GLOUCESTER will be involved in a pretty rare league double when they open their Aviva Premiership season on Friday September 1.

They will be at home to Exeter Chiefs that evening at 7.45pm and the rare double is that this was the exact fixture that both sides played in their last Premiership match of the previous season which Exeter won 34-20 at Kingsholm.

Exeter went on to win the Premiership title at Twickenham so will return to Kingsholm as league champions.

And while Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys will take his side on the road for three of the opening five matches, they could have asked for worse.

They will go to Harlequins on Saturday September 9 and Leicester Tigers the week after before entertaining Worcester on Friday September 22 and then making the trip to Sale Sharks, where they won last season, on the last weekend of the month.

Gloucester lost by just four points at The Stoop last season, but were given a 34-9 thumping at Leicester. However, they beat Sale by 26-13 at the AJ Bell Stadium last season.

The Cherry and Whites go to old rivals Bath on Sunday October 29 with the return on the last weekend of April.

They face a tough Christmas date at the Ricoh Arena against Wasps before a New Year home return clash with Sale.  Both dates are to be confirmed later in the season.

Humphreys will, though, want to have a lot of momentum during the dark days of winter as, when the spring arrives, Gloucester will face some hefty games if they are to reach the Champions Cup through league qualification as a minimum never mind the Premiership top four for the play-offs.

The last four matches will see the Cherry and Whites playing Exeter at Sandy Park, Harlequins at Kingsholm, the return West Country derby with Bath also at home, before facing a mammoth match in the final fixture when they travel to the Allianz Park to play reigning European Champions Cup title holders Saracens.