Bath Premiership 2023/24 results released with back-to-back West Country derbies – Somerset Live

Ellis WilderJuly 19, 2023

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Bath will face local rivals Gloucester and Bristol Bears in back-to-back rounds of the new Premiership season, it has been revealed. League fixtures for the 2023/24 campaign were released this morning (July 18) with the new 10-team competition, following London Irish’s collapse in recent weeks, revealing their workload until May next year.

Johann van Graan’s side will welcome Newcastle Falcons to The Rec on the opening weekend of the season on October 14. The start of the campaign is later than usual this year due to the Rugby World Cup which kicks off in France on 8 September.

This will be followed by away games against the defending champions Saracens, at home against Leicester Tigers and then on the road against Northampton Saints. Following these games, Bath will face back-to-back West Country derbies with Gloucester hosting at Kingsholm on November 10 before the Bristol Bears travel to The Rec seven days later for the new Premiership ‘Derby Weekend’ brought to this season.

Bath will also face a similar scenario in the second half of the season when the second leg derby matches are played. Gloucester visits The Rec on January 7 before the Bristol Bears host Bath at Ashton Gate on the weekend of January 27 after a break for Heineken Champions Cup action.

In total, there will be 18 matches for Bath to navigate during the Premiership campaign. The regular season ends on the weekend of May 18 with Northampton Saints arriving in Bath before the top four battle it out for the Premiership crown in the play-offs.

TNT Sports, the new name for BT Sport, has also confirmed the games that will be broadcast live on TV for the first 11 rounds. Of the first 11 rounds of games, six with Bath will be broadcast live.