The Ospreys will kick-off the new-look Anglo-Welsh Cup with a home fixture against Northampton Saints on the weekend of Saturday 7th November
.
The newly structured competition will see the 12 Guinness Premiership clubs and four Welsh Regions play over four weekends, followed by the semi-finals and finals. Each team will be guaranteed two home and two away inter-pool fixtures, with the top teams from each pool qualifying for the knockout stages.
After opening against Northampton, the Ospreys will then face away trips to Bath and Newport Gwent Dragons before they entertain Leeds Carnegie on the final weekend of the pool stages.
The teams have been drawn in four pools of four with three Guinness Premiership clubs and one Welsh Region in each pool.
Pool 1 - Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Ospreys
Pool 2 - London Irish, Gloucester, Rugby, Newcastle, Falcons, Scarlets
Pool 3 - Harlequins, London Wasps, Worcester Warriors, Cardiff Blues
Pool 4 - Bath Rugby, Northampton Saints, Leeds Carnegie, Dragons
Leeds Carnegie v Leicester Tigers
Newport Gwent Dragons v Sale Sharks
Saracens v Bath Rugby
Ospreys v Northampton Saints
Gloucester Rugby v Blues
London Irish v London Wasps
Worcester Warriors v Newcastle Falcons
Harlequins v Scarlets
Round 2 (weekend of November 14, 2009)
Leicester Tigers v Newport Gwent Dragons
Sale Sharks v Leeds Carnegie
Bath Rugby v Ospreys
Northampton Saints v Saracens
Cardiff Blues v London Irish
London Wasps v Gloucester Rugby
Newcastle Falcons v Harlequins
Scarlets v Worcester Warriors
Round 3 (weekend of January 30, 2010)
Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby
Sale Sharks v Northampton Saints
Newport Gwent Dragons v Ospreys
Leeds Carnegie v Saracens
London Wasps v Scarlets
Cardiff Blues v Newcastle Falcons
Gloucester Rugby v Worcester Warriors
London Irish v Harlequins
Round 4 (weekend of February 6, 2010)
Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers
Bath Rugby v Sale Sharks
Ospreys v Leeds Carnegie
Saracens v Newport Gwent Dragons
Scarlets v Cardiff Blues
Newcastle Falcons v London Wasps
Worcester Warriors v London Irish
Harlequins v Gloucester
Semi Finals (weekend of March 13, 2010, venue TBC)
Final (weekend of March 20, 2010, venue TBC)
NOTE - If the winner of the competition is an English club, they will qualify for the following season's Heineken Cup.
Terry Burwell, Rugby Football Union Tournaments and Competitions Director, said: "We are delighted that together with Premier Rugby Ltd and the Welsh Rugby Union we have come up with a structure that will not only help players, coaches and officials develop but also provides more revenue potential for the Guinness Premiership clubs and the Welsh regions.
"There is a massive appetite for Cup rugby in England and Wales. The average attendance at pool matches over the past three seasons has been 8506 and the final averaged 60,000. There is plenty to look forward to with pool matches such as Gloucester Rugby against Cardiff Blues and Leicester Tigers against Newport Gwent Dragons in the first two rounds this coming season.
"We believe this new structure will give players, coaches and supporters an exciting tournament that embodies all that's best about cross-border knockout competition.
"We have a committed broadcaster in Sky Sports for the next five years and, together with PRL and the WRU, are actively seeking a title sponsor."
PRL Commercial Director Jon Varney said: "When we were discussing the format of the new Anglo-Welsh tournament we tried to build on the success of the preceding one, but also take the opportunity to make some small changes to make the tournament even more attractive to clubs, supporters, viewers and sponsors.
"The financial structure will reward winning teams and that, as well as the European place on offer for an English winner, will make the tournament well worth winning."