Scarlets open at home with dates released for matches

CARDIFF Blues will play a home game at Rodney Parade next month after the Guinness PRO14 confirmed fixture details.

PRO14 action will return behind closed doors next month with two rounds of derby matches before a semi-final and final is played in September.

The Scarlets will welcome Cardiff Blues to Parc y Scarlets on August 22.

Some hospitality areas at the training barn at the stadium are being used as a field hospital to aid in the fight against Covid-19.

However, the beds at the venue are currently empty and, with no fans attending the matches, those areas of the site will not need to be used on a matchday.

Then, on August 23, the Ospreys welcome the Dragons to the Liberty Stadium in Swansea.

The following Saturday, August 29, will see the Scarlets go on the road to face the Dragons.

And the Ospreys will also be travelling to Newport a day later to face Cardiff Blues.

John Mulvihill’s side are using Rodney Parade as their home venue for this fixture, with Cardiff Arms Park currently forming part of the field hospital at the Principality Stadium.

Derby matches will also be taking place in Ireland, Scotland and Italy, with those who finish first and second in their conferences going through to the semi-final stage.

Tournament organisers are hopeful that cross-border travel will be permitted by local governments by the time of the play-offs.

The Scarlets are the only Welsh side with a hope of making the semi-final. They currently sit third in Conference B, eight points behind second-placed Munster.

There are no derbies taking place between South African teams in August due to the current coronavirus situation in the country. Both the Southern Kings and Cheetahs have only recently been permitted to return to non-contact training.

The league says it will ‘aim to identify appropriate dates for the two derbies when possible.’

Organisers have also pencilled in October 1 as a date to start the 2020

Scarlets players celebrate their victory over Cardiff Blues when the two sides met in January.