Guinness PRO14 and Gallagher Premiership seasons get under way

Guinness PRO14 and Gallagher Premiership rugby union​

Ulster v Scarlets – Saturday 1 September - Guinness PRO14 rugby – Premier Sports 1 from 5.15pm – Kick off at 5.15pm​

The start of the rugby union season across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is marked by a huge weekend of televised fixtures on Premier Sports and BT Sport – respective holders of the rights to Guinness PRO14 and Gallagher Premiership rugby.

Premier Sports director of commercial customers Graham Byrne said: “We are really excited about our first season showing every game of the Guinness PRO14.

“Premier Sports is the new home of PRO14 in the UK with all 152 games being shown under one roof.

“We have put pubs, hotels and clubs at the forefront of our fixture selection process.

“With Friday evening, and games spread out across Saturdays, these kick-off times will be extremely beneficial to driving customers into pubs, hotels and clubs across Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.

“We are currently rolling out our new package that will offer commercial premises the ability to show all of the PRO14 games for less than £3 per day.”

Gallagher Premiership action sees both defending champions Saracens and the most successful team in the league’s history, 10 time winners Leicester Tigers, in live action.

Premier League football​

An intriguing clash at the King Power Stadium kicks off a busy weekend of Premier League football. Liverpool are yet to concede this season while Claude Puel’s Leicester City are on a run of back-to-back wins after a 2-1 reverse at Old Trafford in their season opener.

After dropping their first points of the season thanks to a controversial goal by Wolves defender Willy Boly, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City host Rafa Benitez’s beleaguered Newcastle United looking to get back to winning ways.

Off the back of his first win as Arsenal boss against Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham, Unai Emery takes his side to south Wales looking to string consecutive wins together against Neil Warnock’s Cardiff City.

One of these teams' win record has got to go at Vicarage Road as Tottenham and Watford look to extend perfect starts to the season.

Here’s a look at the rest of the televised Premier League fixtures this September.​​

Fourth Test in the England v India cricket series ​

After India won a one-sided third Test to claw this summer’s series back to 2-1, this weekend’s fourth Test represents a must-not-lose match for England if they’re to avoid the prospect of becoming only the second Test team to blow a 2-0 lead.

However, a dramatic top order collapse of 34 for four in the face of a world-class Indian attack has left the hosts on the brink of a make-or-break fifth Test.

F1 Italian Grand Prix weekend​

Lewis Hamilton has the chance to tighten his grip on a fifth Formula One World Championship this weekend as he heads to Monza, 17 points clear of title rival Sebastian Vettel.

As a side note, the all-time record for Formula One’s fastest-ever lap could fall this weekend. Since rule changes last year, lap records have tumbled with the exception of Juan Pablo Montoya’s 2004 lap at Monza, which stands out as not only the fastest lap ever recorded at the circuit, but in F1 history.

A rain-soaked weekend last year meant this never came under threat, but the record could be in sight this weekend for championship leaders Mercedes and Ferrari.

Old Firm football derby​

Unbeaten in his short tenure as Rangers manager and fresh from securing the Gers’ first appearance in the group stage of European competition since the 2010-11 Champions League, Steven Gerrard takes on former boss Brendan Rodgers in his first Old Firm derby.

With rumblings of discontent at Celtic and an uncharacteristically slow start to domestic and European campaigns, the gulf between the two Glasgow sides appears to have narrowed - Sunday’s high noon showdown, a litmus test for both Gerrard and his new-look side, will demonstrate by exactly how much.