Merthyr and Glynneath, who won SWALEC Division One East and West last season, kick off their Championship campaign with fixtures against Llanharan (away) and Tata Steel (home) respectively. In the other opening round fixtures, Pontypool travel to Bargoed, Narberth host Bridgend Athletic, Tondu welcome Newbridge and RGC 1404, who finished third last season, travel to Blackwood.
Richard Lancaster, who has taken over as Swansea’s director of rugby, insists the whole community has come together to help the club bounce back after relegation from the Principality Premiership.
“Things are going well, we’re excited about the challenge that awaits us and we’re certainly looking to get the club straight back to where it belongs in the top echelons of Welsh rugby. It’s important we do justice to the jersey this season, and we’ve had no shortage of offers of help at every level. People have re-established contact with the club, we’ve had supporters volunteer to help bring in sponsorship, former players have offered to help with the coaching, while others have offered to help improve the ground and clubhouse.
“Although we would never have chosen to go down, recent events have certainly galvanised the club to get back on track.”
Lancaster believes his side is going into the Championship with open eyes.
“It’s not completely unchartered territory. In my Swansea University role, Cardiff Met are one of our biggest rivals, so that will be a good challenge on the opening weekend to get us off the ground.
“Some of our other September opponents are familiar too like Tata Steel and I know many of the guys at Bridgend Athletic from my time at Bridgend so we know what we are getting into and we are looking forward to it.”
Chris Davey, Cardiff Met director of rugby, believes Swansea could find it difficult in the Championship.
“The SWALEC Championship is a very good division, and I don’t think there is much between the top half of the Championship and the bottom half of the Premiership – we were quite unlucky to lose to Llanelli by a point last season and Ebbw Vale did well.
“The Championship is certainly very physical and there are a lot of experienced players involved. I think RGC brought something extra to the division last season and I don’t think Swansea will have it all their way in their bid to go straight back up.”
As a University side, Cardiff Met are currently rebuilding for the season ahead.
“We’ve lost seven or eight of our first team who have now graduated so we’re working on putting a side back together and getting up to speed for the new season.
“We’re pleased with how we’ve done so far in this division, finishing third two seasons ago, second last year, and the challenge is always fresh with such a big turnover o fplayers.
“Swansea will be a big game, I believe they’ve kept the majority of their squad and made a few signings too. We then have Tata Steel who are always difficult, Bridgend Athletic who will be looking to start the season well, and Newbridge who have recruited heavily, so an interesting first month.
Merthyr head coach Lee Jarvis added, “These are exciting times for the club after our most successful season ever, winning the league and SWALEC Plate. We’ve recruited a couple of players and are getting ready for the new challenge ahead. We will probably make monthly targets and see how we get on once the season kicks off, although you have to aim to win all your home games and hope to pick up some results on the road.
“Although we like to play some rugby, we expect this division to be more physical than Division One, so our set-piece will need to be good, especially in the winter months.
“We will look forward to Llanharan on the opening weekend. I know coaches Matthew Lloyd and Dennis John well and clubs will want to knock us off our perch after our success last season. Tondu and Narberth, our next two opponents are very experienced in this league and I’m sure it will take us a bit of time to bed in, but we’ve got a good pre-season coming up with games against Cardiff and Coventry so we just want to be ready for the season.
“Along with my day job at the Blues, I’m thoroughly enjoying coaching at Merthyr, it’s a good club with ambition and it’s going in the right direction.”
SWALEC Championship fixtures 2014/15
06/09/2014
Cardiff Met v Swansea
Bargoed v Pontypool
Glynneath v Tata Steel
Llanharan v Merthyr
Narberth v Bridgend Ath
Tondu v Newbridge
Blackwood v RGC 1404
13/09/2014
RGC 1404 v Bargoed
Tata Steel v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Llanharan
Bridgend Ath v Glynneath
Merthyr v Tondu
Newbridge v Narberth
Swansea v Blackwood
20/09/2014
Llanharan v RGC 1404
Swansea v Tata Steel
Cardiff Met v Bridgend Ath
Tondu v Pontypool
Glynneath v Newbridge
Narberth v Merthyr
Blackwood v Bargoed
27/09/2014
RGC 1404 v Tondu
Bridgend Ath v Swansea
Bargoed v Llanharan
Newbridge v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Narberth
Merthyr v Glynneath
Tata Steel v Blackwood
04/10/2014
Narberth v RGC 1404
Swansea v Newbridge
Tondu v Bargoed
Tata Steel v Bridgend Ath
Cardiff Met v Merthyr
Glynneath v Pontypool
Blackwood v Llanharan
11/10/2014
RGC 1404 v Glynneath
Merthyr v Swansea
Bargoed v Narberth
Newbridge v Tata Steel
Llanharan v Tondu
Pontypool v Cardiff Met
Bridgend Ath v Blackwood
18/10/2014
Cardiff Met v RGC 1404
Swansea v Pontypool
Tata Steel v Merthyr
Narberth v Llanharan
Bridgend Ath v Newbridge
Glynneath v Bargoed
Blackwood v Tondu
25/10/2014
RGC 1404 v Swansea
Bargoed v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Tata Steel
Llanharan v Glynneath
Merthyr v Bridgend Ath
Tondu v Narberth
Newbridge v Blackwood
01/11/2014
Tata Steel v RGC 1404
Swansea v Bargoed
Cardiff Met v Llanharan
Bridgend Ath v Pontypool
Newbridge v Merthyr
Glynneath v Tondu
Blackwood v Narberth
06/12/2014
RGC 1404 v Bridgend Ath
Llanharan v Swansea
Bargoed v Tata Steel
Tondu v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Newbridge
Narberth v Glynneath
Merthyr v Blackwood
13/12/2014
Newbridge v RGC 1404
Swansea v Tondu
Bridgend Ath v Bargoed
Tata Steel v Llanharan
Cardiff Met v Narberth
Merthyr v Pontypool
Blackwood v Glynneath
20/12/2014
RGC 1404 v Merthyr
Narberth v Swansea
Bargoed v Newbridge
Tondu v Tata Steel
Glynneath v Cardiff Met
Llanharan v Bridgend Ath
Blackwood v Pontypool
27/12/2014
Pontypool v RGC 1404
Swansea v Glynneath
Merthyr v Bargoed
Tata Steel v Narberth
Newbridge v Llanharan
Bridgend Ath v Tondu
Cardiff Met v Blackwood
03/01/2015
Swansea v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Bargoed
Tata Steel v Glynneath
Merthyr v Llanharan
Bridgend Ath v Narberth
Newbridge v Tondu
RGC 1404 v Blackwood
10/01/2015 SWALEC CUP ROUND 1
17/01/2015
Bargoed v RGC 1404
Cardiff Met v Tata Steel
Llanharan v Pontypool
Glynneath v Bridgend Ath
Tondu v Merthyr
Narberth v Newbridge
Blackwood v Swansea
24/01/2015
RGC 1404 v Llanharan
Tata Steel v Swansea
Bridgend Ath v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Tondu
Newbridge v Glynneath
Merthyr v Narberth
Bargoed v Blackwood
31/01/2015
Tondu v RGC 1404
Swansea v Bridgend Ath
Llanharan v Bargoed
Cardiff Met v Newbridge
Narberth v Pontypool
Glynneath v Merthyr
Blackwood v Tata Steel
07/02/2015
RGC 1404 v Narberth
Newbridge v Swansea
Bargoed v Tondu
Bridgend Ath v Tata Steel
Merthyr v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Glynneath
Llanharan v Blackwood
14/02/2015
Glynneath v RGC 1404
Swansea v Merthyr
Narberth v Bargoed
Tata Steel v Newbridge
Tondu v Llanharan
Cardiff Met v Pontypool
Blackwood v Bridgend Ath
21/02/2015 SWALEC Cup Round 2
28/02/2015
RGC 1404 v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Swansea
Merthyr v Tata Steel
Llanharan v Narberth
Newbridge v Bridgend Ath
Bargoed v Glynneath
Tondu v Blackwood
07/03/2015
Swansea v RGC 1404
Cardiff Met v Bargoed
Tata Steel v Pontypool
Glynneath v Llanharan
Bridgend Ath v Merthyr
Narberth v Tondu
Blackwood v Newbridge
28/03/2015 (SWALEC Cup QF)
RGC 1404 v Tata Steel
Bargoed v Swansea
Llanharan v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Bridgend Ath
Merthyr v Newbridge
Tondu v Glynneath
Narberth v Blackwood
04/04/2015
Bridgend Ath v RGC 1404
Swansea v Llanharan
Tata Steel v Bargoed
Cardiff Met v Tondu
Newbridge v Pontypool
Glynneath v Narberth
Blackwood v Merthyr
11/04/2015 (SWALEC Cup SF)
RGC 1404 v Newbridge
Tondu v Swansea
Bargoed v Bridgend Ath
Llanharan v Tata Steel
Narberth v Cardiff Met
Pontypool v Merthyr
Glynneath v Blackwood
18/04/2015
Merthyr v RGC 1404
Swansea v Narberth
Newbridge v Bargoed
Tata Steel v Tondu
Cardiff Met v Glynneath
Bridgend Ath v Llanharan
Pontypool v Blackwood
25/04/2015
RGC 1404 v Pontypool
Glynneath v Swansea
Bargoed v Merthyr
Narberth v Tata Steel
Llanharan v Newbridge
Tondu v Bridgend Ath
Blackwood v Cardiff Met
