The ACE League returns on Wednesday afternoon amidst much excitement for the new season after such a thrilling year last year.

When the music stopped Hartpury College claimed the title again, beating City of Oxford College in the final, a first final for the Wasps ACE side, but along the way it was a thrilling season.

This season should be similar, the same 14 teams return to the fray. Every Premiership Academy and the Yorkshire Academy are represented by an ACE College except for Northampton Saints, while Exeter Chiefs are represented by two, Truro College and Exeter College.

As ever the league is split into two conferences, North and South, with the first stage of the season seeing every play the other teams in their conference. Once that is done after 7 rounds, each conference splits Top 4/Bottom 3, the top four play in mixed mini leagues from the other conference, 1^st and 3^rd in the North grouped with 2^nd and 4^th in the South and vice versa, while the bottom three also have mini leagues but still aligned North/South.

After that comes finals day in early December, where each side plays their equivalent – Top of mini league 1 v Top of mini league 2 in the final, and so on and so forth.

Round 1

Northern Conference

Finalists City of Oxford College begin their campaign to return to the final with a home game against Saracens’ Oaklands College it should be a strong game with which to start the season, and the Wasps side have been getting some strong social media traction in the build up – excitement levels are high.

Elsewhere there is a great looking clash in Yorkshire as Bishop Burton College host Gosforth Academy, these two both had strong years last year, indeed Gosforth were within a whisker of topping the North conference.

Brooksby Melton College were also strong last year and the Tigers affiliates begin at home against Stourport High School, who are of course so closely linked with the troubled Worcester Warriors and will be determined to put in a display full of strength and solidarity. Sale Sharks’ Myerscough College have a bye week this week.

Southern Conference

Champions Hartpury College have a bye week, but the eye is immediately drawn to the Exeter Chiefs derby as Truro College host Exeter College. These two groups know each other so well and will be determined to put in strong displays in front of the Exeter Chiefs Academy staff, it could be a cracker.

Also in action are two of the newer sides in the ACE League, Gordon’s and Bishop Wand. Life in the ACE League started really well for Bishop Wand, who looked brilliant last year, but the London Irish side will know they need to be on the money at Gordon’s, the Harlequins affiliates have been building well and will be eyeing up a big leap forward from last year.

It’s a bit of a derby in the third game in the South too as Bristol Bears’ SGS Filton College host Bath’s Beechen Cliff. Beechen Cliff have had some great teams in recent years but Filton are one of the longest serving sides in the league and will not yield easily – especially on home turf.

Round 1 Fixtures, Wednesday 14^th September:

North

Bishop Burton College v Gosforth Academy

Brooksby Melton College v Stourport High

City of Oxford College v Oaklands College

Myerscough College – Bye

South

Gordon’s v Bishop Wand

SGS Filton College v Beechen Cliff

Truro College v Exeter College

Hartpury College – Bye

Round 2 Fixtures, Wednesday 21^st September:

North

Gosforth Academy v City of Oxford College

Oaklands College v Brooksby Melton College

Stourport High v Myerscough College

Bishop Burton College v Bye

South

Beechen Cliff v Truro College

Bishop Wand v Hartpury College

Exeter College v Gordon’s

SGS Filton College – Bye

Round 3 Fixtures, Wednesday 28^th September:

North

Brooksby Melton College v Gosforth Academy

City of Oxford College v Bishop Burton College

Myerscough College v Oaklands College

Stourport High – Bye

South

Gordon’s v Beechen Cliff

Hartpury College v Exeter College

Truro College v SGS Filton College

Bishop Wand – Bye

Round 4 Fixtures, Wednesday 5^th October:

North

Bishop Burton College v Brooksby Melton College

Gosforth Academy v Myerscough College

Oaklands College v Stourport High

City of Oxford College – Bye

South

Beechen Cliff v Hartpury College

Exeter College v Bishop Wand

SGS Filton College v Gordon’s

Truro – Bye

Round 5 Fixtures, Wednesday 12^th October:

North

Brooksby Melton College v City of Oxford College

Myerscough College v Bishop Burton College

Stourport High v Gosforth Academy

Oaklands College – Bye

South

Bishop Wand v Beechen Cliff

Gordon’s v Truro College

Hartpury College v SGS Filton College

Exeter College – Bye

Round 6 Fixtures, Wednesday 19^th October:

North

Bishop Burton College v Stourport High

City of Oxford College v Myerscough College

Gosforth Academy v Oaklands College

Brooksby Melton College – Bye

South

Beechen Cliff v Exeter College

SGS Filton College v Bishop Wand

Truro College v Hartpury College

Gordon’s – Bye

Round 7 Fixtures, Wednesday 2^nd November:

North

Myerscough College v Brooksby Melton College

Oaklands College v Bishop Burton College

Stourport High v City of Oxford College

Gosforth Academy – Bye

South

Bishop Wand v Truro College

Exeter College v SGS Filton College

Hartpury College v Gordon’s

Beechen Cliff – Bye