DIVISION One champions Poole have landed a relatively favourable first round draw to mark their return to the National Arena League West’s Premier Division after an eight-year absence.

Their most notable opponents will be star-studded Somerset Cheetas, who came second to Plymouth Leander in last year’s final, when their line-up included a former world champion (Katy Sexton), a former world record holder (Zoe Baker), a Commonwealth Games semi-finalist (Richard Webb) and a European junior finalist (Siobhan O’Connor).

But Poole’s opponents will also include Yeovil, whom they comprehensively beat into second place in December’s Division One final, and Keynsham, who finished bottom of the Premier Division and only escaped relegation because other teams withdrew.

Completing the line-up are Swim Swansea and Exeter City, who came sixth and seventh respectively in the 2010 Premier table.

Both will be tough opponents for Poole but the Dorset club’s growing strength following the recent arrivals of Fiona Hardie, Alan Wong and Naomi and Noah Vides suggests they should be challenging for a place in the December final.

Swim Bournemouth’s first round draw looks a trifle harder and includes four of the top seven from last year’s final – champions Plymouth Leander, Bournemouth themselves, City of Cardiff and Taunton Deane.

Completing this line-up will be City of Newport, who were 12th last year, and the third promoted club, Soundwell.

In Division One, Christchurch Seagulls’ opponents will be Bleanau Gwent, Kingsbridge, Truro City, Weston-super-Mare and Devonport Royal.

In an expanded Division Two, champions Swim Bournemouth B face Tavistock, Torquay, Salisbury, Bristol North, Glamorgan Valleys and West Wilts Force 5 B.

In Division Three South, Dorset teams Wareham Water-Rats, North Dorset Turboes and Bridport Barracudas meet four from Devon – Oddicombe, Ilfracombe, Exmouth and Tiverton. Venues for the first round galas have yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, the league’s AGM have thrown out a plan to increase the number of Premier Division teams from 18 to 24 following objections from some of the other clubs who would have gone up and feared they would be swamped by the bigger teams.

Clubs fielding B teams, however, will in future be able to promote swimmers to their A teams for the second and third rounds – but not the reverse.

For the moment the league are sticking with another rule change preventing Premier Division finalists from introducing new swimmers for the final – but this may well be overturned by the national league before December.