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by Liam Heagney Pro14
Although it has now been replaced by the United Rugby Championship, the PRO14 was one of only three major professional leagues in Europe between 2017 and 2021. During this time, it was hotly contested by teams from Ireland, Italy, South Africa and Wales and it had a fearsome reputation for producing fast, exciting rugby.
Read on to discover even more about PRO14 rugby, including the history of the tournament and its format.
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PRO14 Rugby History
The formation of the PRO14 league can be traced back to 1999, when a Welsh-Scottish League was formed. In 2001, this competition then became the Celtic League, which included teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Over the years, the PRO14 had many different sponsors and several different formats. However, the tournament adopted its final format in 2017, when two South African sides joined the competition for the first time.
At this point, the PRO14 was contested by 14 sides. This included four Irish sides, two Italian sides, two Scottish sides, two South African sides and four Welsh teams.
In 2021, the PRO14 was replaced by the United Rugby Championship. This change came about because the league expanded to include the four South African sides that previously competed in Super Rugby. Prior to the start of the new tournament, one-off editions of the PRO14 Rainbow Cup and the PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA took place.
Fixtures & Results
Sun Nov 22, 2020
Teams
Benetton 
Cardiff Blues 
Cheetahs 
Connacht 
Edinburgh 
Glasgow 
Gwent Dragons 
Kings 
Leinster 
Munster 
Ospreys 
Scarlets 
Ulster 
Zebre Standings
Conference A
| Round 16 | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | PD | BP T | BP -7 | BP | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
-  Leinster | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 576 | 285 | 291 | 14 | 1 | 15 | 71 |
-  Ulster | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 469 | 263 | 206 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 64 |
-  Ospreys | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 326 | 348 | -22 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 36 |
-  Glasgow Warriors | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 335 | 377 | -42 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 30 |
-  Gwent Dragons | 16 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 308 | 398 | -90 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 25 |
-  Zebre | 16 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 237 | 491 | -254 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| Round 16 |
|---|
| - Leinster |
| - Ulster |
| - Ospreys |
| - Glasgow Warriors |
| - Gwent Dragons |
| - Zebre |
Conference B
| Round 16 | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | PD | BP T | BP -7 | BP | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
-  Munster | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 413 | 250 | 163 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 64 |
-  Connacht | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 396 | 353 | 43 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 45 |
-  Scarlets | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 319 | 333 | -14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 39 |
-  Cardiff Blues | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 265 | 284 | -19 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 36 |
-  Edinburgh | 14 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 232 | 330 | -98 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 21 |
-  Benetton Treviso | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 237 | 386 | -149 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Round 16 |
|---|
| - Munster |
| - Connacht |
| - Scarlets |
| - Cardiff Blues |
| - Edinburgh |
| - Benetton Treviso |
Format of the PRO14
The PRO14 used to take place between September and May, with the PRO14 teams split into two conferences.
These conferences each contained two Irish and Welsh teams and one team each from Italy, Scotland and South Africa. The PRO14 teams then used to play each team in their own conference home and away and each team from the opposing conference once. Two additional regional derbies also took place, meaning each side played 21 games.
At the end of the conference stage, the top three PRO14 teams from each conference advanced to the play-offs, with the conference winners gaining a bye to the semi-finals, which they hosted. The final was then played at a pre-arranged venue.
At the conclusion of the competition, seven teams qualified for the Heineken Champions Cup. This included the top three PRO14 teams from each conference, with the fourth-placed teams in each conference entering a play-off for the seventh spot. However, South African teams were excluded from this qualification process because they were ineligible for European competitions.
