RUGBY: Warriors trip first up for Bath (From Wiltshire Times)

RUGBY: Warriors trip first up for Bath

5:54pm Wednesday 4th July 2012 in Sport By Owen Houlihan

BATH will start their 2012-13 home Aviva Premiership campaign as they ended the 2011-12 version with London Wasps the visitors to the Rec on September 8.

Gary Gold’s new coaching team will face their first competitive the week before, as Bath head to Worcester for the opening match of the new campaign.

The Wasps clash – Bath won 17-12 when the teams met in May – follows with last year’s play-off semi finalists Northampton arriving a week later.

Bath must travel to Kingsholm for their west country derby with Gloucester on October 6 and to new boys London Welsh on November 12.

The conclusion to the campaign looks especially tough with visits to the last two champions Harlequins and Saracens either side of a April 20 home appointment with last season’s runners-up Leicester.

Gold said: “It's an interesting opening few weeks for us, and one that holds plenty of challenges.

“We saw last season just how competitive the Aviva Premiership is now, and the standard just keeps getting higher each year.

“We’re putting a lot of hard work into pre-season to enable us to hit the ground running, and as a squad we will certainly be doing all we can to make a positive start to the league season, to set us up with some winning momentum throughout.’’

BATH’S PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES Home matches in CAPS, times subject to change

September

1: Worcester (3pm);

8: London Wasps (2.15pm)

15: Northampton (2.15pm)

22: London Irish (3pm)

29: Sale (2.15pm)

October

6: Gloucester (3pm).

27: Exeter (2.15pm)

NOVEMBER

12: London Welsh (3pm)

24: Harlequins (2.15pm)

DECEMBER

1: Leicester (3pm)

22: SARACENS (2/15pm)

29: Exeter (3pm)

JANUARY

5: London Wasps (3pm)

FEBRUARY

9: Worcester (2.15pm)

16: London Irish (2.15pm)

23: Northampton (3pm)

MARCH

2: Gloucester (2.15pm)

23: Sale (3pm)

30: LONDON WELSH (2.15pm)

APRIL

13: Harlequins (3pm)

20: LEICESTER (2.15pm)

MAY

4: Saracens (3pm).

Cup matches still to be confirmed.

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