Blues regional sides Cardiff, and last year's runners up Pontypridd, will both start on the road against Llandovery and Tonmawr, respectively when the season kicks off on the weekend of 3rd September.

Principality Premiership newcomers Bridgend are itching to get the new season started. They return to the top flight of Welsh domestic rugby after being absent for two seasons and kick off the season with a short trip to last season's SWALEC Cup finalists Aberavon.

The Principality Premiership will once again culminate in a play-off structure to determine the champion club and the play offs will also determine the sixth club to represent Wales in the British & Irish Cup for 2012/2013.

Following this season, the Principality Premiership will be reduced from 14 to ten clubs, with those ten clubs known by the end of 2011.

WRU Head of Rugby Joe Lydon said, "We are once again looking forward to another exciting and competitive season of Principality Premiership rugby, with the fixtures already whetting the appetite of players, coaches, commercial partners and supporters alike.

"We know the play-off element to the league adds to the competitiveness of the Premiership for a large number of clubs as was seen last season with Cross Keys clinching the final British & Irish Cup spot by beating Newport in the qualification play-off final and Llanelli pipping Pontypridd to the post in the champion club play-off final.

"Our recent review of the Premiership clearly identified that the agreed role and purpose of the Division is yet to be fully realised but the recently announced reforms to be introduced ahead of the 2012/13 season, including the reduction of the league to ten clubs, mean the increase of on and off field resources across the Premier Division, and enhanced performance, development opportunities and sustainability.

"The planned reform of the Premiership will better enable the league to flourish as an entity and will, I am sure, help to underpin the player development models in conjunction with our regional partners, producing fitter, more skilful players for the Regions and hopefully the National Squad."

Principality Premiership Fixtures 2011/2012
1. 3rd September 2011

Aberavon v Bridgend
Bedwas v Neath
Cross Keys v Pontypool
Llandovery v Cardiff
Carmarthen v Swansea
Tonmawr v Pontypridd
Newportv Llanelli

2. 10th September 2011

Pontypridd v Aberavon
Neath v Carmarthen
Swanseav Bedwas
Cardiffv Cross Keys
Llanelli v Llandovery
Bridgend v Newport
Pontypoolv Tonmawr

3. 17th September 2011

Aberavon v Llandovery
Neath v Newport
Bridgend v Swansea
Carmarthenv Cross Keys
Pontypoolv Pontypridd
Tonmawr v Cardiff
Llanelli v Bedwas

4. 24th September 2011

Swanseav Aberavon
Neath v Tonmawr
Cross Keys v Pontypridd
Llanelli v Carmarthen
Bedwas v Cardiff
Newportv Pontypool
Llandovery v Bridgend

5. 1st October 2011

Aberavon v Pontypool
Llandovery v Neath
Swanseav Cardiff
Pontypridd v Llanelli
Bridgend v Cross Keys
Tonmawr v Bedwas
Carmarthen v Newport

6. 8th October 2011

Newportv Aberavon
Neath v Pontypool
Swanseav Cross Keys
Llandovery v Pontypridd
Bridgend v Cardiff
Bedwas v Carmarthen
Tonmawr v Llanelli

7. 15th October 2011

Aberavon v Cardiff
Neath v Llanelli
Pontypool v Swansea
Pontypridd v Newport
Cross Keys v Tonmawr
Bedwas v Llandovery
Carmarthenv Bridgend

8. 22nd October 2011

Aberavon v Carmarthen
Bridgend v Neath
Swanseav Llandovery
Pontypridd v Bedwas
Llanelli v Cross Keys
Cardiffv Pontypool
Newportv Tonmawr

9. 29th October 2011

Tonmawr v Aberavon
Neath v Pontypridd
Bedwas v Swansea
Cross Keys v Bridgend
Cardiffv Llanelli
Llandovery v Newport
Pontypool v Carmarthen

10. 5th November 2011

Aberavon v Llanelli
Swansea v Neath
Bedwas v Cross Keys
Pontypridd v Pontypool
Llandovery v Tonmawr
Cardiffv Carmarthen
Newportv Bridgend

11. 12th November 2011 (B & I Cup 1)

Bedwas v Newport
Cardiffv Llandovery
Carmarthenv Tonmawr
Pontypoolv Bridgend

12. 19th November 2011 (B & I Cup 2)

Newportv Llandovery
Carmarthen v Cardiff
Bridgend v Bedwas
Tonmawr v Pontypool

13. 26th November 2011

Bridgend v Aberavon
Neath v Bedwas
Swansea v Newport
Llanelli v Pontypridd
Cross Keys v Llandovery
Cardiffv Tonmawr
Carmarthen v Pontypool

14. 3rd December 2011

Llanelli v Aberavon
Pontypridd v Cross Keys
Neath v Swansea

15. 10th December 2011 (B & I Cup 3)

Newportv Bedwas
Llandovery v Pontypool
Tonmawr v Carmarthen
Cardiffv Bridgend

16. 17th December 2011 (B & I Cup 4)

Newportv Carmarthen
Bedwas v Tonmawr
Bridgend v Pontypool

Free: Llandovery and Cardiff

17. 26th December 2011

Neath v Aberavon
Swanseav Llanelli
Carmarthenv Llandovery
Pontypridd v Cardiff
Newportv Cross Keys
Pontypoolv Bedwas
Tonmawr v Bridgend

18. 2nd January 2012

Aberavon v Pontypridd
Swanseav Carmarthen
Tonmawr v Neath
Cardiffv Newport
Llanelli v Bridgend
Cross Keys v Bedwas
Pontypoolv Llandovery

19. 7th January 2012

Llandovery v Aberavon
Carmarthenv Neath
Cardiffv Swansea
Bedwas v Bridgend
Pontypridd v Tonmawr
Pontypoolv Cross Keys
Llanelli v Newport

20. 14th January 2012

Aberavon v Swansea
Neath v Llandovery
Cross Keys v Carmarthen
Bridgend v Pontypridd
Pontypoolv Llanelli
Cardiffv Bedwas
Tonmawr v Newport

21. 21st January 2012 (B & I Cup Quarter Finals)

Swanseav Pontypridd
Llanelli v Neath
Aberavon v Cross Keys
Llandovery v Bedwas
Bridgend v Carmarthen

(RGC 1404 v Cardiff)

Free: Newport, Tonmawr and Pontypool

22. 28th January 2012 - SWALEC Cup Round 2

23. 4th February 2012 - Ireland (Away - Sunday)

Tonmawr v Cross Keys
Aberavon v Bedwas
Cardiffv Neath
Llanelli v Pontypool
Llandovery v Swansea
Pontypridd v Carmarthen

(Bridgend v RGC 1404)

Free: Newport

24. 11th February 2012 - Scotland (Home - Sunday)

Pontypoolv Aberavon
Newportv Cardiff
Cross Keys v Neath
Bedwas v Pontypridd
Bridgend v Llanelli
Tonmawr v Swansea

(RGC 1404 v Llandovery)

Free: Carmarthen

25. 18th February 2012 - SWALEC Round 3

26. 25th February 2012 - England (Away)

Carmarthenv Pontypridd
Neath v Cardiff
Cross Keys v Llanelli
Swanseav Bridgend
Aberavon v Newport

(Tonmawr v RGC 1404)

Free: Bedwas, Pontypool, Llandovery

27. 3rd March 2012

Llanelli v Tonmawr
Carmarthen v Aberavon
Newportv Neath
Pontypool v Cardiff
Llandovery v Cross Keys
Pontypridd v Swansea

(Bedwas v RGC 1404)

Free: Bridgend

28. Friday 9th March 2012 - Italy (Home - Saturday)

Cardiffv Aberavon
Pontypoolv Neath
Bedwas v Llanelli
Newportv Pontypridd
Cross Keys v Swansea
Bridgend v Llandovery

(RGC 1404 v Carmarthen)

Free: Tonmawr

29. Friday 16th March 2012 - France (Home - Saturday)

Aberavon v Tonmawr
Neath v Cross Keys
Swansea v Pontypool
Llandovery v Llanelli
Pontypridd v Bridgend

(RGC 1404 v Newport)

Free: Cardiff, Bedwas and Carmarthen

30. Saturday 24th March 2012 - SWALEC Cup Round 4

31. Saturday 31st March 2012

Carmarthenv Bedwas
Cross Keys v Aberavon
Pontypridd v Neath
Newportv Swansea
Tonmawr v Llandovery
Llanelli v Cardiff

(Pontypool v RGC 1404)

Free: Bridgend

32. 7th April 2012 - Easter - B & I Cup Semi Finals

Aberavon v Neath
Llanelli v Swansea
Cardiffv Pontypridd
Bridgend v Tonmawr
Bedwas v Pontypool
Llandovery v Carmarthen
Cross Keys v Newport

33. 14th April 2012-Swalec Cup-Semi Finals

Bedwas v Aberavon
Neath v Bridgend
Swanseav Tonmawr
Cross Keys v Cardiff
Pontypridd v Llandovery
Pontypool v Newport
Carmarthenv Llanelli

• This round of fixtures will be subject to rearrangement if one or other of the Clubs in a League fixture is involved in one of the Cup Semi Final ties.

34. 21st April 2012

Free to play rearranged matches

35. 28th April 2012 - B & I Cup Final

36. 5th May 2012 - Premier Division Play Off Round 1
(Champions and B & I Cup PO1) - Tbc

37. 12th May 2012 - SWALEC Cup Final - Tbc

38. 19th May 2012 - Premier Division Play Off Finals
(Champions and B & I Cup- PO2)-Tbc

NB ALL FIXTURES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN LINE WITH BROADCASTER REQUIREMENTS AND CONFLICTS WITH CUP COMPETITIONS