WORCESTER'S Sixways showdown with neighbours Gloucester has been scheduled for Friday, October 13, and will be screened live on satellite television at 8pm.

The M5 derby is one of two Warriors games to be televised on Sky in the first three months of the season with the other being the visit to Saracens on November 26.

Premier Rugby have confirmed dates and times of Premiership and Anglo-Welsh fixtures for the forthcoming season.

Five Friday night matches have been scheduled for Sixways with the same number on a Saturday afternoon.

Warriors begin their Anglo-Welsh Cup campaign at Northampton on September 30 followed by home games against Leicester Tigers (October 7) and Newport Gwent Dragons (December 2).

Director of rugby John Brain is hoping his side perform better in that competition than last year when they were beaten in all three games against the same opposition.

"The format of this competition proved a success last season and produced a good Anglo-Welsh final," he said.

"With two home fixtures in our pool stage we've a good chance of progressing to the knockout stages."

With the season being shortened to allow time to prepare for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, there will be an extra fixture over the festive period.

London Irish visit on Friday, December 22, and Harlequins travel north on Wednesday, December 27, with both games kicking-off at 8pm.

Brain added: "These fixtures represent a challenge that everyone here is looking forward to.

"We're happy to begin the season at home and we need to build on the reputation that Sixways has for being a difficult ground for opposition teams to come and play. The energy and noise that our supporters can generate will have a massive role to play in this.

"We feel we have more strength in depth in our squad this season and four games in 16 days over Christmas will be a real test."

Warriors will begin the new campaign with three pre-season friendlies, the first of which is against Viadana at Sixways on Friday, August 11.

Their first competitive encounter sees Bristol visit in the Premiership on September 2.