Leinster Rugby will begin the defence of their Guinness PRO14 title with a trip to Challenge Cup champions Cardiff Blues on Friday, 31st August (KO 7.35pm).

Leo Cullen’s men will travel to Wales in Round 2 again to take on Scarlets on Saturday, 8th September (KO 7.35pm).

The first home game of the season will see Bernard Jackman’s Dragons visit the RDS Arena on Saturday, 15th September (KO 5.15pm).

The first Interprovincial derby match of the season will be away to Connacht on Saturday, 29th September (KO 5.15pm)

The following week Leinster will take on Munster at Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 6th October with a 6pm kick-off time.

Leinster’s trip to South Africa to take on the Southern Kings will come on the first weekend of November.

The Interprovincial derby matches for the Christmas period have also been confirmed with games at home to Connacht and Ulster either side of Christmas, with a trip to Thomond Park in between on 29th December.

For the first time ever the Championship has been able to announce kick-off times and dates for the first 17 rounds of the Guinness PRO14.

This year’s opening round marks a brand new era for the Championship where every single game will be broadcast live across the UK by Premier Sports & Free Sports – a true first for the Guinness PRO14. In Ireland, eir sport will bring coverage of the Championship to new levels while Super Sport will continue to give South African fans a real taste of the Guinness PRO14 every weekend.

Additionally, PRO14 Rugby is proud that games will still be broadcast live on native language channels TG4 (Republic of Ireland) and S4C (Wales) to ensure Free-To-Air access among two stations that have supported the Championship from the outset.

See the full Guinness PRO14 fixture list below, with confirmed dates, times and broadcasters for all games up to Round 17.

Join the defence of the double and get your 2018/19 Leinster Rugby Season Ticket before the new campaign kicks off! Visit leinsterrugby.ie/season tickets.

2018/19 Guinness PRO14 Fixtures (all times local)

Round 1 – Friday, 31st August – 7.35pm

Cardiff Blues v Leinster Rugby, Cardiff Arms Park (Live on Premier Sports & eir sport 1)

Round 2 – Saturday, 8th September – 7.35pm

Scarlets v Leinster Rugby, Parc y Scarlets (Live on Premier Sports, eir sport & TG4)

Round 3 – Saturday, 15th September – 5.15pm

Leinster Rugby v Dragons, RDS Arena (Live on eir sport, Premier Sports & TG4)

Round 4 – Saturday, 22nd September – KO 7.35pm

Leinster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, RDS Arena (Live on eir sport & Premier Sports)

Round 5 – Saturday, 29th September – 5.15pm

Connacht Rugby v Leinster Rugby, Sportsground (Live TG4, eir sport & Premier Sports)

Round 6 – Saturday, 6th October – 6pm

Leinster Rugby v Munster Rugby, Aviva Stadium (Live on eir sport and Premier Sports)

Round 7 – Saturday, 27th October – 4pm

Benetton Rugby v Leinster Rugby, Stadio Monigo (Live on eir sport & Premier Sports)

Round 8 – Sunday, 4th November – 2.45pm

Southern Kings v Leinster Rugby, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (Live on SuperSport, Premier Sports & eir sport)

Round 9 – Friday, 23rd November – 7.35pm

Leinster Rugby v Ospreys Rugby, RDS Arena (Live on eir sport, Free Sports, TG4)

Round 10 – Saturday, 1st December – 5.15pm

Dragons v Leinster Rugby, Rodney Parade (Live on Premier Sports, eir sport & TG4)

Round 11 – Saturday, 22nd December – 7.45pm

Leinster Rugby v Connacht Rugby, RDS Arena (Live on eir sport and Premier Sport)

Round 12 – Saturday, 29th December – 5.15pm

Munster Rugby v Leinster Rugby, Thomond Park (Live on eir sport & Premier Sport)

Round 13 – Saturday, 5th January – 5.15pm

Leinster Rugby v Ulster Rugby, RDS Arena (Live on eir sport & Premier Sport)

Round 14 – Friday, 25th January – 7.35pm

Leinster Rugby v Scarlets, RDS Arena (Live on eir sport, TG4 & Premier Sports)

Round 15 – Saturday, 16th February – 4pm

Zebre v Leinster Rugby, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi (Live on Free Sports and eir sport)

Round 16 – Friday, 22nd February – 7.55pm

Leinster Rugby v Southern Kings, RDS Arena (Live on eir sport, Super Sport & Premier Sports)

Round 17 – Friday, 1st March – 7.35pm

Leinster Rugby v Toyota Cheetahs, RDS Arena (Live on eir sport, SuperSport & Premier Sports)

Round 18 – March 22/23/24

Cardiff Blues v Scarlets

Connacht Rugby v Benetton Rugby

Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster Rugby

Glasgow Warriors v Toyota Cheetahs

Munster Rugby v Zebre

Ospreys Rugby v Dragons

Ulster Rugby v Southern Kings

Round 19 – April 5/6/7

Toyota Cheetahs v Ospreys Rugby

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster Rugby

Southern Kings v Dragons

Leinster Rugby v Benetton Rugby

Munster Rugby v Cardiff Blues

Scarlets v Edinburgh Rugby

Zebre v Connacht Rugby

Round 20 – April 12/13/14

Toyota Cheetahs v Dragons

Connacht Rugby v Cardiff Blues

Edinburgh Rugby v Ulster Rugby

Southern Kings v Ospreys

Leinster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors

Scarlets v Zebre

Benetton Rugby v Munster Rugby

Round 21 – April 26/27/28

Cardiff Blues v Ospreys Rugby

Toyota Cheetahs v Southern Kings

Dragons v Scarlets

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby

Munster Rugby v Connacht Rugby

Ulster Rugby v Leinster Rugby

Zebre v Benetton Rugby

Quarter-Final Stage -3th/4th/5th May

Semi-Finals – 17th/18th/19th May

Guinness PRO14 Final – 25th May