Wdrs, Trebanos v Beddau, Pontypool v Bargoed, Cardiff Met v Maesteg Quins, Ystrad Rhondda v Cross Keys, Tata Steel v Neath

December 28: Neath v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Cardiff Met, Ystalyfera v Trebanos, Bargoed v Bedwas, Beddau v Ystrad Rhondda, Cross Keys v Pontypool, Maesteg Quins v Tata Steel

January 4: Glamorgan Wdrs v Maesteg Quins, Neath v Trebanos, Bargoed v Cardiff Met, Ystalyfera v Ystrad Rhondda, Cross Keys v Bedwas, Beddau v Pontypool, Narberth v Tata Steel

January 11: Trebanos v Narberth, Maesteg Quins v Bargoed, Ystrad Rhondda v Neath, Cardiff Met v Cross Keys, Pontypool v Ystalyfera, Bedwas v Beddau, Tata Steel v Glamorgan Wdrs

January 18: Narberth v Ystrad Rhondda, Bargoed v Glamorgan Wdrs, Cross Keys v Maesteg Quins

Neath v Pontypool, Beddau v Cardiff Met, Ystalyfera v Bedwas, Trebanos v Tata Steel

January 25: Pontypool v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Cross Keys, Ystrad Rhondda v Trebanos, Maesteg Quins v Beddau, Bedwas v Neath, Cardiff Met v Ystalyfera, Tata Steel v Bargoed

February 15: Narberth v Bedwas, Beddau v Glamorgan Wdrs, Trebanos v Pontypool, Cross Keys v Bargoed, Ystalyfera v Maesteg Quins, Neath v Cardiff Met, Ystrad Rhondda v Tata Steel

February 29: Cardiff Met v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Ystalyfera, Bedwas v Trebanos, Bargoed v Beddau, Pontypool v Ystrad Rhondda, Maesteg Quins v Neath, Tata Steel v Cross Keys

March 21: Narberth v Maesteg Quins, Neath v Glamorgan Wdrs, Ystalyfera v Bargoed, Ystrad Rhondda v Bedwas, Beddau v Cross Keys, Trebanos v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Tata Steel

March 28: (Cup semi-final) Glamorgan Wdrs v Narberth, Maesteg Quins v Trebanos, Bargoed v Neath, Cardiff Met v Ystrad Rhondda, Cross Keys v Ystalyfera, Bedwas v Pontypool, Tata Steel v Beddau

April 4: Narberth v Bargoed, Trebanos v Glamorgan Wdrs, Ystrad Rhondda v Maesteg Quins, Neath v Cross Keys, Ystalyfera v Beddau, Pontypool v Cardiff Met, Bedwas v Tata Steel

April 11: Cross Keys v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Ystrad Rhondda, Bargoed v Trebanos, Maesteg Quins v Pontypool, Beddau v Neath, Cardiff Met v Bedwas, Tata Steel v Ystalyfera

April 18: Narberth v Beddau, Pontypool v Glamorgan Wdrs, Trebanos v Cross Keys, Ystrad Rhondda v Bargoed, Bedwas v Maesteg Quins, Neath v Ystalyfera, Cardiff Met v Tata Steel

April 25: Ystalyfera v Narberth, Glamorgan Wdrs v Bedwas, Beddau v Trebanos, Bargoed v Pontypool, Maesteg Quins v Cardiff Met, Cross Keys v Ystrad Rhondda, Neath v Tata Steel

May 2: Narberth v Neath, Cardiff Met v Glamorgan Wdrs, Trebanos v Ystalyfera, Bedwas v Bargoed, Ystrad Rhondda v Beddau, Pontypool v Cross Keys, Tata Steel v Maesteg Quins