PROVISIONAL rugby fixtures have been announced for the 2020-21 league season, with divisions split into geographical groups and the season divided into three windows, writes Allyn Chetland.

The RFU’s discussions with the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Sport England to accelerate a return to community rugby continue and further updates will be provided when the Government gives the green light that it is safe for community rugby to restart.

1st XV – South West One West – Group B: St Austell, Devonport Services, Sidmouth, Crediton, North Petherton and Bridgwater and Albion. 2nd XV – Somerset One – Group B: Bridgwater II, North Petherton II, Morganians, Taunton II and Cheddar Valley.

The season has been divided into three windows and in the first window clubs will play each team in their group – see above – home and away. Provisional dates have been allocated to these games and if rugby has not started by these dates, each week will be automatically moved to the end of the first window. For example, in a 14-team league there are two groups of seven teams and the group games will take up the first 14 weeks of games.

If rugby cannot return to play until, for example, Round 6, the first game will be the fixture listed for Round 6, not Round 1 and then after Round 14 the scheduled fixtures for Rounds 1-5 would then be played in order, completing Window one.

If the first window is successfully completed, teams will then move to the second, which will see clubs compete against clubs from the other group in their league, once – either home or away. If there is still time before the end of the scheduled league season, the third window will be played – where the reversed fixtures of window two will take place. Dates for windows two and three will be allocated once competitions are able to start and if only the first window is possible, a play-off between the leaders of the two groups will be staged to decide the league winner. No decision has been made on the effect of this season on promotion/relegation for the 2021-22 season, and no decision has yet been made about the RFU Cup competitions.

The provisional opening day game for Wellington 1st XV in South West One West – provisional date given as September 5 – is home against Crediton.

The provisional opening day game for Wellington 2nd XV in Somerset One – provisional date given as September 26 – is away against Morganians. The rest of the provisional fixtures and provisional dates can be found here: https://www.swrugby.co.uk/20fix