Head coach Paul Hull can fully focus on the task of getting Bristol Rugby back into the Guinness Premiership now the club's Championship fixtures have been confirmed.

Bristol kick off their campaign at home to London Welsh on Sunday, September 6 – provided Welsh, who entered administration on Tuesday, survive until then.

If they do not, then Hull's side will start their season at newly-promoted Birmingham & Solihull the following Saturday.

"I'm just happy to get the fixtures out," said Hull, who returned to pre-season training on Tuesday after finishing his coaching duties with England Saxons in Denver.

"We can start to focus and plan for those games ahead. I don't know that much about the teams we will be playing but we'll be focusing on them and doing our research during the rest of the pre-season.

"But really it will be down to how we prepare. It's nice to have the fixtures but the focus in training will be on us."

Last season, Bristol Rugby launched their Premiership campaign with a 33-20 defeat at home to rivals Bath but Hull insists his squad are prepared for the drop down to the second tier this year.

"We've had a while to get our heads around the fact we're in the Championship now," he said.

"We just want to start the season as well as we can. The players have been back in training since June 8, the focus is on ourselves and it won't matter who we're playing against."

Bristol play two South West derbies in the first week of October – at home to Exeter Chiefs and away to Cornish Pirates – matches Hull is looking forward to.

"Derbies are always great," he said, "They're something to look forward to.

"We've had some great games with Bath and Gloucester over the years and now we have got these new challenges that are just as important."

He added: "I'm chomping at the bit to get going. I'm looking forward to working with the new players in the squad and the new faces in the backroom staff.

"I'm very excited about the challenges ahead."