After both European trophies were brought back to Celtic countries in the same season for the first time, clubs in the Guinness Pro14 have indicated their support for continuing with the innovative two Conference set up that was introduced last season.
The introduction of a format that is much more familiar outside Europe and in American sport in particular, in order to accommodate the inclusion of two South African sides, was the latest evidence of the willingness of Pro14 organisers to take a pragmatically flexible approach in order to best serve its competing clubs.
That has been vital to the health of the sport in the Celtic countries in particular, offering scope for player development and welfare that has also been reflected in the way that Ireland and Wales in particular have been able to compete with the vastly better resourced clubs and national teams in England and France, claiming seven Six Nations titles and four Grand Slams between them.
As well as the successes of Leinster in the European Champions Cup and Cardiff Blues in the European Challenge Cup, the way the Conference system has enhanced that was demonstrated by Ireland’s latest Grand Slam triumph this season, as did Leinster’s achievement in becoming the first team to win the Champions Cup and Pro14 titles in the same season.
In essence, for all that the change of European qualifying system that was driven through by English and French clubs seemed to be designed to stretch Celtic resources beyond breaking point and, to that end, served its purpose as England won back-to-back Six Nations titles while English and French clubs dominated the European Champions Cup in its first three seasons, the latest change to the Pro14 set-up has allowed for a return to the strategic targeting of key fixtures within a vibrant competition.
The decision to stick with keeping teams in the same Conferences for the coming season meanwhile investigates the potential for adding another element to that by breeding new rivalries.
Having overseen the competition’s evolution from the original Celtic League to its current manifestation, David Jordan, the former Glasgow Warriors chief executive who is entering his 15th season as tournament director, is consequently entitled to express his gratification with the way that has been achieved as he explained the thinking behind that decision not to change Conference line-ups.
“We are very satisfied with how the tournament, our teams and broadcasters handled the expansion into South Africa in the first Guinness PRO14 season and it is our responsibility to ensure we build upon that,” Jordan said.
“Initially, we envisioned the Conference line-ups changing from year to year, but having reviewed the previous season it was felt that our clubs would be better served working in a two-year cycle to ensure the balance of fixtures,” he added.
That message was reinforced by his successor at Glasgow Warriors, Nathan Bombrys, who observed that: “Retaining the same Conferences from last season means our inter-conference rivalries will continue to develop, whilst also ensuring our supporters get to see Ulster, Dragons and Scarlets at Scotstoun next season.”
The full fixture list for the round-robin section of the season which gets underway on August 31 and concludes on the weekend of April 26-28 was announced yesterday, including a spectator-friendly, detailed schedule of specific dates and kick-off times up to round 17 on the weekend of March 1-3.
Edinburgh will be involved in one of the opening night fixtures on August 31 when they visit the Ospreys, kicking off at 7.35pm, the same time as Leinster begin their title along the South Wales coast in Cardiff, while Richard Cockerill’s team have a second chance to gain an early bonus with a second successive away match the following weekend in Ulster.
Glasgow are also on the road on the opening weekend, making the treacherous trip to Ireland’s west coast to meet Connacht on September 1 [kick-off at 3pm], but they will host the season’s first competitive match in Scotland when Munster visit Scotstoun the following Friday night [kick-off 7.35pm].
Two of the Scottish derbies will again take place over the festive period with Edinburgh beginning their defence of the 1872 Challenge Cup at Murrayfield on December 22 [kick-off 5.15pm], visiting Scotstoun seven days later [kick-off 3pm] and again on the last weekend of the season.
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