| Magners League | |
|---|---|
| Current season or competition: 2007-08 Magners League |
|
 |
|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Founded | 2001 |
| No. The 2007-08 Magners League will be the seventh Celtic League season and the second with Magners as title sponsor Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Artistic gymnastics World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Men's all-around champion Feng Jing, China of teams | 10 |
| Country(ies) |  Ireland Scotland Wales |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Leinster |
The Magners League is an annual rugby union competition involving regional sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Irish Rugby Football Union Leinster Branch (also known as Leinster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It is one of the three major leagues in Europe, along with the English Guinness Premiership and the French Top 14. The English Premiership (known as the Guinness Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness) is a professional league competition for Rugby The Top 14 is a Rugby union club competition which is played in France. The league champion is currently determined solely from league performance, however from the 2009-10 season, it is intended to introduce a play-off structure, similar to the Guinness Premiership. [1]. It was originally known as The Celtic League (Welsh: Y Gynghrair Geltaidd[2]) The Magners League season takes place between September and May, with each team playing every other team on a home and away basis. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Magners League matches avoid the traditional international weekends in November and during the Six Nations Championship. The Six Nations Championship (referred to as RBS 6 Nations for sponsorship reasons known before 2000 as the Five Nations Championship, is an annual international The Welsh, Irish and Scottish rugby unions now use the Magners League as the sole determinant for European qualification.
Contents |
Other nations
Talks have been held intermittently with both Italy[3] [4] and South Africa[5] about the possible expansion of the Magners League. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa A Rainbow Cup involving South African and Italian teams was announced in 2005, [6] but following changes in the membership of the South African Rugby Union the idea was abandoned without a ball kicked. In the medium term, it is expected that the competition will continue to consist of the three Celtic unions.
London Welsh have in the past expressed an interest in joining the Magners League if promotion/relegation were to be removed from the premiership in England. [7] Likewise the SRU in 2007 expressed an interest in setting up a Scottish club in London, to play as the third Scottish team in the Magners League. [8]
Media coverage
Magners League matches get shown live on BBC Two Wales, Setanta Sports 1, Setanta Ireland and also the Welsh channel S4C. Setanta Sports 1 & 2 are the two main Channels for Setanta Sports in the Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom, carrying coverage of association football (including Setanta Sports Ireland (sɛˈtantə is an Irish sports channel featuring local and international sports Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales The BBC Two Wales matches are usually made available to the rest of the UK via BBCi. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Sporadic coverage of the tournament can be found in other territories - mainly on Canal Plus in France, and on various Setanta Sports channels around the globe. Canal+ ("Canal Plus" "C+" meaning "Channel Plus/More" in French is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984 Setanta Sports (sɛˈtantə is a sports broadcaster based in Ireland, operating 12 channels in 24 countries
2007-08 Teams
| Team | Stadium (& Capacity) | City/Area |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff Blues |
Cardiff Arms Park (13,500) & Millennium Stadium (74,500) | Cardiff, Wales |
| Connacht |
Galway Sportsgrounds (7,000) | Galway, Connacht, Ireland |
| Edinburgh |
Murrayfield Stadium (67,800[9]) | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Glasgow Warriors |
Firhill (10,887) | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Leinster |
RDS (18,000) | Dublin, Leinster, Ireland |
| Llanelli Scarlets |
Stradey Park (11,000) & Racecourse Ground (15,500) | Llanelli / Wrexham, Wales |
| Munster |
Musgrave Park (8,000) & Thomond Park (18,000[10]) | Cork / Limerick, Munster, Ireland |
| Newport Gwent Dragons |
Rodney Parade (12,000) | Newport, Wales |
| Ospreys |
Liberty Stadium (20,500) | Swansea, Wales |
| Ulster |
Ravenhill Stadium (12,800) | Belfast, Ulster, Northern Ireland |
Former Teams
| Team | Years | Stadia and capacity | City/Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border Reivers |
2002-2007 | Netherdale, 6000 | Galashiels, Scotland |
| Celtic Warriors |
2003-2004 | Brewery Field, 12000 and Sardis Road, 8000 | Bridgend and Pontypridd, Wales |
History
Wales and Scotland had joined forces for the 1999 and 2000 seasons, with the expansion of the Welsh Premier Division to include Edinburgh and Glasgow under the name Welsh-Scottish League. Cardiff Blues (Gleision Caerdydd are one of the four professional Welsh Rugby union teams Cardiff Arms Park ( Welsh: Parc yr Arfau Caerdydd) also known as The Arms Park, is a Rugby union Stadium situated in the centre The Millennium Stadium (Stadiwm y Mileniwm is the National stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Connacht Rugby (more commonly known as Connacht is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht, that competes in the Magners League and the European Galway Sportsground, also known as The Sportsground, is a multi-use Stadium in Galway, Ireland. Galway (Gaillimh is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of two Professional Rugby union teams in Scotland competing Murrayfield is a sports Stadium in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and is the home of Scottish Rugby Union Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, is one of two professional Rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other Firhill Stadium is the home ground of the Scottish Association football club Partick Thistle F Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Irish Rugby Football Union Leinster Branch (also known as Leinster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in The RDS (also known as the Royal Dublin Society but now rarely expanded or Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath ( CRBÁC) in Irish, was founded Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Leinster (ˈlɛnstər Irish: Laighin, lainʲ one of the Provinces of Ireland, lies in the east of Ireland and comprises the counties of Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Stradey Park (Welsh Parc Y Strade) is a Rugby union Stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Sainsbury Standjpg|thumb|The Sainsbury's Stand]]Wrexham FCjpg|thumb|The Mold Road Stand looking towards the Kop]] The Racecourse Ground (Y Cae Ras is a Stadium located Llanelli ( English: Church of St Elli) pron, the largest Town in the County of Carmarthenshire, in south-west Wrexham (Wrecsam is a town and principal area in Wales. It is the largest town in North Wales and lies to the east of the region Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish professional Rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the Magners Musgrave Park is a stadium in the city of Cork, Ireland. The ground consists of four terraces one stand three tribunes one jogging track and two VIP Thomond Park is a stadium in Limerick City, Munster Ireland. It is the home of Shannon RFC, UL Bohemian RFC and Munster Rugby Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Munster ( Irish: An Mhumhain, ənˈvuːnʲ Cúige Mumhan or Mumha) is the southernmost of the four Provinces of Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Newport Gwent Dragons (Dreigiau Casnewydd Gwent are one of the four professional Rugby Union teams in Wales Rodney Parade is a Stadium in the city of Newport, Wales in the United Kingdom. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. The Ospreys (Y Gweilch formerly the Neath-Swansea Ospreys ( Gweilch Tawe-Nedd) are a Rugby union team from Wales playing in the Celtic League The Liberty Stadium (Stadiwm Liberty referred to as New Stadium during construction is a purpose-built sports and concert arena and conferencing venue in the Landore Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. The Irish Rugby Football Union Ulster Branch (also known as Ulster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in the Ravenhill Stadium is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used by Ulster Rugby. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo - Scottish border ( Border country) for nearly three hundred years from the late 13th century Netherdale, is an area of Galashiels, a town in the Scottish Borders. Galashiels is a Burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Celtic Warriors were a regional Rugby union team from Wales, who played in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup between 2003 Brewery Field is a 12000 capacity multi-use Stadium in Bridgend, Wales. Pontypridd RFC Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr is a town in the Country Borough of Bridgend in Wales. Pontypridd is both a community and a Town in Glamorgan, Wales, in the County borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff and is situated 12 2008/2009 Season Details 2008-09 Principality Premiership Aberavon RFC Bedwas RFC Bridgend Ravens Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of two Professional Rugby union teams in Scotland competing The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, is one of two professional Rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other
In 2001 an agreement was made between the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) and Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) to create a new competition which would bring in the four Irish provinces. The Irish Rugby Football Union ( IRFU) (Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann is the body managing Rugby union in Ireland. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU ( Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of Rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board 2001 would see the very first incarnation of the Celtic League.
Some saw the competition as the forerunner of a British / Irish league with teams from England also taking part. The WRU had previously negotiated with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to form an Anglo-Welsh league but negotiations had broken down over how many teams from each union would take part. The Rugby Football Union (RFU is the Rugby union governing body in England
2001-02
The first season would see fifteen teams compete: the four Irish provinces (Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster), two Scottish teams (Edinburgh Reivers and Glasgow) and all nine Welsh Premier Division teams (Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Ebbw Vale, Llanelli, Neath, Newport, Pontypridd and Swansea). Connacht Rugby (more commonly known as Connacht is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht, that competes in the Magners League and the European The Irish Rugby Football Union Leinster Branch (also known as Leinster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish professional Rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the Magners The Irish Rugby Football Union Ulster Branch (also known as Ulster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in the Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of two Professional Rugby union teams in Scotland competing The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, is one of two professional Rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other 2008/2009 Season Details 2008-09 Principality Premiership Aberavon RFC Bedwas RFC Bridgend Ravens Bridgend Ravens are a Semi-professional Rugby union club based in Bridgend South Wales. Caerphilly Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union team founded in 1887. Cardiff Rugby Football Club was founded in 1876 The club played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park, where they Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union club based in Ebbw Vale in South Wales Llanelli Rugby Football Club ( Clwb Rygbi Llanelli) is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1872 Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Newport Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union club based in the city of Newport, South Wales Pontypridd RFC Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division.
Played alongside each country's own national competitions, the teams were split into two groups (of 8 and 7) and played a series of round-robin matches with each team playing the other only once. A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a type of group tournament in which each participant plays every other participant an equal number of times The top four teams from each group proceeded into the knock-out phase until a champion was found. A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of Tournament where the loser of each Clashes between teams in the Welsh-Scottish League also counted towards the new competition.
The 2001/2002 competition was dominated by the Irish teams with all four sides reaching the last eight, three progressing to the semi-finals, and the thrilling final played at Lansdowne Road contested between Leinster and Munster with the Dublin-based Leinster running out 24-20 winners.
2002-03
The demands of the Celtic league led to the Scottish / Welsh league being abandoned in 2002. The Irish inter provincial championship was also downgraded.
The second (2002/03) season's format was identical except for the addition of a third Scottish side, the newly re-established Scottish Borders. See also Border Reivers for the historical background Border Reivers, originally known as 'Scottish Borders Rugby' were one of four professional
Surprisingly, the champions Leinster failed to make the quarter-final stage in 2003. In their absence, Munster went on to easily win the competition by beating Connacht (QF 33-3), Ulster (SF 42-10), and Neath in the final by 37 points to 17. The final of 2003 was played in Cardiff.
2003-04
A major change in Celtic League philosophy came during the early part of 2003, partly due to the commercial success of the league itself but mostly because of the Welsh Regional Rugby's financial constraints that left Wales with only five fully professional clubs. The 2003-04 Celtic League was the first season following the formation of the five regional rugby sides in Wales It was decided that the Celtic League would become the sole professional league of the three countries, incorporating all four Irish, three Scottish and the five new Welsh (Cardiff Blues, Celtic Warriors, Llanelli Scarlets, Neath-Swansea Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons). Cardiff Blues (Gleision Caerdydd are one of the four professional Welsh Rugby union teams The Celtic Warriors were a regional Rugby union team from Wales, who played in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup between 2003 The Ospreys (Y Gweilch formerly the Neath-Swansea Ospreys ( Gweilch Tawe-Nedd) are a Rugby union team from Wales playing in the Celtic League The Newport Gwent Dragons (Dreigiau Casnewydd Gwent are one of the four professional Rugby Union teams in Wales
Reformatted into a traditional league competition (round-robin style, all clubs play each other twice, once home, once away), which meant that a season long 22-round match program was launched, and with a new strength in depth due to the amalgamation of Welsh teams and the continuing strengthening of Irish and Scottish teams through the re-signing and retention of star players, the league has been in rugby terms a success. A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a type of group tournament in which each participant plays every other participant an equal number of times Also introduced for the 2003/04 season was the Celtic Cup, a straight knock-out cup competition between the 12 Celtic League teams.
However the unfortunate timing of the league's launch and poor organisation of a working calendar meant that first the 2003 Rugby World Cup and later the RBS Six Nations Championship prevented many of the league's top stars from playing in over half the games. The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby union competition The Royal Bank of Scotland plc ( Scottish Gaelic: Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group The Six Nations Championship (referred to as RBS 6 Nations for sponsorship reasons known before 2000 as the Five Nations Championship, is an annual international This meant that commercially the league has struggled, especially regarding the newly adopted regions in Wales where the game has always traditionally been played on a club basis, not having the regional histories of Ireland or Scotland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The season ended with the Llanelli Scarlets running out as eventual winners, four points ahead of Ulster.
2004-05
The league format was further refined at the end of the 2003/04 season, with the participants deciding to better manage the dates of the matches so as to not interfere with the national squad set-ups and to make the league more commercially viable. The 2004-05 Celtic League was the second year of the competition involving Irish Scottish and Welsh Rugby union clubs The league was played until April and then the Celtic Cup competition was contested amongst the top eight teams of the league.
However even the prospect of the improved league structure wasn't enough to keep all the competitors viable with the liquidation of the Celtic Warriors region by the WRU, which meant that starting in 2004/05, Wales would have only four entrants in a league of eleven teams. The Celtic Warriors were a regional Rugby union team from Wales, who played in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup between 2003 The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU ( Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the governing body of Rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board
The new format took the league into what many saw as a make-or-break season, clear of massive distractions such as the Rugby World Cup. The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby union competition With the Welsh regions partly embedded, the signs were that the Celtic League would be a competition that could continue for many years to come.
The 2004/5 season was the first season that Ireland agreed to use the Celtic League standings to determine which provinces would enter the Heineken Cup. The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading The IRFU had always previously classed Connacht as a "development" team and so nominated Leinster, Munster and Ulster over Connacht - fearing the loss of revenue from one of the "big three" teams failing to qualify for the Heineken European Cup. The Irish Rugby Football Union ( IRFU) (Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann is the body managing Rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU also insisted on International team squad training sessions taking precedence over Celtic League matches - a consequence of this was that Irish provinces (especially Munster and Leinster) often fielded virtual second teams for Celtic League games. This had the effect of devaluing the competition - however despite this apparent half-hearted approach Irish teams finished second (Munster) and third (Leinster) in the league as well as winning the Celtic Cup (Munster). The Ospreys were crowned eventual champions making it two in a row for Welsh Regional sides.
There was an announcement that a 'Rainbow Cup' would replace the Celtic Cup with 4 Italian sides and 9 South African provincial sides alongside the Celtic League sides. It was also suggested that Italian sides might join an expanded Celtic League - this proved however to be merely a publicity "bubble".
2005-06
In 2005, there were discussions over a potential Anglo-Welsh cup competition which some saw as undermining the Celtic League. The 2005-2006 Celtic League season was the third season since the inception of regional Rugby union in Wales Despite Welsh assurances that the proposed Anglo-Welsh tournament would not interfere with their commitments to either the Celtic League in its present format or an expanded 'Rainbow League', the SRU and IRFU claimed that the WRU had made arrangements to play games on five weekends without regard to Celtic League fixtures. The SRU and IRFU purported to expel the Welsh sides from the Celtic League in June 2005. It was proposed that the competition would continue as a Scottish and Irish affair for the 2005/6 season, with the possible addition of 4 Italian sides and the re-admittance of Welsh sides for the 2006/7 season. A deal was then reached that allowed for the Celtic League to continue with the Welsh sides readmitted, with some fixtures involving Welsh clubs restructured to accommodate the Anglo-Welsh cup.
Despite these problems, the league enjoyed its most successful season, with the record attendance at a Celtic League match being broken 4 times from 12,436 at the Cardiff Blues Vs. Newport Gwent Dragons match in December to 15,327 for the Cardiff Blues Vs. Leinster match at the Millennium Stadium. The total attendances for the season were up nearly 50,000 at 571,331 compared to 521,449 for the previous season.
The league went down to the last round with Ulster and Leinster both in contention. Following Leinster's victory over Edinburgh and with Ulster losing against the Ospreys, it looked like the cup would go to Dublin but David Humphreys kicked a last minute 40 metre drop goal to clinch the game and the league for Ulster. David Humphreys MBE (born 10 September 1971 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a retired Rugby player
2006-07
In May 2006 Magners Irish Cider announced that it would become the title sponsor for the next five seasons, thus the league will now become the 'Magners League'. The 2006-07 Magners League was the sixth Celtic League season and the first with Magners as title sponsor Bulmers Original Vintage Cider is a brand of Cider produced in Ireland. Although in the Republic of Ireland, the brand is known as Bulmers Irish Cider, the Magners name is still used there for the league. [11] The sponsorship follows on existing Magners' existing presence in rugby union with sponsorship deals with Edinburgh and the London Wasps. Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of two Professional Rugby union teams in Scotland competing London Wasps is an English professional Rugby union team The men's first team which forms London Wasps was derived from Wasps Football Club who
The Scottish Rugby Union announced that the Borders territory would be disbanded from the end of the 2006-07 season. And that it will be reopened when the Scottish Rugby Union debt decreases and it is financial suitable to reopen the territory along with a possible fourth Scottish territory (Four professional teams being the original plan for the SRU) with Falkirk, Stirling or a London based team being possible locations; or even the Caledonain Reds the forgotten Scottish Region being reopened. But for the meantime Scotland would have only two professional teams based in Edinburgh and Glasgow. [12]
The league was won by the Ospreys on the final day of fixtures. The Blue's home win over Leinster allowed the Ospreys to top the league by a single point and take the title with an away win at Borders.
The league's record attendance was smashed in this season with a full house at Lansdowne Road (48,000) for Ulster vs. Location The stadium is situated in the neighbourhood of Ballsbridge in the city's Dublin 4 area Leinster. This was the last game in the stadium prior to its demolition, and was billed as "The Last Stand".
2007-08
Only ten teams will compete in the 2007-08 season, after the Borders were disbanded at the end of the 2006-07 season. The 2007-08 Magners League will be the seventh Celtic League season and the second with Magners as title sponsor Glasgow Warriors will play their home games at Firhill. Firhill Stadium is the home ground of the Scottish Association football club Partick Thistle F [13] Leinster won the 2007-08 title with one game remaining to be played. [14]
Previous results
| Celtic League | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Teams | Winner | Runner-Up |
| 2001/02 | 15 | Leinster |
Munster |
| 2002/03 | 16 | Munster |
Neath |
| 2003/04 | 12 | Llanelli Scarlets |
Ulster |
| 2004/05 | 11 | Ospreys |
Munster |
| 2005/06 | 11 | Ulster |
Leinster |
| 2006/07 | 11 | Ospreys |
Cardiff Blues |
| 2007/08 | 10 | Leinster |
Cardiff Blues |
| Celtic Cup | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Teams | Winner | Runner-Up |
| 2003/04 | 12 | Ulster |
Edinburgh |
| 2004/05 | 8 | Munster |
Llanelli Scarlets |
Statistics
- Most points scored by a player in 1 season: 276 (Felipe Contepomi, Leinster, 2005-2006)
- Most tries scored by a player in 1 season: 12 (Jamie Robinson, Cardiff Blues, 2003-2004 & Kevin Morgan, Newport Gwent Dragons, 2004-2005)
- Highest attendance at Celtic League match: 48,000 (Leinster vs. The Irish Rugby Football Union Leinster Branch (also known as Leinster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish professional Rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the Magners Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish professional Rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the Magners Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The 2003-04 Celtic League was the first season following the formation of the five regional rugby sides in Wales The Irish Rugby Football Union Ulster Branch (also known as Ulster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in the The 2004-05 Celtic League was the second year of the competition involving Irish Scottish and Welsh Rugby union clubs The Ospreys (Y Gweilch formerly the Neath-Swansea Ospreys ( Gweilch Tawe-Nedd) are a Rugby union team from Wales playing in the Celtic League Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish professional Rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the Magners The 2005-2006 Celtic League season was the third season since the inception of regional Rugby union in Wales The Irish Rugby Football Union Ulster Branch (also known as Ulster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in the The Irish Rugby Football Union Leinster Branch (also known as Leinster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in The 2006-07 Magners League was the sixth Celtic League season and the first with Magners as title sponsor The Ospreys (Y Gweilch formerly the Neath-Swansea Ospreys ( Gweilch Tawe-Nedd) are a Rugby union team from Wales playing in the Celtic League Cardiff Blues (Gleision Caerdydd are one of the four professional Welsh Rugby union teams The 2007-08 Magners League will be the seventh Celtic League season and the second with Magners as title sponsor The Irish Rugby Football Union Leinster Branch (also known as Leinster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in Cardiff Blues (Gleision Caerdydd are one of the four professional Welsh Rugby union teams The Irish Rugby Football Union Ulster Branch (also known as Ulster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in the Edinburgh Rugby (formerly Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh Gunners) is one of two Professional Rugby union teams in Scotland competing Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish professional Rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the Magners Dr Felipe Contepomi (born August 20 1977 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine Rugby union footballer The Irish Rugby Football Union Leinster Branch (also known as Leinster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in Jamie Peter Robinson (born 7 April 1980 in Penarth, Wales) is a Welsh Rugby union footballer who plays at outside Cardiff Blues (Gleision Caerdydd are one of the four professional Welsh Rugby union teams Kevin Andrew Morgan (born 23 February 1977 in Pontypridd) is a Welsh Rugby union player who plays for Newport Gwent Dragons and has The Newport Gwent Dragons (Dreigiau Casnewydd Gwent are one of the four professional Rugby Union teams in Wales The Irish Rugby Football Union Leinster Branch (also known as Leinster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in Ulster, Lansdowne Road, 31 December 2006)
Play-Offs
Many rugby union club competitions culminate in a play-off series to determine the champion, including the Super 14 and the Guinness Premiership. The Irish Rugby Football Union Ulster Branch (also known as Ulster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for Rugby union in the Location The stadium is situated in the neighbourhood of Ballsbridge in the city's Dublin 4 area Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Super 14 is the largest Rugby union football club championship in the Southern hemisphere, consisting of four state teams from Australia (Queensland/Reds The English Premiership (known as the Guinness Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Guinness) is a professional league competition for Rugby Currently the Celtic Legaue does not use this format, and champions are decided by the final league table.
In April of 2008 Celtic Rugby announced that play offs may be introduced in 09/10 season of the Magners League. This would possibily consist of the top four clubs of the league entering into a semi final with the winners progressing onto a grand final to determine its champion. Debates continue for and against the proposal, which echo similar arguments that preceded the introduction of similar play-offs in the Guinness Premiership.
Any future proposals may depend on the outcome of the negotiations on the future of the EDF Energy Anglo-Welsh Cup which current format runs out in 2009.
International Media Coverage
In Australia, Canada, and the United States, Setanta Sports cover the Magners League. Setanta Sports (sɛˈtantə is a sports broadcaster based in Ireland, operating 12 channels in 24 countries
See also
- Heineken Cup
- European Challenge Cup
- Welsh Premier Division
- Anglo-Welsh Cup
- Sports league attendances
References
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7341673.stm
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/cymru/chwaraeon/safle/rygbi_rhanbarthol/pages/canlyniadau_celtaidd.shtml
- ^ http://talkingrugbyballs.welshblogs.co.uk/2008/02/italian_celts_non_starter.html
- ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20061217/ai_n16899777
- ^ http://www.talkrugbyunion.co.uk/guides/rugby_union_organisations.html
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/4533261.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6199419.stm
- ^ http://www.planetrugby.com/Story/0,18259,3551_3569284,00.html
- ^ Although Murrayfield's full capacity is 67,800, only the lower section of the West Stand, with a capacity of 12,464, is generally opened for Edinburgh fixtures. The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading The European Challenge Cup in Rugby union, known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005 is the junior competition to 2008/2009 Season Details 2008-09 Principality Premiership Aberavon RFC Bedwas RFC Bridgend Ravens The EDF Energy Cup (also known as the Anglo-Welsh Cup) is an English and Welsh Rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the This article lists the attendances of many sports competitions around the world with the exception of those for Domestic Professional Leagues such as the NFL
- ^ Currently being rebuilt, but remains open. When work is complete in autumn 2008, capacity will be 26,000.
- ^ Magners ends drought by sponsoring Celtic League. timesonline. co. uk. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at
- ^ Edinburgh hit out at Borders loss. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at
- ^ Magners League Official Website : Warriors look to create fortress at Firhill
- ^ http://www.magnersleague.com/2056_2639.php
External links
- Magners League (official site)
- Celtic League news from Planet Rugby
- Proposed rainbow cup
- Welsh clubs expelled
- Agreement for new Celtic League
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