Champions Showdown Launches New Celtic League

Munster will launch the defence of their Celtic League title against arch rivals Leinster Lions in a tantalising champions showdown in Dublin on the first weekend of September.

Munster will launch the defence of their Celtic League title against arch rivals Leinster Lions – the 2002 Celtic League winners – in a tantalising champions’ showdown in Dublin on the first weekend of September.

The format for the third season of the tournament involving the 12 top teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales will see each team play 22 fixtures on a home and away basis with the climax to the competition coming on the weekend of 14 / 15 May, 2004.

The Celtic League will continue to run throughout the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 RBS Six Nations Championship in tandem with the exciting new Celtic Cup knock-out tournament. The final of the Cup competition, on 20 December, will be televised live on BBC Grandstand.

“The implementation of home and away fixtures for the 12 competing teams – in the previous two tournaments they have been split into two Pools with the successful sides progressing to knock-out phases – will guarantee all teams having a fair crack of the whip,” said Keith Grainger, Tournament Director of the Celtic League.

“Every team will now have those 22 top quality fixtures spread over nine months and, with the introduction of the Celtic Cup, the 20 December finalists could end up having played 26 high intensity and high profile Celtic matches with a hugely welcome steady stream of income.

“With all the teams also taking part in one or other of the ERC European competitions, we believe the top players will only be competing in the most meaningful of matches that should go a long way towards enhancing standards in the Celtic nations and preparing players for the demands of international rugby.”

John Hussey, Chairman of the Celtic League, welcomed the arrival of the Celtic Cup as “an extremely exciting new addition to the northern hemisphere rugby calendar.

“The League will establish our Celtic champions over the long haul of the entire season while the Cup will provide us with our Celtic knock-out specialists and I am sure the two competitions will provide supporters with an abundance of exciting and high level rugby.”

The competing teams in the Celtic League and Celtic Cup are:

IRELAND: Connacht, Leinster Lions, Munster, Ulster SCOTLAND: Edinburgh Rugby, Glasgow Rugby, The Borders WALES: Bridgend / Pontypridd, Cardiff Blues, Gwent Dragons, Llanelli, Neath / Swansea

CELTIC LEAGUE 2003 / 2004

Weekend of 5/6 September 2003

The Borders v Bridgend/Pontypridd Connacht v Edinburgh Rugby Glasgow Rugby v Cardiff Blues Leinster Lions v Munster Llanelli v Gwent Dragons Neath/Swansea v Ulster

Weekend of 12/13 September 2003

Bridgend/Pontypridd v Leinster Lions Cardiff Blues v Connacht Edinburgh Rugby v The Borders Gwent Dragons v Neath/Swansea Munster v Llanelli Ulster v Glasgow Rugby

Weekend of 26/27 September 2003

The Borders v Cardiff Blues Glasgow Rugby v Connacht Leinster Lions v Edinburgh Rugby Llanelli v Bridgend/Pontypridd Neath/Swansea v Munster Ulster v Gwent Dragons

Weekend of 10/11 October 2003

Bridgend/Pontypridd v Neath/Swansea Cardiff Blues v Leinster Lions Connacht v The Borders Edinburgh Rugby v Llanelli Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Rugby Munster v Ulster

Weekend of 17/18 October 2003

Glasgow Rugby v The Borders Gwent Dragons v Munster Leinster Lions v Connacht Llanelli v Cardiff Blues Neath/Swansea v Edinburgh Rugby Ulster v Bridgend/Pontypridd

Weekend of 24/25 October 2003

The Borders v Leinster Lions Bridgend/Pontypridd v Gwent Dragons Cardiff Blues v Neath/Swansea Connacht v Llanelli Edinburgh Rugby v Ulster Munster v Glasgow Rugby

Weekend of 31 Oct/1 Nov 2003

Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh Rugby Glasgow Rugby v Leinster Lions Llanelli v The Borders Munster v Bridgend/Pontypridd Neath/Swansea v Connacht Ulster v Cardiff Blues

Weekend of 7/8 November 2003

The Borders v Neath/Swansea Bridgend/Pontypridd v Glasgow Rugby Cardiff Blues v Gwent Dragons Connacht v Ulster Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Leinster Lions v Llanelli

Weekend of 28/29 November 2003 Bridgend/Pontypridd v Edinburgh Rugby Glasgow Rugby v Llanelli Gwent Dragons v Connacht Munster v Cardiff Blues Neath/Swansea v Leinster Lions Ulster v The Borders

Weekend of 26/27 December 2003

Cardiff Blues v Bridgend/Pontypridd Glasgow Rugby v Edinburgh Ruby Llanelli v Neath/Swansea

Weekend of 2/3 January 2004

The Borders v Gwent Dragons Connacht v Munster Leinster Lions v Ulster

Weekend of 6/7 February 2004

Bridgend/Pontypridd v Connacht Edinburgh Rugby v Cardiff Blues Gwent Dragons v Leinster Lions Munster v The Borders Neath/Swansea v Glasgow Rugby Ulster v Llanelli

Weekend of 13/14 February 2004

Bridgend/Pontypridd v The Borders Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Rugby Edinburgh Rugby v Connacht Gwent Dragons v Llanelli Munster v Leinster Lions Ulster v Neath/Swansea

Weekend of 20/21February 2004

The Borders v Edinburgh Rugby Connacht v Cardiff Blues Glasgow Rugby v Ulster Leinster Lions v Bridgend/Pontypridd Llanelli v Munster Neath/Swansea v Gwent Dragons

Weekend of 27/28 February 2004

Bridgend/Pontypridd v Llanelli Cardiff Blues v The Borders Connacht v Glasgow Rugby Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster Lions Gwent Dragons v Ulster Munster v Neath/Swansea

Weekend of 5/6 March 2004

The Borders v Connacht Glasgow Rugby v Gwent Dragons Leinster Lions v Cardiff Blues Llanelli v Edinburgh Rugby Neath/Swansea v Bridgend/Pontypridd Ulster v Munster

Weekend 12/13 March 2004

The Borders v Glasgow Rugby Bridgend/Pontypridd v Ulster Cardiff Blues v Llanelli Connacht v Leinster Lions Edinburgh Rugby v Neath/Swansea Munster v Gwent Dragons

Weekend of 26/27 March 2004

Gwent Dragons v Bridgend/Pontypridd Glasgow Rugby v Munster Leinster Lions v The Borders Llanelli v Connacht Neath/Swansea v Cardiff Blues Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby

Weekend of 2/3 April 2004

The Borders v Llanelli Bridgend/Pontypridd v Munster Cardiff Blues v Ulster Connacht v Neath/Swansea Edinburgh Rugby v Gwent Dragons Leinster Lions v Glasgow Rugby

Weekend of 16/17 April 2004

Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues Glasgow Rugby v Bridgend/Pontypridd Llanelli v Leinster Lions Munster v Edinburgh Rugby Neath/Swansea v The Borders Ulster v Connacht

Weekend of 30 April/1 May 2004

The Borders v Ulster Cardiff Blues v Munster Connacht v Gwent Dragons Edinburgh Rugby v Bridgend/Pontypridd Leinster Lions v Neath/Swansea Llanelli v Glasgow Rugby

Weekend of 7/8 May 2004

Bridgend/Pontypridd v Cardiff Blues Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Rugby Gwent Dragons v The Borders Munster v Connacht Neath/Swansea v Llanelli Ulster v Leinster Lions

Weekend of 14/15 May 2004

The Borders v Munster Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Rugby Connacht v Bridgend/Pontypridd Glasgow Rugby v Neath/Swansea Leinster Lions v Gwent Dragons Llanelli v Ulster

CELTIC CUP 2003 / 2004

Round 1 – 19 / 20 / 21 September 2003

First round:

Bridgend/Pontypridd v Glasgow Rugby Leinster Lions v Neath/Swansea The Borders v Connacht Llanelli v Gwent Dragons Byes: Edinburgh Rugby, Munster, Ulster and Cardiff Blues

Quarter Finals – 3 / 4 / 5 October 2003

Draw to be made Saturday, 20 September 2003

Semi-Finals – 14 / 15 / 16 November 2003

Draw to be made Saturday 4 October 2003

Celtic Cup Final – Saturday 20 December 2003