HARROW will face more league games next season following the Rugby Football Union's expansion of the London League Four North West from 10 teams to 12, along with all the London leagues, to bring them into line with the other divisional leagues.

The corresponding increase in matches from 18 to 22 will mean an earlier start to the league campaign, on September 13, and a later finish, with the last games being scheduled for April 18.

The extended league should mean that the best and worst teams get their just rewards at the end of the season.

There was no relegation last season so, apart from Champions Finchley and runners-up Grasshoppers, who have both been promoted, Harrow will be facing seven of the league opponents they met during the last campaign.

Newcomers to London 4NW are Datchworth, who were relegated from London 3NW, along with Chiswick, who celebrated their 50th anniversary last season with an unbeaten campaign to win Herts/Middlesex 1, and

Old Merchant Taylors and Hitchin, who also won promotion as runnersup and third placed team in Herts/Middlesex 1.

Harrow will start the new season on Saturday, September 13 with a home game against Bank of England, one of only two clubs who finished below the eighth placed Grove Field outfit last season.

They follow that with a visit to Chiswick on September 20.

The whole season is expected to be a stern test of Harrow's resources as they are likely to begin the campaign with a significant number of changes to their playing personnel, due to retirements, and other players leaving the club for 'better' things.

Harrow's full league fixtures for the 2008/2009 season are as follows:

September 13: Bank of England (h); 20: Chiswick (a); 27: Hitchin (h).

October 4: Haringey (a); 11: Datchworth (h) ; 25: Old Hamptonians (a).

November 1: Old Merchant Taylors (h); 8: Hemel Hempstead (a);15: Barnet Elizabethans (h); 29: Old Ashmoleans (h).

December 6: Fullerians (a); 20: Barnet Elizabethans (a).

January 10: Hemel Hempstead (h); 24: Old Merchant Taylors (a); 31: Old Hamptonians (h).

February 14: Datchworth (a); 21: Haringey (a). March 7: Hitchin (a); 14: Chiswick (h); 28: Bank of England (a).

April 4: Fullerians (h); 18: Old Ashmoleans (a).