Welsh rugby pre-season guide 2021

The British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa has just completed one of the longest rugby seasons on record, but the Welsh regions are already back in training ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Ospreys, Dragons, Scarlets and now Cardiff Rugby, no longer Cardiff Blues, are preparing for the new season with their pre-season programmes underway since July.

The new United Rugby Championship (URC) is scheduled to start on the weekend of 24-26 September with the new four South African sides entering a 16-team tournament although no fixture list has yet been published.

Here is BBC Sport Wales' guide to the pre-season friendlies of the four Welsh professional sides.

Saturday, 4 September

Leicester 35-28 Dragons

Hartpury University 49-24 Ospreys

Scarlets 55-21 Nottingham

Harlequins 45-33 Cardiff

• Mixed fortunes for Welsh regions as pre-season begins

Thursday, 9 September

Leicester 29-24 Scarlets

Friday, 10 September

Cardiff 25-14 Bath, Arms Park

Northampton 31-26 Ospreys, Franklin's Gardens

Sunday, 12 September

Wasps 24-31 Dragons, Ricoh Arena, Coventry