It’s the week that all rugby fans have been waiting for – the 2019/20 rugby season begins this Saturday.

And this year, we have the exciting return of Penryn versus Falmouth in a league match for the first time in three seasons.

The two teams have flourished in their respective divisions over the last couple of years, with Falmouth going from strength to strength in the Western Counties West while Penryn win game after game in the Cornwall/Devon League.

But there is nothing like two local rivals – and two of the county’s top ten teams at that – going head-to-head in the same division.

All of a sudden your big rivals’ results matter that much more as their wins or defeats have a knock-on effect on your own league standing, and of course it means two big local derbies, which will be two of the most eagerly anticipated matches in the local sporting calendar.

We are lucky enough to have had an annual Falmouth-Penryn tussle to whet our appetites on Boxing Day every year, so we have not been starved of the exciting derby.

But it will be that bit more special when it is in an intense, high-pressure situation with league points on the line as well as local pride.

The Packet will mark this renewal of rivalries with a couple of new regular rugby-related features for the coming season.

As well as match reports of the two teams’ respective games, which we will endeavour to provide every week, a round-up of all of our Cornish teams’ weekly results and what they mean from up and down the divisions will be published on our website (www.thepacket.co.uk) on Sunday, from the Cornish Pirates in the RFU Championship, to Helston and Stithians in Cornwall 2 and everything in between.

We will also provide a monthly Rugby Report, which will cast an eye over the progress of our teams.

Enjoy the new season!