WORCESTER Warriors will face Brive, Newport Gwent Dragons and Russian outfit Enisei-STM in the pool stage in this season's European Challenge Cup.

The Sixways outfit have been drawn in Pool 3 as they look to improve on a poor showing in last season's competition.

Brive finished eighth in last term's Top 14 in France, while Warriors will have a reunion with former player and coach Ceri Jones who is now at Dragons.

Minnows Enisei-STM play some home games in sub-zero Siberia and won't be  taken lightly, after winning two of their four Challenge Cup fixtures last season - including the scalp of Newcastle Falcons.

Warriors chief executive Jim O’Toole said: “We’re already looking forward to some exciting European games both at Sixways and on the road in the coming season.

“Our first ever trip to Russia is something that will excite everyone associated with the Club and it will be great to see our supporters cheering the boys on against Enisei-STM.

“We have had some memorable European matches in the past so we can’t wait to get our campaign up and running later this year.”

The order of fixtures is set to be confirmed next week, with the opening matches to be played on the weekend of October 13 to 16.

The second round of games take place a week later.

Rounds three and four will be on December 8 to 11 and 15 to 18.

The pools will conclude over two weekends in January – 12 to 15 and 19 to 22.

Warriors finished bottom of their European Challenge Cup pool last term with their sole victory coming in a 19-3 home win against La Rochelle.

However, Warriors lost the return fixture to the French club and suffered home and away losses to both Gloucester and Italian outfit Zebre.

Montpellier won the competition last term, defeating Harlequins 26-19 in the final.

The European Challenge Cup draw:

Pool 1: La Rochelle, Gloucester, Treviso Bayonne.

Pool 2: Ospreys, Grenoble, Newcastle Falcons, Lyon.

Pool 3: Brive, WORCESTER WARRIORS, Newport Gwent Dragons, Enisei-STM.

Pool 4: Cardiff Blues, Bath, Pau, Bristol.

Pool 5: Harlequins, Edinburgh, Paris, Timisoara.