With the start of Guinness PRO14 season just around the corner, the fixture list for the newly-expanded Championship has been announced.
The highly-anticipated fixture announcement follows the announcement that the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings have joined the Guinness PRO14 and that the Championship will move to a conference format.
The action will kick-off on Friday 1 September with four games including Cardiff Blues against Edinburgh, and Ulster hosting new boys the Cheetahs at the Kingspan Stadium.
PRO12 Champions the Scarlets get their campaign underway on Saturday 2 September when they host the other newcomers, the Kings, at Parc y Scarlets.
All existing derby games have been protected in the new conference format, while Italian, Scottish and South African teams have the bonus of playing a total of three derbies each against their domestic rivals.
Rounds 6 and 7 of the 2017/18 season fall either side of the European window and will see big derbies for the Irish and Welsh teams, with Munster visiting Leinster in Round 6 at Dublin's Aviva Stadium and Scarlets hosting the Cardiff Blues in Round 7. Scottish and Italian clubs will face off against each other in Rounds 11-13 along with further derbies for the Welsh and Irish teams in Rounds 11 and 12.
ROUND 1
Friday, September 1
Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh (7.35pm)
Munster v Treviso (7.35pm)
Ulster v Cheetahs (7.35pm)
Saturday, September 2
Dragons v Leinster (3.15pm) Live on Sky Sports
Scarlets v Kings (5.30pm) Live on Sky Sports
Connacht v Glasgow (7.35pm)
Ospreys v Zebre (TBC)
ROUND 2
Friday, September 8
Edinburgh v Dragons (7.35pm)
Leinster v Cardiff Blues (7.35pm)
Saturday, Sept 9
Glasgow v Ospreys (3.15pm) Live on Sky Sports
Treviso v Ulster (5.05pm)
Munster v Cheetahs (5.15pm)
Zebre v Scarlets (7.35pm)
Connacht v Kings (7.35pm)
ROUND 3
Friday, September 15
Ulster v Scarlets (7.35pm)
Dragons v Connacht (TBC)
Edinburgh v Treviso (TBC)
Saturday, September 15
Kings v Leinster (1.15pm)
Ospreys v Munster (3.15pm) Live on Sky Sports
Cardiff Blues v Glasgow (7.35pm)
Sunday, September 16
Cheetahs v Zebre (1.30pm)
ROUND 4
Friday, September 22
Cheetahs v Leinster (7pm)
Glasgow v Munster (7.35pm)
Ulster v Dragons (7.35pm)
Treviso v Ospreys (7.35pm)
Saturday, September 23
Connacht v Cardiff Blues (3.15pm) Live on Sky Sports
Kings v Zebre (6.30pm)
Scarlets v Edinburgh (7.35pm)
ROUND 5
Friday, September 29
Leinster v Edinburgh (7.35pm)
Scarlets v Connacht (7.35pm)
Glasgow v Treviso (TBC)
Saturday, September 30
Cheetahs v Ospreys (1pm)
Munster v Cardiff Blues (1.30pm) Live on Sky Sports
Zebre v Ulster (2.35pm)
Dragons v Kings (7.35pm)
ROUND 6
Friday, October 6
Edinburgh v Zebre (TBC)
Cardiff Blues v Dragons (7.35pm)
Cheetahs v Glasgow (7.35pm)
Ulster v Connacht (7.35pm)
Saturday, October 7
Leinster v Munster (2pm) Live on Sky Sports
Treviso v Kings (7pm)
Ospreys v Scarlets (7.35pm)
ROUND 7
Friday, October 27
Connacht v Munster (7.35pm)
Glasgow v Kings (7.35pm)
Ospreys v Dragons (7,35pm)
Sat, October 28
Treviso v Edinburgh (2pm)
Ulster v Leinster (6.15pm) Live on Sky Sports
Zebre v Cheetahs (7pm)
Scarlets v Cardiff Blues (7.35pm)
ROUND 8
Friday, November 3
Munster v Dragons (TBC)
Glasgow v Leinster (7.35pm)
Scarlets v Treviso (7.35pm)
Saturday, November 4
Kings v Ulster (4pm)
Edinburgh v Ospreys (5.30pm) Live on Sky Sports
Cardiff Blues v Zebre (7.35pm)
Connacht v Cheetahs (7.35pm)
ROUND 9
Friday, November 24
Ulster v Treviso (7.05pm)
Leinster v Dragons (7.35pm)
Cardiff Blues v Connacht (7.35pm)
Saturday, November 25
Cheetahs v Edinburgh (7.30pm)
Sunday, November 26
Kings v Scarlets (2pm)
Zebre v Munster (1pm)
ROUND 10
Friday, December 1
Kings v Edinburgh (6.15pm)
Glasgow v Cardiff Blues (7.35pm)
Dragons v Ulster (7.35opm)
Sat, December 2
Treviso v Leinster (3.30pm)
Zebre v Connacht (1.15pm)
Munster v Ospreys (5.30pm) Live on Sky Sports
Cheetahs v Scarlets (6.35pm)
ROUND 11
Sat, December 23
Treviso v Zebre (2pm)
Edinburgh v Glasgow (5.10pm)
Connacht v Ulster (7.35pm)
Tuesday, December 26
Dragons v Cardiff Blues (2pm)
Munster v Leinster (3.15pm) Live on Sky Sports
Scarlets v Ospreys (5.35pm)
Saturday, January 13
Kings v Cheetahs (4pm)
ROUND 12
Saturday, December 30
Zebre v Treviso (2pm)
Glasgow v Edinburgh (3.15pm)
Sunday, December 31
Cardiff Blues v Scarlets (3.15pm) Live on Sky Sports
Dragons v Ospreys (5.35pm)
Monday, January 1
Leinster v Connacht (3.15pm)
Ulster v Munster (5.35pm)
ROUND 13
Friday, January 5
Scarlets v Dragons (7.35pm)
Edinburgh v Kings (7.35pm)
Saturday, January 6
Treviso v Cheetahs (1.15pm)
Zebre v Glasgow (3.30pm)
Leinster v Ulster (5.35pm)
Munster v Connacht (7.45pm)
Ospreys v Cardiff Blues (TBC)
ROUND 14
February 9-11
Munster v Zebre (TBC)
Connacht v Ospreys (TBC)
Cardiff Blues v Cheetahs (TBC)
Ulster v Kings (TBC)
Dragons v Glasgow (TBC)
Edinburgh v Leinster (TBC)
Treviso v Scarlets (TBC)
ROUND 15
February 16-18
Connacht v Zebre (TBC)
Ospreys v Kings (TBC)
Cardiff Blues v Munster (TBC)
Glasgow v Cheetahs (TBC)
Leinster v Scarlets (TBC)
Ulster v Edinburgh (TBC)
Dragons v Treviso (TBC)
ROUND 16
February 23-25
Munster v Glasgow (TBC)
Ospreys v Cheetahs (TBC)
Zebre v Cardiff Blues (TBC)
Leinster v Kings (TBC)
Scarlets v Ulster (TBC)
Dragons v Edinburgh (TBC)
Treviso v Connacht (TBC)
ROUND 17
March 2-4
Cardiff Blues v Treviso (TBC)
Zebre v Ospreys (TBC)
Cheetahs v Connacht (TBC)
Ulster v Glasgow (TBC)
Scarlets v Leinster (TBC)
Edinburgh v Munster (TBC)
Kings v Dragons (TBC)
ROUND 18
March 23-25
Munster v Scarlets (TBC)
Connacht v Edinburgh (TBC)
Ospreys v Leinster (TBC)
Cardiff Blues v Ulster (TBC)
Glasgow v Zebre (TBC)
Dragons v Cheetahs (TBC)
Kings v Treviso (TBC)
ROUND 19
April 6-8
Ospreys v Connacht (TBC)
Cheetahs v Cardiff Blues (TBC)
Leinster v Zebre (TBC)
Scarlets v Glasgow (TBC)
Edinburgh v Ulster (TBC)
Benetton v Dragons (TBC)
Kings v Munster (TBC)
ROUND 20
April 13-15
Glasgow v Connacht (TBC)
Zebre v Dragons (TBC)
Cheetahs v Munster (TBC)
Leinster v Treviso (TBC)
Ulster v Ospreys (TBC)
Edinburgh v Scarlets (TBC)
Kings v Cardiff Blues (TBC)
ROUND 21
April 27-29
Munster v Ulster (TBC)
Connacht v Leinster (TBC)
Cardiff Blues v Ospreys (TBC)
Edinburgh v Glasgow (TBC)
Dragons v Scarlets (TBC)
Treviso v Zebre (TBC)
Kings v Cheetahs (TBC)
PLAY OFFS
Quarter-finals
May 4-6
Semi-finals
May 18-20
Final
Saturday, May 26