LAUNCESTON will start their 2023/24 Regional One South West campaign with a trip to Ivybridge on Saturday, September 2, after the fixtures were released yesterday evening.

For the second year in a row following the RFU league restructure last summer, the division will be made up of 12 teams who will play each other home and away.

The All Blacks get underway by travelling to a side who they have a good recent record against in the last two seasons, winning three of their four encounters.

They are also on the road on matchday two as they head to last year’s surprise strugglers Weston-super-Mare, before their first home game on September 16 sees them welcome Gloucestershire-based Lydney down to North Cornwall.

A busy first month then sees them visit promoted Matson before the always eagerly-anticipated derby with Okehampton, which is sure to attract a huge crowd to Polson Bridge.

The first weekend of October will be the first bye week of the campaign, before the second block of fixtures sees them take on fellow Cornish side, last year’s Regional Two South West champions, St Austell.

Following their trip to Tregorrick Park, the All Blacks have an incredibly tough quartet of fixtures as they welcome relegated Barnstaple and then travel to the ever-dangerous Brixham on November 4.

Last year’s runners-up Chew Valley are in North Cornwall on November 11 before a week later they head down to Plymouth to take on Devonport Services.

The trip to Okehampton is set for Saturday, January 13, with St Austell’s visit to Polson Bridge set for a fortnight after that.

See next week’s paper for a full fixture list.