WARRIORS will kick off the 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership season at home to London Irish at Sixways on Saturday, September 18.
The match is a re-run of the 2020/21 season opener, which Warriors won 11-10, and will be the first of four matches at Sixways in the first group of seven fixtures.
Gloucester Rugby visit Worcester for a mouth-watering M5 derby on Saturday, October 2 followed by a Midlands derby against Leicester Tigers on Saturday, October 16 and the visit of Sale Sharks to Sixways on October 30.
In between those home games Warriors face away assignments against defending champions Harlequins at The Stoop on September 25 and last season’s beaten finalists Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on October 9.
Warriors will make their seasonal debut in front of the BT Sport cameras on October 22 against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens (kick-off 7.45pm).
Wasps will be the visitors for the final Premiership match of 2021 at Sixways on the weekend of December 3 to 5 before another away day at newly-promoted Saracens on December 26/27.
Warriors have also welcomed and support the decision of the RFU Council to increase the Gallagher Premiership to 14 clubs from the end of the 2021/22 season.
A total of 13 teams will contest next season’s competition, with no relegation, while the top Championship side will be promoted.
There will be no automatic one-up, one-down system between the Premiership and the second-tier Championship until at least the end of the 2024-25 season.
There will be a play-off at the end of the 2023-24 campaign — between the club bottom of the Premiership and the winners of the Championship — if the latter satisfy revised criteria for promotion.
In a statement, Warriors said: “We believe it is important ambitious Championship clubs have the opportunity to progress to the Premiership as we have done.
“Overall, we believe the decision will lead to increased confidence in clubs for further investment into the game which, in turn, will ensure that the Premiership remains the most competitive and exciting club league in the world.”