European Championship: Wales to host holders Scotland in opener

Wales' Rhys Evans is tackled by Italy's James Tedesco in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup

Wales host defending champions Scotland in their opening game of the 2015 European Championship at Wrexham on Friday 16 October.

Cardiff Arms Park will stage a rugby league international for the first time since 1996 when Wales take on France on Saturday 31 October.

John Kear's side then round off their campaign away to Ireland on 7 November.

"We hope to progress from last year as we look towards qualifying for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup," said Kear.

"We built some solid foundations and created a great atmosphere in the Welsh camp. We're hoping to have a more representative squad for this year's tournament while also keeping some of the top performers from 2014.

"We're delighted to be returning to Wrexham, while having an international at Cardiff Arms Park for the first time in almost 20 years is something that I'm sure everyone will be looking forward to."

European Championships 2015 fixtures

October 16

Wales v Scotland - 20:00 BST

October 17

France v Ireland - 15:00 BST

October 23

Scotland v Ireland - 19:30 BST

October 31

Wales v France - 13:30 BST

November 7

France v Scotland - 15:30 BST

Ireland v Wales - 17:00 BST