Semi-finalists Sale in opening game
Bath Rugby kick off the 2021/22 season away at last season’s beaten semi-finalist Sale Sharks on Saturday, September 18.
The Blue, Black and White have a tough start to the new season as Danny Cipriani could make his Bath debut against his former employers.
In 2021/22 the Premiership Rugby Cup will also be back having not been played during the truncated 2020/21 season which saw Premiership games played every weekend from November through to June along with European fixtures. With Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirming on Monday that England is on track to open up from the final COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on July 19, which impact sport by minimising crowds, BT Sport will not be showing every game during the 2021/21 season as they have over the previous 16 months.
Instead, the broadcaster has confirmed their pick of the games for the first seven rounds of the Gallagher Premiership.
Kick-off times and the exact dates of fixtures from Round 8 onwards are still to be confirmed.
The return of the Premiership Rugby Cup sees midweek rugby taking place once more.
Directors of rugby up and down the league lamented the loss of the competition last season despite the marathon campaign the clubs endured which saw sides play Gallagher Premiership and European Heineken Champions Cup, or Challenge Cup, games back-toback without a break, with the cup used as a development tool for young players.
A number of clubs, including Bristol Bears, Bath Rugby, Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs arranged behind closed doors friendly games in the spring to provide playing time for their fringe players and those returning from injury, such was the need for some competitive rugby.
The first two group stage games of the 2021/22 Premiership Rugby Cup will take place during the Autumn internationals, with England hosting the Wallabies at Twickenham on the weekend of the first round and the Springboks on the second weekend.
The third and fourth pool games are scheduled to coincide with the final weekend of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations when England travel to France, Wales host Italy and Scotland head to Ireland.
The fourth and final pool game will be played on a Wednesday, as will the semi-final and final.
In 2019/20 the competition was largely played as a pre-season tournament at the same times as the Rugby World Cup in Japan. The cup was eventually won by Sale Sharks who beat Harlequins 27-19 in the final at the AJ Bell Stadium which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Details of the draw for the pool stages of the competition and further details about the date and kick-off times of the fixtures are yet to be confirmed.
Here are Bath Rugby’s fixtures for every competition they are due to play in during the 2021/22 season:
Bath Rugby 2021/22 fixtures: September 18: Sale Sharks v Bath Rugby (3pm), September 25 Bath Rugby v Newcastle Falcons (3pm), October 1 Bristol Bears v Bath Rugby - BT Sport (7.45pm), October 17 Bath Rugby v Saracens - BT Sport (3pm), October 23 Harlequins v Bath Rugby (3pm), October 30 Bath Rugby v Wasps (3pm), November 5,6,7 Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby, November 12,13,1 Premiership Rugby Cup, November 19,20,21 Premiership Rugby Cup, November 26,27,28 Bath Rugby v Exeter Chiefs, December 3,4,5 Northampton Saints v Bath Rugby, December 10,11,12 European Heineken Champions Cup, December 17,18,19 European Heineken Champions Cup, December 26,27 Bath Rugby v Gloucester Rugby, December 31 or January 1,2 London Irish v Bath Rugby, January 7,8,9 Bath Rugby v Worcester Warriors, January 14,15,16 European Heineken Champions Cup, January 21,22,23 European Heineken Champions Cup, January 28,29,30 Bath Rugby v Harlequins, February 4,5,6 Saracens v Bath Rugby, February 11,12,13 Wasps v Bath Rugby, February 18,19,20 Bath Rugby v Leicester Tigers, February 25,26,27 Newcastle Falcons v Bath Rugby, March 4,5,6 Bath Rugby v Bristol Bears, March 18,19,20 Premiership Rugby Cup, March 25,26,27 Bath Rugby v Sale Sharks, March 30 Premiership Rugby Cup, April 1,2,3 Exeter Chiefs v Bath Rugby, April 8,9,10 Heineken Champions Cup Last 16 First Leg, April 15,16,17 Heineken Champions Cup Last 16 Second Leg, April 22,23,24 Bath Rugby v Northampton Saints. April 27 Premiership Rugby Cup Semi-finals, April 29,30 or May 1 Gloucester Rugby v Bath Rugby, May 7,8 European Heineken Champions Cup Quarter-final, May 14,15 European Heineken Champions Cup Semi-final, May 18 Premiership Rugby Cup Final, May 20,21,22 Bath Rugby v London Irish, May 28 European Heineken Champions Cup Final, June 4 Worcester Warriors v Bath Rugby, June 11 Gallagher Premiership Semi-final, June 18 Gallagher Premiership Final.