Old foes and new opponents in AIL

While Ulster-based opponents Ballynahinch - who went down along with Ballymena - Queen's University, Malone and Belfast Harlequins will be well-known to the Braidmen from Ulster League tussles, the remainder of Ballymena's AIL fixture list is enough to have supporters reaching for the road maps!

For a club which has been more accustomed to travelling to clubs like Shannon, Garryowen and Cork Constitution over the years, Ballymena will instead be setting off for more remote rugby outposts such as Clonakilty and De La Salle Palmerston.

"All four of the other Ulster teams, like ourselves, will be hopeful of finishing in the top half of the table and therefore gaining an opportunity of promotion," said coach John Andrews.

"There are a couple of trips to Limerick which will be tricky enough.

"Midleton (against whom Ballymena start their campaign) and Clonakilty are a couple of clubs who we don't know an awful lot about but they will be very competitive, certainly on their home grounds."

Ballymena's fixture list for the season ahead is:

ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE

October 2 - Midleton (a); October 9 - Old Crescent (h); October 23 - Bective Rangers (a); October 30 - Ballynahinch (h); November 13 - Clonakilty (a); November 27 - Old Wesley (a); December 4 - Thomond (h); January 29 - De La Salle Palmerston (a); February 5 - Queen's University (h); February 12 - Malone (a); February 19 - Dublin University (h); February 26 - UCD (a); March 26 - Belfast Harlequins (h); April 2 - Corinthians (a); April 16 - Terenure College (h).

ULSTER LEAGUE

August 28 - Rainey (h); September 4 - Ards (a); September 18 - Ballynahinch (h); September 25 - Banbridge (a); November 20 - Belfast Harlequins (h); December 11 - Dungannon (a); January 8 - Instonians (h); January 15 - Malone (a); January 22 - City of Derry (h); March 5 - Queen's University (a).

ULSTER SENIOR CUP

September 11 - round one; October 16 - quarter-finals; November 6 - semi-finals; December 18 - final.