Kings brace for 'very tough' PRO14 pool

Port Elizabeth - The Southern Kings will kickoff their 2019/20 PRO14 season with three back-to-back home matches when the season gets underway later in the year.

FIXTURES: Click for all the 2019/20 PRO14 fixtures

PRO14 Rugby officially announced the fixtures for the new season on Wednesday, with the Port Elizabeth-based side set to open their campaign on Saturday, September 28, at home against Welsh side, Cardiff Blues. The kick-off time for that clash will be at 16:00.

The Kings will then also play their following two matches in Nelson Mandela Bay where they will take on Irish giants Munster (Saturday, October 5) and Ulster (Saturday, October 12).

In total, the Kings will host 11 home matches in the new season - including two derbies against the Cheetahs.

The side will get their away leg off the ground with a trip to Treviso, Italy, where they will take on Benetton on Saturday, October 26.

The New Year will begin with a trip to Scotland where the Kings will face last season’s quarter-finalists, Edinburgh, on January 4.

"We are in a very tough pool and, naturally, we have a tough start that awaits us. In this PRO14 competition there are no easy games. But, I'm quite confident that the squad and the coaching staff will relish the challenge," Director of High Performance, Rob Kempson, said.

"Starting with matches at home is always important in building momentum, and it is always great to have such matches early on in the season.

"We have three home matches in a row to kickoff our campaign, and these are against very stiff opposition. This will also give us an opportunity to gauge all the work we will have done in our pre-season and to see how far we are in comparison to the rest of the top sides in the competition."