OXFORDSHIRE rugby fans will have a keen interest in tonight’s Championship play-off final first leg – which could go a long way to determine whether top-flight rugby comes to the county next season.

London Welsh travel to face the Cornish Pirates, with victory over the two legs likely to see them use the Kassam Stadium as their base for Premiership rugby.

Welsh have lost on their last three visits to Mennaye Field and will not want to enter next Wednesday’s second leg at Oxford’s on the back of a fourth reverse.

Pirates announced that their new signings for next season include former Oxford University centre Alex Cheesman.

Cornish Pirates: Cook, Pointer, Hill, Suniula, Doherty, Thomas, Cattle (capt), Marriott, Burgess, Ewers, Nimmo, McGlone, Paver, Ward, Rimmer. Reps: Storer, Elloway, Brits, Smith, Maidment, Kessell, Evans.

London Welsh: Davies, Scott, J Lewis, Tonga’uiha, Ajuwa, Ross, Moates, Moss, George, Tideswell, Brown, Corker, Mills (capt), Denbee, Jackson. Reps: Ma’asi, Pittman, Bateman, Johnson, Beach, R Lewis, Jewell.