MALVERN Rugby Club, the North Midlands Cup holders, have been given a tough home draw in the first round of next season's competition.

The Spring Lane club, who won the cup for the first time when they defeated Aston OE in the final at Stourbridge in May, will play Whitchurch, who were relegated to Midlands One from the National Leagues at the end of last season.

There are four other former cup winners in the first round draw, two of whom, Dixonians and Aston OE, have been paired.

The other former cup winners are Camp Hill, who will make the short trip to Birmingham Exiles, and Bromsgrove, the 2001 champions, who entertain Newport.

In an attempt to avoid the fixture backlog that blighted last season's cup, the competition organisers have not fixed a date for the first round.

Instead clubs will be expected to arrange to play their county cup ties on the first free weekend after they have both been knocked out of either the Powergen Senior Cup or Powergen Intermediate Cup.

First round draw: Aston OE v Hereford; Birmingham Exiles v Camp Hill; Bromsgrove v Newport; Ledbury v Pershore; Dixonians v Evesham; Malvern v Whitchurch; Kidderminster Carolians v Shrewsbury; Luctonians v Bridgnorth.