Edinburgh to host Munster in first fixture

For the second time in three seasons Edinburgh Rugby will open their domestic league programme with a home encounter against Munster.

Fixtures just released not only show that the traditional home and away games with Glasgow Warriors still take place during the festive period albeit outwith the Bank Holiday dates but that there is added spice to the curtain raiser.

Later in the season Edinburgh will again lock horns with Munster for the first time in the Heineken European Cup.

First, though, comes the league meeting on the weekend of August 31 with the Glasgow clashes set for the weekend of December 21 at Scotstoun and Murrayfield a week later.

Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley, a former Munster scrum half, welcomed the schedule, saying: “Munster have consistently been one of the top teams in Europe so to face them at home in the season opener is a fantastic challenge.”

Edinburgh’s second home match will be against Italian newcomers, Zebras, who have replaced Aironi.