Celtic Rugby Announces 2011/12 Season Dates
The 2011/12 Magners League season will kick off over the first weekend of September this year, and will be played over six of the eight weeks set aside for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
After the opening six rounds of Magners League matches, there will be a two-week break for the semi-finals and final of the World Cup before fixtures resume on October 29.
There will be two more weekends of Magners League action before the Heineken Cup pool matches begin over the weekend of November 12.
There will be four rounds of matches during the seven-week RBS 6 Nations window with the final league weekend coming on May 5.
The league semi-finals will follow over the weekend of May 12, with the grand final scheduled for the weekend of May 26.
Tournament director David Jordan said: “It is obviously going to be a very busy season for rugby around the globe because of the World Cup in New Zealand and the 12 teams in the Magners League will have to launch their campaigns without their international stars.
“But this is nothing new to them, or the clubs who play in the Aviva Premiership or Top 14.
“Those opening six weeks of the season will give the many up-and-coming stars, who have shown off their skills during the 2011 RBS 6 Nations period, further chances to shine.
“This season we played during the two international windows and, once again, we will be playing during four of the seven weeks taken up by the Six Nations Championship in 2012.
“There could be as many as 100 players returning to the Magners League from the World Cup in October and they will reinvigorate the tournament when they resume domestic duties.”
Once again, the top professional teams from four nations – Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales – will provide 12 teams to take part in what will be the 11th season of cross-border competition organised by Celtic Rugby.
MAGNERS LEAGUE – 2011/12 WEEKEND DATES:
ROUND 1 – September 3
ROUND 2 – September 10
ROUND 3 – September 17
ROUND 4 – September 24
ROUND 5 – October 1
ROUND 6 – October 8
ROUND 7 – October 29
ROUND 8 – November 5
ROUND 9 – November 26
ROUND 10 – December 3
ROUND 11 – December 24
ROUND 12 – December 31
ROUND 13 – January 7
ROUND 14 – February 11
ROUND 15 – February 18
ROUND 16 – February 25
ROUND 17 – March 3
ROUND 18 – March 24
ROUND 19 – March 31
ROUND 20 – April 14
ROUND 21 – April 21
ROUND 22 – May 5
SEMI-FINALS – May 12
GRAND FINAL – May 26