THE curtain may only just have fallen on the 2023-24 rugby season…but details have already been revealed of Ayrshire clubs’ fixture lists for the new campaign.

The Scottish Rugby Union’s draft fixture list for 2024-25 throws up plenty of intriguing clashes for local sides, several of whom are gearing up for life in a higher division after securing promotion at the end of last season.

After the curtain came down on the Super Series set-up, Ayrshire will have two sides competing in the Premiership in 2024-25 – and both will be at home in the opening round of fixtures on August 31, with Ayr taking on reigning champions Currie Chieftains at Millbrae and Marr, who fell at the semi-final hurdle of last season’s play-offs, facing Selkirk at Fullarton.

Also on home turf in the first round of fixtures are Garnock, who romped to promotion from National 4 last season and will play host to Dumfries Saints in the first round of National 3 games on September 7.

And there’s a home start, too, for Ardrossan Accies, who make the step up to National 4 after clinching the West 1 title in style last season, winning every one of their 18 games.

The Memorial Field men will also host south-west opposition when they take on Stewartry in their opening match.

There’s an Ayrshire derby in store when West 1 kicks off on August 24 as Cumnock, who clinched the National Shield in memorable fashion at Murrayfield in April, play host to Kilmarnock in the opening round of matches.

And in West 2, newly-promoted Irvine , who added West Bowl success to their West 3 championship title last season, travel to Cumbernauld on opening day, also on August 24, while Carrick head for Lanarkshire to face Uddingston.

Ayr and Marr's second XVs will both compete in the Inter-City Reserve League, while the two club's third XVs line up in West Reserve League Division 1 alongside Kilmarnock's second team.

Ardrossan Accies, Cumnock and Carrick will all field second XVs in West Reserve Division 2, while there's a welcome return to the fray after an absence of several years for Isle of Arran RFC, who will compete in the West region's reserve development league, alongside Garnock 2nd and Kilmarnock 3rd.

Meanwhile, Ayr’s women’s team begin the defence of their West Division 1 title with a trip to Oban Lorne on August 25.

Irvine’s ladies host Uddingston in their West 2 curtain-raiser on September 8, while their Marr counterparts, the Marrlequins, fresh from their National Bowl triumph in April, are at home to Dumfries in their opening West 3 fixture on the same day.

Full details of the 2024-25 Scottish club rugby fixture list can be found at scottishrugby.org/fixtures-and-results.