Five of the best rivalries in the Premiership Rugby Cup

Seven months on from Gloucester Rugby lifting the Premiership Rugby Cup trophy at Kingsholm, the fixtures have been released for the coming season.

And with 20 teams doing battle to follow in the footsteps of the Cherry & Whites, there is no shortage of tantalising rivalries which will be renewed.

With the competition split into five pools of four along geographical lines, there are some particularly intriguing fixtures thrown up for the tournament, which will take place in November and February.

We have picked out five of the best:

Cornish Pirates v Exeter Chiefs – Fri 1 Nov and Sun 9 Feb

Rivalries between Devon and Cornwall stretch far beyond the rugby pitch. Whether it is the correct order to spread the cream and jam on scones for cream teas, or the origin of the humble pasty, opinions are often split along the fault line of the River Tamar. When it comes to rugby, Exeter Chiefs and Cornish Pirates are the flagbearers for their respective counties, and the two sides will meet twice in this year’s Premiership Rugby Cup. The duo share plenty of common ground with Pirates having claimed the National Trophy at the expense of Chiefs back in 2007. These days, it is Chiefs who have established themselves as the dominant force in the South West, with a host of their up-and-coming players dual-registered at Pirates. Expect fireworks when the sides meet.

Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers – Fri 1 Nov and Sat 1 Feb

The most successful club in England against the reigning Gallagher Premiership Rugby champions. East Midlands derbies are spicy at the best of times, but they will have a little added bite to them this season following Saints’ Twickenham triumph. With former Tiger Sam Vesty overseeing Northampton’s scintillating attack, not to mention the endless history of iconic meetings between the sides, every derby is appointment viewing. Last year, the two teams split their Gallagher Premiership Rugby meetings. Now they get to face off in the Premiership Rugby Cup as well.

Harlequins v Ealing Trailfinders – Fri 8 Nov and Sat 8 Feb

With less than seven miles between the Twickenham Stoop and Trailfinders Sports Ground at Vallis Way, Harlequins and Ealing Trailfinders are two of the closest opponents in this competition (although London Scottish are even closer to Quins). Since the 2015/16 season, Trailfinders have never finished outside the top two in the Championship, and are reigning champions after claiming their second title last season. That campaign also saw them reach the semi-finals of the Premiership Rugby Cup, pushing Leicester very hard in the last four. They will be keen to show similar form against near neighbours Quins.

Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks – Fri 22 Nov

The two most northerly teams in Gallagher Premiership Rugby love nothing more than getting one over on the other – particularly now that long-time Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond is overseeing proceedings at Kingston Park. While Falcons endured a tricky time of it in the league last season, they won four out of five matches in the Premiership Rugby Cup, including a 23-10 win over Sharks. Joined by Doncaster Knights and Caldy in their group, this battle for the north could decide which team emerges into the quarter-finals, or it could potentially be both.

Gloucester Rugby v Hartpury – Sat 2 Nov and Sat 8 Feb

Perhaps no two teams have closer ties in this competition than those of defending champions Gloucester Rugby and Hartpury. After all, the Cherry & Whites train at Hartpury University, while the club’s women’s team – back-to-back Premiership Women’s Rugby champions – are called Gloucester-Hartpury. Whether it is Jonny May, Louis Rees-Zammit or Charlie Sharples, Hartpury have provided some of Gloucester’s greatest talents of recent times – and some of the quickest. Last season, Gloucester came out on top 40-14 at the Alpas Arena when the teams met, Jack Clement cementing his position as one of the competition’s breakthrough players with a hat-trick. This year they get to meet twice in the most familiar of rivalries.