Aviva Premiership Fixtures Launch

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This morning at the top of the BT Tower the Aviva Premiership fixtures were released for the 2015/16 season and the magnitude of the domestic campaign ahead was unveiled to all. The Rugby World Cup has shifted the domestic competition back by a month and the LV=Cup has been put on hold to ensure that all twenty two rounds of action and the Semi-Finals can be completed by the end of May and another stunning Aviva Premiership Final will take place at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 29th May. 

As always there will be the challenge of fighting on all fronts for our Aviva Premiership sides in particular during the middle of the season when the European competitions, the RBS 6 Nations and the Aviva Premiership all meet during Rounds 10 to 19. There are some scintillating match ups across the year and it all starts with a bang in October. In Round 1 the newly promoted Worcester Warriors have drawn a big reintroduction Premiership life at home to the Northampton Saints and the reigning Champions, Saracens, will start their title defence at home to the Sale Sharks. The 2015 Double Header will see Saracens face Worcester and London Irish host Wasps at Twickenham Stadium for the first rugby action that the Twickenham turf will have seen since the Rugby World Cup Final. 

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Already, most of our Aviva Premiership sides are back at their respective training bases with their strength and conditioning teams pushing them to their limits and seeing just how far they can go. Harlequins' Howard Graham gave us an insight into the task ahead for the South West London outfit when he revealed that training is being pushed up a notch because last 'there weren't enough guys throwing up'! The bars will be rising across the country as the physicality of the game continues to increase year on year and with new individuals coming in competition for starting places will be taken to new levels. Dean Ryan shared Worcester's collective excitement about the challenge ahead of them and Alex Sanderson and Saracens know that they head into this year as 'marked men' following their victory in May. 

Across the board every single Aviva Premiership Club has a point to prove, from the Leicester Tigers showing us all that they are the force that they always have been to Gloucester Rugby building on their first season with a new coaching set up. Naturally for the Worcester Warriors it will be about keeping pace in the top flight and Bath Rugby will be concerned with channelling their Final frustration into another solid and productive season that goes one step better come May 2016. 

Now it is time to play the waiting game, obviously the QBE Internationals and the Rugby World Cup will provide ample content  over the coming months and before we know it Harlequins will be kicking off domestic proceedings at home to Bath Rugby on Friday 16th October and the familiar pattern of an Aviva Premiership season will resume.