Meanwhile, 2010/11 LV= Cup winners Gloucester Rugby will welcome Sale Sharks to Kingsholm on the opening weekend of the 2011/12 campaign.

After last year's 34-7 win over Newcastle Falcons at Franklin's Gardens, Gloucester Rugby Head Coach Bryan Redpath is relishing his side's start to the competition.

"The LV= Cup has been an integral part of our season in recent times," he said. "We've made the final three years in a row and last season's win secured our place in Europe. We've seen many young players develop as a result of playing in the tournament and having that pathway available is the foundation of any successful club.

"Our first fixture against Sale Sharks certainly won't be an easy start to the tournament. Following our win at Franklin's Gardens, we are also now involved in the Heineken Cup and we will have to be on top form in terms of our fitness and attitude if we want to be successful in both competitions."

Insurance, retirement and investment group LV= has confirmed it will continue its title sponsorship of the competition for a further four years which, in addition to the two previous seasons, will see the company commit to a total of six years as title sponsor.

David Smith, LV= HR and Communications Director said, "We are delighted to continue our title sponsorship of the LV= Cup for a third year as we look to strengthen our commitment in rugby. The tournament provides a unique platform to engage with rugby fans and promote the LV= brand. The last two seasons have produced some fantastic rugby and the tournament is fast establishing itself as a hotbed for young talent. We're very much looking forward to the forthcoming season and would like to wish all teams the best of luck."

Sophie Goldschmidt, RFU Chief Commercial Officer added: "We are delighted to confirm that LV= will continue their sponsorship of the competition, committing to a further four years as title sponsor. The renewed partnership between LV=, the RFU, WRU and Premier Rugby Ltd furthers strengthens the development of the competition and we are confident that will continue over the next four years.

"We will be working closely with LV=, Premier Rugby Ltd and the WRU to further raise the profile of the competition and look forward to another successful season both on the field and off."

2011/12 LV= Cup Pools and Fixtures

Pool 1

Saracens

Bath Rugby

London Wasps

Ospreys

Pool 2

Leicester Tigers

London Irish

Sale Sharks

Cardiff Blues

Pool 3

Gloucester Rugby

Harlequins

Newcastle Falcons

Scarlets

Pool 4

Northampton Saints

Exeter Chiefs

Worcester Warriors

Dragons

Round 1 - 14/15/16 October

Northampton Saints v Saracens

Worcester Warriors v London Wasps

Dragons v Bath Rugby

Exeter Chiefs v Ospreys

Newcastle Falcons v Cardiff Blues

Harlequins v London Irish

Gloucester Rugby v Sale Sharks

Scarlets v Leicester Tigers(SaturdayOctober15Sky SportsHD, KO 1800)

Round 2 - 21/22/23 October

Saracens v Exeter Chiefs

London Wasps v Dragons

Bath Rugby v Worcester Warriors

Ospreys v Northampton Saints(Saturday October 22, Sky SportsHD,KO1800)

London Irish v Newcastle Falcons

Sale Sharks v Harlequins

Leicester Tigers v Gloucester Rugby

Cardiff Blues v Scarlets

Round 3 - 27/28/29 January

Ospreys v Dragons

London Wasps v Exeter Chiefs

Saracens v Worcester Warriors

Bath Rugby v Northampton Saints

Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks

Harlequins v Leicester Tigers

Scarlets v London Irish

Gloucester Rugby v Cardiff Blues

Round 4 - 3/4/5 February

Exeter Chiefs v Bath Rugby

Worcester Warriors v Ospreys

Northampton Saints v London Wasps

Dragons v Saracens

Cardiff Blues v Harlequins

Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons

London Irish v Gloucester Rugby

Sale Sharks v Scarlets

Semi finals (9/10/11 March, venue TBC)

Final (16/17/18 March, venue TBC)

• The LV= Cup is a 16-team competition involving the 12 Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs and 4 Welsh regions
• Played in four pools of four with three English clubs and one Welsh region in each pool
• English clubs have been allocated to the pools depending on their finish in last season's Aviva Premiership Rugby competition
• Welsh regions have been allocated to the pools to avoid repeating fixtures from the Heineken and Amlin Challenge cups where possible
• Teams in Pool 1 play teams in Pool 4 and teams in Pool 2 play teams in Pool 3
• Each team plays four pool matches - two home and two away - with the top team from each pool qualifying for the semi finals