DEREK Beaumont says these are exciting times for Leigh Centurions and their supporters.

Centurions’ head of rugby is full of anticipation for the new-format 2015 season after the fixtures were announced this week.

The champions will open the Kingstone Press Championship campaign against former Super League big boys Bradford Bulls, while the other club relegated from this season’s top flight – London Broncos – will be next in town.

Beaumont said: “These are very exciting times and I am particularly pleased we will get to pit our wits against the Super League sides early in the piece.

“As I looked through our schedule I felt both excited and nervous as there are no hiding places and no respite in this league. It is tough from top to bottom.

“It is good because we feel challenged as a group and there is no doubt after the first five rounds we will have a good idea of how far we have come.”

A place in Super League will be at stake.

The top four teams in the Championship at the end of the 23 rounds will go into the Qualifiers alongside the bottom four teams from the same number of rounds in Super League.

Each team in this new competition will play each other once, with the top three after seven rounds going into Super League in 2016, while the fourth and fifth place teams will meet in ‘The Million Pound Game’ with the winners also heading into the top flight.

Beaumont said: “The RFL should be championed for the vision they had for the game and the Super League club chairman should also be congratulated for buying into a process that, I believe, has reinvented the game and attracted old and new supporters.

“Our goal this season is to finish in the top four where we can gather our thoughts and re-group ready for the challenge that brings.

“I am really looking forward to kicking that off at our home against Bradford Bulls in front of a big and vociferous crowd.”

Paul Rowley’s side will go head to head with James Lowes’ charges on February 15, at Leigh Sports Village, with a visit to Halifax preceding Broncos’ visit on March 1.

Consecutive away trips to Doncaster and Grand Finalists Featherstone follow to complete the first month of league action.

June and July following Blackpool’s Summer Bash also look set to be gruelling for Centurions, with games away to Whitehaven, London, Batley and Workington.

A penultimate weekend return game will take place at Odsal on July 19 when Leigh again face Bulls, for whom former Centurion players and captains Robbie Hunter-Paul and Rob Parker now hold off-field positions.

The season is rounded off with the visit of Doncaster on July 26 before the Qualifiers start.

Centurions, in conjunction with Leigh Independent Supporters Association, will hold a meeting in the banqueting suite at Leigh Sports Village on Thursday, October 30, from 7pm.

The event will feature an announcement from Beaumont concerning three new signings, one of whom has been funded by the support of LISA.

In other news, Jonny Walker and Bob Beswick shone lit up the international scene with their performances for Scotland and Ireland respectively on the opening weekend of the European Championship.

Walker claimed a try in the Scots’ 42-18 success against Wales in Workington, while Beswick played an intelligent and typically action-packed game to help Ireland – who also included Centurions’ Michael Platt in their ranks – to a surprise 22-12 victory over France in Dublin.

Centurions Fixtures 2015:

February: 15th, Bradford, home, 3pm; 22nd; Halifax, away, 3pm; March: 1st, London, home, 3pm; 8th, Doncaster, away, TBC; 15th, Featherstone, away, 3pm; 29th, Whitehaven, home, 3pm; April: 3rd, Hunslet, away, 2pm; 6th, Workington, home, TBC; 12th, Sheffield, away, TBC; 26th, Batley, home, 3pm; May: 3rd, Dewsbury, away, 3pm; 10th, Halifax, home, 3pm; 17th, Hunslet, home, 3pm; 23rd-24th, Summer Bash fixtures; 31st, Whitehaven, away; June: 7th, London, away, 3pm; 14th, Batley, away, 3pm; 21st, Sheffield, home, 3pm; 28th, Dewsbury, home, 3pm; July: 5th, Workington, away, 3pm; 12th, Featherstone, home, 3pm; 19th, Bradford, away, 3pm; 26th, Doncaster, home, 3pm.