Elsewhere European champions Munster visit Scotland’s capital city to face Edinburgh, whilst the big game in Ireland sees EDF Anglo-Welsh Cup winners, Ospreys, visit Connacht.

The visit of Llanelli Scarlets to Ravenhill and Glasgow Warriors to Newport Gwent Dragons make up the rest of the fixtures for the opening round.

Once again ‘local derbies’ will be held over the Christmas/New Year period, whilst the season will conclude the weekend of 16 May, in time to avoid any potential clash of dates with the opening fixture of the British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa.

These fixtures are weekend only dates; specific dates, kick-off times and in some cases venues, will be released later in conjunction with broadcast partners and individual teams.

5/6/7 Sep Cardiff Blues   v   Leinster Arms Park
5/6/7 Sep Connacht Rugby   v   Ospreys Sportsground
5/6/7 Sep Dragons   v   Glasgow Warriors Rodney Parade
5/6/7 Sep Edinburgh Rugby   v   Munster Murrayfield
5/6/7 Sep Ulster   v   Llanelli Scarlets Ravenhill
9/10 Sep Dragons   v   Llanelli Scarlets Rodney Parade
9/10 Sep Ospreys   v   Cardiff Blues Liberty Stadium
12/13/14 Sep Cardiff Blues   v   Ulster Arms Park
12/13/14 Sep Glasgow Warriors   v   Ospreys Firhill Arena
12/13/14 Sep Leinster   v   Edinburgh Rugby Royal Dublin Society
12/13/14 Sep Llanelli Scarlets   v   Connacht Rugby Stradey Park
12/13/14 Sep Munster   v   Dragons Musgrave Park
19/20/21 Sep Connacht Rugby   v   Glasgow Warriors Sportsground
19/20/21 Sep Edinburgh Rugby   v   Llanelli Scarlets Murrayfield
19/20/21 Sep Leinster   v   Ospreys Royal Dublin Society
19/20/21 Sep Munster   v   Cardiff Blues Musgrave Park
19/20/21 Sep Ulster   v   Dragons Ravenhill
26/27/28 Sep Cardiff Blues   v   Connacht Rugby Arms Park
26/27/28 Sep Dragons   v   Edinburgh Rugby Rodney Parade
26/27/28 Sep Glasgow Warriors   v   Llanelli Scarlets Firhill Arena
26/27/28 Sep Leinster   v   Munster Royal Dublin Society
26/27/28 Sep Ospreys   v   Ulster Liberty Stadium
3/4/5 Oct Connacht Rugby   v   Leinster Sportsground
3/4/5 Oct Munster   v   Glasgow Warriors Thomond Park
3/4/5 Oct Ulster   v   Edinburgh Rugby Ravenhill
24/25/26 Oct Connacht Rugby   v   Edinburgh Rugby Sportsground
24/25/26 Oct Glasgow Warriors   v   Leinster Firhill Arena
24/25/26 Oct Ulster   v   Munster Ravenhill 
28/29/30 Nov Edinburgh Rugby   v   Ospreys Murrayfield
28/29/30 Nov Glasgow Warriors   v   Cardiff Blues Firhill Arena
28/29/30 Nov Leinster   v   Dragons Royal Dublin Society
28/29/30 Nov Munster   v   Llanelli Scarlets TBA
28/29/30 Nov Ulster   v   Connacht Rugby Ravenhill
19/20/21 Dec Dragons   v   Ospreys Rodney Parade
19/20/21 Dec Llanelli Scarlets   v   Cardiff Blues TBA
26/27/28 Dec Connacht Rugby   v   Munster Sportsground
26/27/28 Dec Dragons   v   Cardiff Blues Rodney Parade
26/27/28 Dec Edinburgh Rugby   v   Glasgow Warriors Murrayfield
26/27/28 Dec Ospreys   v   Llanelli Scarlets Liberty Stadium
26/27/28 Dec Ulster   v   Leinster Ravenhill
2/3/4 Jan Cardiff Blues   v   Ospreys Arms Park
2/3/4 Jan Glasgow Warriors   v   Edinburgh Rugby Firhill Arena
2/3/4 Jan Leinster   v   Connacht Rugby Royal Dublin Society
2/3/4 Jan Llanelli Scarlets   v   Dragons TBA 
2/3/4 Jan Munster   v   Ulster TBA
9/10/11 Jan Connacht Rugby   v   Llanelli Scarlets Sportsground
9/10/11 Jan Edinburgh Rugby   v   Ulster Murrayfield
9/10/11 Jan Glasgow Warriors   v   Dragons Firhill Arena
9/10/11 Jan Leinster   v   Cardiff Blues Royal Dublin Society
9/10/11 Jan Ospreys   v   Munster Liberty Stadium
20/21/22 Feb Cardiff Blues   v   Glasgow Warriors Arms Park
20/21/22 Feb Dragons   v   Ulster Rodney Parade
20/21/22 Feb Llanelli Scarlets   v   Leinster TBA
20/21/22 Feb Munster   v   Edinburgh Rugby TBA
20/21/22 Feb Ospreys   v   Connacht Rugby Liberty Stadium
6/7/8 Mar Connacht Rugby   v   Cardiff Blues Sportsground
6/7/8 Mar Dragons   v   Munster Rodney Parade
6/7/8 Mar Llanelli Scarlets   v   Edinburgh Rugby TBA
6/7/8 Mar Ospreys   v   Leinster Liberty Stadium
6/7/8 Mar Ulster   v   Glasgow Warriors Ravenhill
27/28/29 Mar Cardiff Blues   v   Llanelli Scarlets Arms Park
27/28/29 Mar Edinburgh Rugby   v   Connacht Rugby Murrayfield
27/28/29 Mar Glasgow Warriors   v   Munster Firhill Arena
27/28/29 Mar Leinster   v   Ulster Royal Dublin Society
27/28/29 Mar Ospreys   v   Dragons Liberty Stadium
3/4/5 Apr Connacht Rugby   v   Dragons Sportsground
3/4/5 Apr Edinburgh Rugby   v   Cardiff Blues Murrayfield
3/4/5 Apr Llanelli Scarlets   v   Glasgow Warriors TBA
3/4/5 Apr Munster   v   Leinster TBA
3/4/5 Apr Ulster   v   Ospreys Ravenhill
17/18/19 Apr Cardiff Blues   v   Dragons Arms Park
17/18/19 Apr Edinburgh Rugby   v   Leinster Murrayfield
17/18/19 Apr Glasgow Warriors   v   Ulster Firhill Arena
17/18/19 Apr Llanelli Scarlets   v   Ospreys TBA
17/18/19 Apr Munster   v   Connacht Rugby TBA
24/25/26 Apr Dragons   v   Connacht Rugby Rodney Parade
24/25/26 Apr Leinster   v   Glasgow Warriors Royal Dublin Society
24/25/26 Apr Llanelli Scarlets   v   Munster TBA
24/25/26 Apr Ospreys   v   Edinburgh Rugby Liberty Stadium
24/25/26 Apr Ulster   v   Cardiff Blues Ravenhill
8/9/10 May Cardiff Blues   v   Munster Arms Park
8/9/10 May Connacht Rugby   v   Ulster Sportsground
8/9/10 May Edinburgh Rugby   v   Dragons Murrayfield
8/9/10 May Leinster   v   Llanelli Scarlets Royal Dublin Society
8/9/10 May Ospreys   v   Glasgow Warriors Liberty Stadium
15/16/17 May Cardiff Blues   v   Edinburgh Rugby Arms Park
15/16/17 May Dragons   v   Leinster Rodney Parade
15/16/17 May Glasgow Warriors   v   Connacht Rugby Firhill Arena
15/16/17 May Llanelli Scarlets   v   Ulster TBA
15/16/17 May Munster   v   Ospreys TBA