WORCESTER Warriors will start the 2019-20 season with a home Midlands derby against Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Rugby Cup on Saturday, September 21 (3pm).

It will be first of two visits to Sixways by Leicester in the opening month of the season as they will also be the visitors when Warriors kick off their Gallagher Premiership campaign on Saturday, October 19.

Last season Worcester completed the treble over Tigers with home and away wins in the league and a 31-12 win at Welford Road in this competition in between.

Alan Solomons’ men have been drawn in Pool Three of the competition and will also have home advantage against Exeter Chiefs on Friday, October 4 (7.45pm) in a match that will be televised by BT Sport.

Warriors will travel to The Rec to play Bath on Saturday, September 28 (3pm) and make the short trip to the Ricoh Arena to take on Wasps from Pool One in the Derby Day match on Saturday October 12 (3pm).

Worcester defeated Wasps at Sixways in the Derby Day match to top Pool Two and secure their place in the semi-finals before they were beaten by eventual runners-up Saracens at Sixways.

This year the Premiership Rugby Cup pool matches will be played on consecutive weekends while the Rugby World Cup is played with the Gallagher Premiership starting six weeks later than usual.

In a player-welfare driven initiative the structure of the Premiership Rugby Cup ensures that players will receive a two-week winter break at the end of January and start of February when the two semi-finals are staged on different weekends (January 31-February 3 and February 7-9).

The final will be played on Sunday, March 15.