The division will portray the best of the community game in Wales, sitting above SWALEC Division One East and West and below the semi-professional Principality Premiership.
The SWALEC National Championship will kick-off on September 1 along with the rest of the SWALEC National Leagues.
WRU Head of Rugby, Joe Lydon, said “The creation of a new National Championship offers an exciting, highly competitive, new level of rugby for both players and supporters to enjoy.
“This new league will form the top level of the community game in Wales and we are all looking forward to working even harder to ensure a strong future for this and all levels of rugby in Wales.”
Six clubs from last season’s Division One East and seven from Division One West, along with Pontypool, will form the new SWALEC Championship Division with last season’s title winners, Ebbw Vale and Tata Steel, both looking forward to staking their claims to be undisputed champions in this coming debut season.
The Steelmen begin with a trip to the Memorial Ground where they will be entertained by Glamorgan Wanderers with head coach Neil Edwards looking forward to a new challenge.
“We’re not sure what the quality of opposition will be like,” he said. “We know what to expect from the east sides but the west is something of an unknown quantity. It’s a fresh, new challenge, the rugby is more attritional in the west so we’ll see what happens.”
Meanwhile last year’s Division One West winners Tata Steel travel to Narberth for a tough opening against the club that finished just one point behind them last season.
“TATA have recruited very well and so have we so it’s going to be a great first game of the season,” said Narbeth head coach Sean Gale. “We’ve got a lot of respect for TATA and we are looking forward to it.”
Gale also welcomed the challenge of the newly formed Championship adding: “It’s going to be very, very competitive and it will be all about winning your home games. As a club it’s a step up and shows us how far we have moved on.”
There is one new name, but not a new club, with UWIC now known as Cardiff Met. Blackwood will be the first visitors to the Cyncoed campus.
Bonymaen had a difficult season in Division One West last year ending in 11th spot, and they make the trip to Bridgend Athletic on opening day, while Pontypool start their season in the lower division playing host to Beddau.
Bargoed, who finished second in last season’s Division One East take on Whitland who have moved from One West. Newbridge’s trip to Llanharan completes the opening round of fixtures in what looks like an extremely competitive division.
In the revamped SWALEC League One East, RGC1404 start their first campaign with a trip to Gilfach Goch as the North Wales outfit look to make an early impression on the competition. Last season’s SWALEC Plate winners Penallta start away to Ynysybwl while Merthyr take on Mountain Ash.
Third in One West last year, Carmarthen Athletic start their campaign against Llangennech who finished one place behind them last season with the two teams amongst the favourites for the competition.
Last year’s Two East champions, Ystrad Rhondda travel to Tredegar who found the going rather tough last season.
Other clubs making the step up from Two East are Heol y Cyw, Penallta, Rhydyfelin and Ynysybwl.
SWALEC Division One West will comprise five clubs from last season’s division together with seven clubs promoted from Two West.
Carmarthen Athletic could be favourites for one of the top spots after finishing in third place in One West last season. They start their season with a home game against Llangennech who finished just one place behind them last term.
Two West champions Glynneath also begin with a home match when they entertain Aberavon Quins, while Kenfig Hill who were runners-up in 2011/12, play host to an Ammanford side who finished at the bottom of One West, nine points behind their nearest rivals.
Kidwelly, seventh in Two West last season, have a tough challenge when they welcome Tondu who finished last season ninth in One West.
Leagues for 2012/13
Championship
Division 1 East
Division 1 North
Division 1 West
Division 2 East
Division North
Division 2 West
Division 3 East
Division 3 North
Division 3 South East
Division 3 South West
Division 3 West
Division 4 East
Division 4 South East
Division 4 South West
Division 4 West
Division 5 East
Division 5 South Central
Division 5 South East
Division 5 South West
Division 5 West Division 6 East
Division 6 West
Division 6 South East
Division 6 South Central
Division 7
