BT Sport have chosen to begin 2014/15 the same way as they finished last season, at Franklin’s Gardens on a Friday night. And it will be a spectacular occasion against a Gloucester outfit that has undergone a major overhaul this summer, on and off the pitch.
The Saints will be regulars on BT Sport in the opening half-dozen rounds, with the trips to Wasps (R2) and Newcastle (R3) both being broadcast live, along with the home games against Bath (R4; Sat, Sept 27th) and Sale Sharks (R6; Sat, Oct 11th).
Indeed the only game not to be broadcast live before the first European break is the R5 trip to London Irish.
“It will be exciting to start the 2014/15 season under the lights on a Friday night and at home at Franklin’s Gardens,” said director of rugby Jim Mallinder. “The last time we played at home was the Aviva Premiership semi-final, and if we can start next season in the same type of atmosphere as we finished 2013/14 then it will be tremendous. Gloucester have made a lot of changes behind the scenes this summer, and it will be an exciting test as well.
“We know that as champions we are there to be aimed at and that every team we play will raise their game against us. The three away games at Wasps, Newcastle and London Irish will be difficult, while Sale and Bath will no doubt be looking to take a step up from last season’s improvements.
“I’m fully expecting the Aviva Premiership to be more competitive than ever this season. But as always we will be taking it one game at a time and looking to get a positive result every week.”
The first date in many supporters’ diary is the home East Midlands derby against Leicester, and already it looks like the only way to guarantee a place for the game is with a Season Ticket.
The Tigers will be coming to town on the weekend before Christmas, which is always one of the most popular fixtures of the season regardless of the opposition.
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Supporters will also note that the home Aviva Premiership game against Saracens on Saturday, April 25th has been moved to stadiumMK to help England Rugby 2015 prepare the venue for its Rugby World Cup matches later in the year. More information about this fixture will be announced shortly.
| ROUND | DATE | OPPOSITION | VENUE | KO TIME | TV |
| 1 | Fr 05/09/14 | Gloucester | Franklin's Gardens | 19:45 | BT Sport |
| 2 | Su 14/09/14 | Wasps | Adams Park | 14:00 | BT Sport |
| 3 | Su 21/09/14 | Newcastle Falcons | Kingston Park | 14:00 | BT Sport |
| 4 | Sa 27/09/14 | Bath | Franklin's Gardens | 15:15 | BT Sport |
| 5 | Sa 04/10/14 | London Irish | Madejski Stadium | 15:00 | N/A |
| 6 | Sa 11/10/14 | Sale Sharks | Franklin's Gardens | 15:15 | BT Sport |
All fixtures from Rounds 7 onwards are still subject to TV broadcast confirmation from BT Sport.
The full Aviva Premiership fixtures will be available in the Rugby section of this website very soon!
It is expected that European Rugby Champions Cup and LV= Cup fixtures will be announced in the next couple of weeks.
