A Celtic League to look forward to.
The opening weekend of the Celtic League tournament will see current Celtic League champions Leinster take on Pontypridd in Donnybrook, and Munster in action against Llanelli in Stradey Park.
Connacht will kick off their Celtic League in action against the new Scottish Borders franchise, with Ulster in action against Ebbw Vale. The first round of matches takes place on the weekend of August 30-31.
Irish Interprovincial champions Leinster will be, understandably, keen to hang on to the Celtic crown they deprived Munster of at Lansdowne Road in last season’s gripping final.
In an interview given earlier today Lenister Coach Matt Williams, stated “It will be great for us to launch our defence of the Celtic League title at ‘Fortress Donnybrook’ – although we obviously know the quality of Pontypridd”. “We greatly enjoyed last season’s Celtic League, which galvanised the provincial structure in Ireland”.
As with the first Celtic League season, the teams are divided into two groups; Pool 1 comprising of Edinburgh, Swansea, Ebbw Vale, Ulster, Llanelli, Munster, Neath and Caerphilly.
Pool 2 is made up of Leinster, Pontypridd, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newport, Bridgend, Borders and Connacht.
The qualifying rounds will be finalised in late October and the final will be contested on the weekend of February 1, 2003.