CROSS Keys will face champions Merthyr on opening weekend of the revamped Principality Premiership.

As was revealed in the Argus in May, the top flight of club rugby will be split into eight-team eastern and western conferences, playing local rivals home and away, before the league is united on December 30.

The clubs will then play a reverse of the 2016/17 fixtures that saw teams play each other either home OR away until a January split.

The Dragons quintet of Keys, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Bedwas and Bargoed have been pooled with Cardiff, Pontypridd and Merthyr with north Walians RGC joining the seven western sides.

Points will be allocated when the split takes place with the top teams in the east and west heading into the run-in with eight, second place having seven and bottom having a solitary point.

There will be 29 fixtures this season and no play-offs while the Foster’s Challenge Cup, won by Bedwas last season, has been scrapped.

The Welsh Rugby Union have pledged to stick with the new format until at least 2019/20, when Premiership ring-fencing is set to end.

WRU head of rugby operations Julie Paterson said: “We have taken on board the views expressed by the Principality Premiership clubs, particularly in respect of the number and regularity of fixtures required to enable the clubs to be sustainable.

“A number of surveys, workshops and meetings have been held with all club stakeholders – administrators, supporters, coaches and players, looking at different areas of the club game at this level.

“We hope the east and west Wales leagues will build on the history and heritage of the Principality Premiership clubs while maximising the pride and ability to attract community support that comes from traditional local derbies.

“The geographical split will also help reduce travel costs for clubs and supporters.”

The league gets under way on August 26 when Keys head to Merthyr, Bargoed entertain Ebbw and Bedwas travel to Pontypridd.

Newport’s opener with Cardiff will have to be rearranged to either the Sunday or switched with the October 28 capital date because of a Rodney Parade clash with County, who play their first home game on the new hybrid pitch against Chesterfield on the Saturday.

With the WRU now owning the historic ground, there is the hope of having more designated rugby weekends featuring the Dragons, whose Guinness PRO12 fixtures are yet to be released, on the Friday with the Black and Ambers on the Saturday.

Of Newport’s home dates there are six that need rearranging as the Exiles have primacy of tenure – Cardiff, Pontypridd on September 9, Cross Keys on December 23, Llanelli on February 17, Pontypridd on February 24 and Bargoed on April 7.

Principality Premiership East fixtures

August 26: Bargoed v Ebbw Vale, Merthyr v Cross Keys, Newport v Cardiff, Pontypridd v

Bedwas

September 2: Cross Keys v Bargoed, Cardiff v Merthyr, Bedwas v Newport,Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd

September 9: Bargoed v Cardiff, Merthyr v Bedwas, Newport v Pontypridd, Cross Keys v Ebbw Vale

September 16: Bedwas v Bargoed, Pontypridd v Merthyr, Ebbw Vale v Newport, Cardiff v Cross Keys

September 23: Bargoed v Pontypridd, Merthyr v Newport, Cross Keys v Bedwas, Cardiff v Ebbw Vale

September 30: Newport v Bargoed, Ebbw Vale v Merthyr, Pontypridd v Cross Keys, Bedwas v Cardiff

October 7: Bargoed v Merthyr, Cross Keys v Newport, Cardiff v Pontypridd, Bedwas v Ebbw Vale

October 28: Ebbw Vale v Bargoed, Cross Keys v Merthyr, Cardiff v Newport, Bedwas v Pontypridd

November 4: Bargoed v Cross Keys, Merthyr v Cardiff, Newport v Bedwas, Pontypridd v Ebbw Vale

November 11: Cardiff v Bargoed, Bedwas v Merthyr, Pontypridd v Newport, Ebbw Vale v Cross Keys

November 18: Bargoed v Bedwas, Merthyr v Pontypridd, Newport v Ebbw Vale, Cross Keys v Cardiff

November 25: Pontypridd v Bargoed, Newport v Merthyr, Bedwas v Cross Keys, Ebbw Vale v Cardiff

December 2: Bargoed v Newport, Merthyr v Ebbw Vale, Cross Keys v Pontypridd, Cardiff v Bedwas

December 23: Merthyr v Bargoed, Newport v Cross Keys, Pontypridd v Cardiff, Ebbw Vale v Bedwas

December 30: Ebbw Vale v Llanelli, Carmarthen v Swansea, Pontypridd v Bedwas, Llandovery v Aberavon, Newport v Cardiff, Neath v Bargoed, Merthyr v Cross Keys, RGC v Bridgend

January 6: WRU National Cup

January 27: WRU National Cup

February 3: Pontypridd v Llanelli, Newport v Ebbw Vale, Carmarthen v Aberavon, Swansea v Bargoed, Bedwas v Merthyr, Llandovery v RGC, Bridgend v Cardiff, Neath v Cross Keys

February 10: Llanelli v Carmarthen, Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd, Aberavon v Swansea

Bedwas v Newport, Bargoed v Llandovery, Cardiff v Merthyr, RGC v Neath, Cross Keys v Bridgend

February 17: Newport v Llanelli, Bridgend v Ebbw Vale, RGC v Carmarthen, Merthyr v Pontypridd, Bargoed v Aberavon, Swansea v Cross Keys, Neath v Bedwas, Llandovery v Cardiff

February 24: Llanelli v Aberavon, Ebbw Vale v Merthyr, Carmarthen v Bargoed, Newport v Pontypridd, RGC v Swansea, Bedwas v Bridgend, Cross Keys v Llandovery, Cardiff v Neath

March 3: WRU National Cup

March 10: Llanelli v Bargoed, Ebbw Vale v Neath, Cross Keys v Carmarthen, Pontypridd v Bridgend, Aberavon v RGC, Merthyr v Newport, Cardiff v Swansea, Bedwas v Llandovery

March 17: Merthyr v Llanelli, Llandovery v Ebbw Vale, Carmarthen v Cardiff, Neath v Pontypridd, Aberavon v Cross Keys, Bridgend v Newport, Bargoed v RGC, Swansea v Bedwas

March 24: Llanelli v RGC, Ebbw Vale v Swansea, Bedwas v Carmarthen, Pontypridd v Llandovery, Cardiff v Aberavon, Cross Keys v Bargoed, Newport v Neath, Merthyr v Bridgend

March 30 (Good Friday): Llanelli v Bridgend, Carmarthen v Ebbw Vale, Swansea v Pontypridd, Aberavon v Bedwas, Llandovery v Newport, Bargoed v Cardiff, Neath v Merthyr, RGC v Cross Keys

April 2 (Easter Monday): Cross Keys v Llanelli, Ebbw Vale v Aberavon, Pontypridd v Carmarthen, Newport v Swansea, Bedwas v Bargoed, Merthyr v Llandovery, Bridgend v Neath, Cardiff v RGC

April 7: Llandovery v Llanelli, Cross Keys v Ebbw Vale, Bridgend v Carmarthen, Pontypridd v RGC, Merthyr v Aberavon, Newport v Bargoed, Swansea v Neath, Bedwas v Cardiff

April 14: Llanelli v Neath, Bargoed v Ebbw Vale, Carmarthen v Newport, Aberavon v Pontypridd, Swansea v Merthyr, RGC v Bedwas, Llandovery v Bridgend, Cross Keys v Cardiff

April 21: Cardiff v Llanelli, Ebbw Vale v RGC, Merthyr v Carmarthen, Bargoed v Pontypridd, Aberavon v Newport, Bridgend v Swansea, Bedwas v Cross Keys, Neath v Llandovery

May 5: Llanelli v Swansea, Ebbw Vale v Bedwas, Llandovery v Carmarthen, Pontypridd v Cardiff, Neath v Aberavon, Newport v Cross Keys, RGC v Merthyr, Bridgend v Bargoed

May 12: Llanelli v Bedwas, Cardiff v Ebbw Vale, Carmarthen v Neath, Cross Keys v Pontypridd, Aberavon v Bridgend, RGC v Newport, Bargoed v Merthyr, Swansea v Llandovery