Cup clashes against Bath and Exeter Chiefs are the stand-out fixtures as Jersey Reds get ready for their first competitive action of the new season this September.
The tier 2 champions and the 11 other clubs from the RFU Championship are set to join the Premiership Rugby Cup for the first time in 2023/24, with a series of tantalising match-ups spread across the opening weekends of the season.
The Reds will travel to the Recreation Ground on Saturday September 16th to face Bath in what will also be a TV debut on TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport), while a week later the first-ever fixture – in the modern era at least – between Jersey and Exeter will be staged at Stade Santander International.
Joining the Reds, the Chiefs and Bath in a five-team pool will be Championship sides London Scottish and Cornish Pirates, with each team playing five fixtures, including a ‘cross-pool’ game involving another group.
The Reds’ opening cup fixture will be against London Scottish at the Richmond Athletic Ground on Sunday September 10th (k-o 2pm), followed by the trip to Bath six days later – a 1pm KO to accommodate the TV scheduling – and then the clash with reigning Prem Cup holders Chiefs at 2pm on Saturday September 23rd.
Two Friday night games will conclude the pool fixtures: on Friday September 29th the Reds will travel to Cornwall to take on the Pirates at the Mennaye Field, while a week later Ealing Trailfinders will travel to the Island, taking on the Reds under the Friday Night Lights at the Stade.
The pool stages of the cup form a tempting first course ahead of the 2023/24 RFU Championship season, which will kick off with the Reds taking on Coventry Rugby at the Stade on Saturday October 21st. To see the full list of league fixtures, see HERE.
The 22 teams in the Premiership Rugby Cup will be split into four seeded pools – two of six teams (Pool A & Pool B), two of five teams (Pool C & Pool D). The teams in Pools C and D will play one cross-pool fixture in addition to their own pool games. Full details will be available via the premiershiprugby.com website - see THIS LINK. The cup semi-finals and final will be played on the weekends of February 17th and March 16th respectively.
Season tickets are now on sale, offering the supporters the chance to enjoy a whole season’s worth of cup and league home fixtures at a cost of around £10 per game, offering incredible value to see games involving the top 22 sides in the English rugby structure. See www.jr.lnk.je/tickets for details.
