Ulster kick-off their competitive season with a trip to old adversaries Ebbw Vale at the end of August.

In a fairly-tough Celtic League section which includes five Welsh sides, Ulster also come up against Edinburgh and Munster in Pool A.

Ulster avoided champions Leinster who are in Pool B alongside new Scottish side Borders in the revamped competition.

Leinster lifted the inaugural title last December when they defeated Munster in the final.

Munster had earlier despatched Ulster 15-6 at the semi-final stage.

Ulster will again face Llanelli this season in Belfast.

The Welsh champions defeated Ulster by a single point in injury time at Ravenhill last season.

Ulster have faced Swansea, Neath and Edinburgh before in Europe, but have never come up against Caerphilly, one of the lesser lights of the tournament.

All the pool games will be played at the start of the season, but the semi-final will take place in the new year with the final being staged two weeks before the Six Nations.

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Fixtures: 30/31 August: Pool A: Edinburgh v Swansea, Ebbw Vale v Ulster, Llanelli v Munster, Neath v Caerphilly.
Pool B: Leinster v Pontypridd, Cardiff v Glasgow, Newport v Bridgend, Borders v Connacht.

6/7 September: Pool A: Ulster v Edinburgh, Caerphilly v Llanelli, Munster v Ebw Vale, Swansea v Neath.
Pool B: Connacht v Cardiff, Glasgow v Leinster, Pontypridd v Newport, Bridgend v Borders.

13/14 September: Pool A: Swansea v Ulster, Edinburgh v Munster, Ebbw Vale v Caerphilly, Neath v Llanelli.
Pool B: Bridgend v Pontypridd, Newport v Glasgow, Leinster v Connacht, Borders v Cardiff.

20/21 September: Pool A: Caerphilly v Edinburgh, Munster v Swansea, Llanelli v Ebbw Vale, Ulster v Neath.
Pool B: Cardiff v Leinster, Connacht v Newport, Glasgow v Bridgend, Pontypridd v Borders.

27/28 September :Pool A: Ulster v Munster, Swansea v Caerphilly, Edinburgh v Llanelli, Neath v Ebbw Vale.
Pool B: Pontypridd v Glasgow, Bridgend v Connacht, Newport v Cardiff, Borders v Leinster.

4/5 October: Pool A: Ebbw Vale v Edinburgh, Llanelli v Swansea, Caerphilly v Ulster, Neath v Munster.
Pool B: Connacht v Pontypridd, Leinster v Newport, Cardiff v Bridgend, Borders v Glasgow.

25/26 October: Pool A: Munster v Caerphilly, Ulster v Llanelli, Swansea v Ebbw Vale, Edinburgh v Neath.
Pool B: Glasgow v Connacht, Pontypridd v Cardiff, Bridgend v Leinster, Newport v Borders.

Quarter-finals: weekend of 30 November.
Semi-finals: weekend of 4 January 2003.
Celtic League final: weekend of 1 February 2003.