COUNTY Champions Cornwall begin the defence of the Bill Beaumont Cup on Saturday, May 7 at home to Gloucestershire at Redruth RFC’s Recreation Ground.

Their other two fixtures will be in the following weeks. On Saturday, May 14, Cornwall are away to Hertfordshire at Bishops Stortford RFC’s Silver Leys ground and then home to Surrey at Camborne RFC’s Crane Park ground on May 21.

Unlike Cornwall, Devon only have one home game in this season’s Bill Beaumont Cup segment of thr County Championship.

They will be home to Somerset at Teighmouth RFC on May 7 and then face a long trip to North Midlands on May 14, before finishing with another trek away to Kent on May 21.

The final is at Twickenham on Sunday, May 29.