The Greene King IPA Championship league and cup fixtures for 2018-19 have been announced.
Jersey Reds' league season begins at the start of September with a visit to newly-promoted Coventry at Butts Park Arena, the venue where Jersey clinched the National 1 title when the clubs last met in a league encounter in April 2012; and at the end of April 2019, 'Cov' will visit the Island to close the Championship campaign.
The Reds will have a brace of away trips to kick off the new season, travelling to Goldington Road in Bedford in week 2 before the season begins on home turf the following weekend. September also includes an away game against London Scottish and concludes with a home clash with Yorkshire Carnegie.
The new season will see the first staging of The Championship Cup, filling the gap left by the British & Irish Cup, with the division's 12 sides split into three pools of four. The Reds will make up a London-based pool with London Scottish, Richmond and Ealing Trailfinders, with pool matches to be played in a six-weekend block during November and December, followed by knock-out action in the New Year.
The Reds will have ambitions to repeat the cup runs of the last three seasons, as well as matching or surpassing their achievement in finishing fifth in the final Championship table in both of the last two seasons.
All the fixtures are for weekend slots and could be played on Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday. Exact dates and kick-off times will be confirmed in due course, and supporters are urged not to finalise their travel plans ahead of this detail being announced.
Jersey Reds v London Irish: it is possible, but not certain, that this match could be rearranged from the slot originally allocated to another weekend for logistical reasons. The date for this match will be confirmed in due course.
The Reds are intending to explore options for a charter trip for the playing squad and supporters for the away match against Cornish Pirates on March 8-10.
2018
HOME games in CAPITALS
Pre-season
Saturday July 28th RC VANNES (H) (K-O 3pm)
Saturday August 11th HARLEQUINS (H) (K-O 7pm)
Saturday August 19th OLD ELTHAMIANS (H) (K-O 3pm)
Aug 31 - Sep 2 Coventry (A)
Sept 7-9 Bedford Blues (A)
Sept 21-23 London Scottish (A)
Sept 28-30 YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE (H)
Oct 5-7 Doncaster Knights (A)
Oct 12-14 CORNISH PIRATES (H)
Oct 19-21 Hartpury (A)
Oct 26-28 RICHMOND (H)
Nov 9-11 Ealing Trailfinders (A) - CUP
Nov 16-18 LONDON SCOTTISH (H) - CUP
Nov 23-25 RICHMOND (H) - CUP
Nov 30- Dec 2 Richmond (A) - CUP
Dec 7-9 EALING TRAILFINDERS (H) - CUP
Dec 14-16 London Scottish (A) - CUP
Dec 21-23 Ealing Trailfinders (A)
2019
Jan 11-13 NOTTINGHAM (H)
Jan 18-20 BEDFORD BLUES (H)
Jan 25-27 London Irish (A)
Feb 1-3 Cup - QF
Feb 8-10 LONDON SCOTTISH (H)
Feb 15-17 Yorkshire Carnegie (A)
Feb 24-26 Cup - SF
Mar 1-3 DONCASTER KNIGHTS (H)
Mar 8-10 Cornish Pirates (A)
Mar 22-24 HARTPURY (H)
Mar 29-31 Richmond (A)
Apr 12-14 EALING TRAILFINDERS (H)
Apr 19-21 Nottingham (A)
Apr 26-28 COVENTRY (H)
May 3-5 Cup - Final
