1
The PRO14 champions Leinster will travel to Cardiff to take on the Blues on the opening day of the season on Friday August 31st.
ADVERTISEMENT
It sees the current Champions Cup holders face off against the Challenge Cup holders at the Cardiff Arms Park and will be John Mulvihill’s first senior game in charge of the Welsh outfit.
On the same night Ospreys Rugby host Edinburgh Rugby at the Liberty Stadium, where George North could make his debut for his new club.
On Saturday two former champions Connacht Rugby and Glasgow Warriors face off at The Sportsground at 3pm.
Ulster Rugby under interim head coach Simon Easterby will host 2017 champions Scarlets at the Kingspan Stadium at 17.15, with Munster having a home tie with the Toyota Cheetahs at the same time.
Bernard Jackman’s Dragons, who will be without the suspended Ross Moriarty for their opening game, take on Bennetton Rugby at Rodney Parade, while Zebre Rugby Club will play Southern Kings at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
New Era for #GUINNESSPRO14 will kick off in Wales live on @PremierSportsTV & @eirSport
Full Story: https://t.co/s81cmT99Ei— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) July 24, 2018
There will be a repeat of the last year’s PRO14 final in round two as the Scarlets play host to Leinster on September 8th.
ADVERTISEMENT
We will begin our #GUINNESSPRO14 title defence with a trip to Challenge Cup champions @cardiff_blues.
Full fixture list: https://t.co/RekEy42gxN pic.twitter.com/EY8jrCN2Re
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) July 24, 2018
Leinster’s first home game won’t be until round three when the Dragons come to the RDS on September 15th. The eagerly anticipated Leinster v Munster game has been confirmed for the Aviva Stadium on October 6th, while there is a double dose of Welsh derbies on the same day with the Scarlets v Ospreys Rugby and Dragons v Blues.
Tournament Director, David Jordan, said: “For the first-time ever we have produced fixtures with Kick-Off times and dates right up to Round 17 which we have never been able to do before. When you consider the planning required around incoming and outbound South African tours, it’s fantastic to have so much of the season mapped out ahead of us at this point.
The Christmas schedule, which includes the first 1872 Cup match of the season between the two Scottish clubs, is as follows:
ROUND 11
Friday, December 21 (all kick-off times are local)
19:35 Ulster Rugby v Munster Rugby, Kingspan Stadium
ADVERTISEMENT
Saturday, December 22 (all kick-off times are local)
15:00 Ospreys Rugby v Scarlets, Liberty Stadium
17:15 Cardiff Blues v Dragons, Cardiff Arms Park
17:15 Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, BT Murrayfield Stadium
19:45 Leinster Rugby v Connacht Rugby, RDS Arena
TBC Zebre v Benetton Rugby, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
ROUND 12
Friday, December 28 (all kick-off times are local)
19:35 Connacht Rugby v Ulster Rugby, Sportsground
Saturday, December 29 (all kick-off times are local)
TBC Benetton Rugby v Zebre, Stadio Monigo
15:00 Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby, Scotstoun
17:15 Munster Rugby v Leinster Rugby, Thomond Park
17:15 Scarlets v Cardiff Blues, Parc y Scarlets
Sunday, December 30 (all kick-off times are local)
15:00 Dragons v Ospreys Rugby, Rodney Parade
ROUND 13
Saturday, January 5 (all kick-off times are local)
15:00 Benetton Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, Stadio Monigo
17:15 Leinster Rugby v Ulster Rugby, RDS Arena
17:15 Scarlets v Dragons, Parc y Scarlets
19:35 Edinburgh Rugby v Southern Kings, BT Murrayfield
19:35 Connacht Rugby v Munster Rugby, Sportsground
Sunday, January 6 (all kick-off times are local)
14:00 Zebre v Toyota Cheetahs, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
January 4/5/6
TBC Ospreys Rugby v Cardiff Blues
The first South African derby will see Southern Kings v Toyota Cheetahs at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on January 19th.
Continue reading below…
The team line-ups for the Guinness PRO14 Conferences will remain unchanged for the upcoming season to ensure a balance of fixtures for all teams across the initial two seasons following expansion.
This decision comes after consultation with clubs across the Guinness PRO14 to determine the best course of action for the Championship and all of the teams who compete in it.
The overriding factor was the ability to ensure equal home and away fixtures for each team across a two-year window. It also means that each team will have played away to all of the other sides in that same period.
Jordan explained the decision “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.
Andrew Milliard, Managing Director of Ospreys Rugby, thinks it’s the right call.
“All teams get a fair return on their fixtures from last season to balance out the difference in home and away games. Now, top teams such as Edinburgh and Ulster will return to Liberty Stadium this year and we’ll also get to keep building our rivalries with teams in our Conference such as Munster, the Toyota Cheetahs and Glasgow Warriors.” he said.
Conference A
Glasgow Warriors
Munster Rugby
Toyota Cheetahs
Cardiff Blues
Ospreys
Connacht Rugby
Zebre
Conference B
Leinster Rugby
Scarlets
Edinburgh Rugby
Ulster Rugby
Benetton Rugby
Dragons
Southern Kings
You may also like: RugbyPass goes behind the scenes with the Bristol Bears
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
3 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
3 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
3 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments