COVENTRY Rugby will play Midlands rivals Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints in this season’s Premiership Rugby Cup.
The draw for this season’s competition pits Coventry in pool two alongside Leicester, Gallagher Premiership champions Northampton and Nottingham.
The pool stages take place on a home-and-away basis with all three sides, including the Tigers and Saints, to visit Butts Park Arena.
Coventry head coach, Alex Rae, said: “We all really enjoyed it last year and now we have a chance to test ourselves against the Premiership champions and one of the biggest clubs in England so it’s very exciting.
“Throw Nottingham into the mix it makes for a brilliant group. As players and coaches you want to test yourself in these big arenas and for the fans local derbies are always great occasions so we can’t wait.”
Coventry begin their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign away at Championship rivals Nottingham on Friday, November 1 (kick-off 7.45pm).
And Rae’s men then travel to the home of two-time European champions Leicester on Saturday, November 9 with kick-off at 3pm at Welford Road in the first meeting between the two teams since the 1997/98 season.
Cov welcome reigning Premiership champions Northampton to Butts Park Arena on Saturday, November 23 with kick-off at 3pm.
Rae’s side then host Nottingham in the return fixture on Saturday, February 1 with kick-off at 2pm at Butts Park Arena.
And Cov make the trip to Franklin’s Gardens to play Northampton in the reverse fixture on Saturday, February 1 with kick-off at 2pm.
Coventry finish the pool stage with a mouth-watering home match against Leicester on Saturday, February 15 with kick-off at 3pm at Butts park Arena.
