Leicester Tigers will begin the defence of their Premiership Rugby Under-18s Academy League title with a derby against Northampton Saints in December.

The fixture programme has been revealed by tournament organisers Premiership Rugby, with Tigers hosting local rivals Saints on Saturday, December 14. Kick-off is at noon at Oval Park and supporters are welcome.

Tigers retained their league crown last season after beating Gloucester Rugby in the Final for a second successive year and a number of that team have now progressed into the club’s development squad and experienced senior rugby.

After the opener against Northampton, Tigers go to Sale Sharks and host Newcastle Falcons before Christmas and then face Yorkshire Carnegie, Worcester Warriors and Wasps in the northern conference after New Year. Academy League Finals Day is scheduled for mid-February.

There will be updates and reports from every round on the Tigers website and social media pages, and you can see the full fixture list at the link below.