Premier Sports Cup: Hibernian face Bonnyrigg Rose, Aberdeen draw Raith Rovers | Football News

New Hibernian manager Lee Johnson has learned the identity of his first opponents after the Premier Sports Cup draw was made.

The Easter Road side are in Group D alongside cinch Championship outfit Morton, League One pair Falkirk and Clyde, as well as the SPFL’s newest member Bonnyrigg Rose.

Elsewhere, 2020-21 winners St Johnstone meet Ayr in Group F while Aberdeen will share a group with Raith Rovers, who knocked them out of the tournament last term.

Regionalisation has been removed for 2022/23 after six years of the north/south split in the group stage, meaning Highland League Fraserburgh are in the same section as Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle.

Fixtures kick-off on July 9 and 10 before the eight group winners and three best runners-up will join the five European contestants – defending champions Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Dundee United and Motherwell – in the last 16 at the end of August.

The full group stage draw

Group A: Aberdeen, Raith, Peterhead, Dumbarton, Stirling.

Group B: Kilmarnock, Partick, Montrose, Stenhousemuir, Fraserburgh.

Group C: Ross County, Dunfermline, Alloa, East Fife, Buckie.

Group D: Hibernian, Morton, Falkirk, Clyde, Bonnyrigg.

Group E: St Mirren, Arbroath, Airdrie, Edinburgh City, Cowdenbeath.

Group F: St Johnstone, Ayr, Queen of the South, Annan, Elgin.

Group G: Livingston, Inverness, Cove, Kelty, Albion.

Group H: Dundee, Hamilton, Queen’s Park, Forfar, Stranraer.

The first round of games take place on the weekend of July 9-10.