Leicester up first for Exiles

30 May 2012 London Welsh celebrate beating Cornish Pirates 66-41 on aggregate in the Championship playoff. (GETTY IMAGES)

Newly promoted London Welsh will host Leicester Tigers at their new Oxford home in the opening round of the new Premiership season.

The Exiles, whose place in the competition was only confirmed on appeal last Friday, also face a testing second game, against Harlequins at The Stoop. "We're delighted to draw Leicester and Harlequins, they were by far the best two teams in England last year," said London Welsh's head coach, Lyn Jones.

Harlequins will play Wasps in the "London Double Header" curtain-raiser at Twickenham. Saracens face London Irish in the other match on 1 September.