PLYMOUTH Albion will face a tough start and a tough ending to the 2016/17 National One season.

They will welcome newly-promoted Cambridge to Brickfields on Saturday, September 3 in their opening match, before travelling to last season’s runners-up Hartpury College and then playing Rosslyn Park and Esher in their third and fourth games.

Their fifth match of the season will see former coach James Shanahan return to Brickfields with Old Albanian.

James Penman will make his return to Brickfields two weeks later when Darlington Mowden Park visit.

Albion have been handed three away games in their final four matches – at newly-promoted Macclesfield, Blackheath and Cambridge. Their only home match in April will be against Ampthill, who they have to visit in December.

PLYMOUTH ALBION’S 2016/17 FIXTURES

SEPTEMBER

3 Cambridge (home)

10 Hartpury College (away)

17 Rosslyn Park (home)

24 Esher (away)

OCTOBER

1 Old Albanian (home)

8 Fylde (away)

15 Darlington Mowden Park (home)

22 Coventry (away)

29 Loughborough Students (home)

NOVEMBER

5 Hull Ionians (away)

12 Moseley (home)

19 Blaydon (away)

26 Macclesfield (home)

DECEMBER

3 Ampthill (away)

10 Blackheath (home)

17 Hartpury College (home)

JANUARY

7 Rosslyn Park (away)

14 Esher (home)

21 Old Albanian (away)

28 Fylde (home)

FEBRUARY

4 Darlington Mowden Park (away)

11 Coventry (home)

18 Loughborough Students (away)

MARCH

4 Hull Ionians (home)

11 Moseley (away)

25 Blaydon (home)

APRIL

1 Macclesfield (away)

8 Ampthill (home)

22 Blackheath (away)

29 Cambridge (away)