Friday September 24th Zebre v Lions, 5. Friday October 22nd Scarlets v Benetton, 7. As previously mentioned, Leinster are heavy favourites to retain their title, with three provinces at the head of the betting:.
Finally, the answer to the million dollar question is. On Friday Ulster are expecting an attendance of 15, for the fixture with Glasgow at Ravenhill, while Leinster can have up to 35, at the Aviva Stadium for the home clash with the Bulls on Saturday. As the season progresses, hopefully, restrictions will continue to ease - meaning more supporters through the turnstiles.
Monday — Sunday, November 8th — 14th. Please update your payment details to keep enjoying your Irish Times subscription. Patrick Madden. What is it? When is it? Who is in it? Topics: Connacht Leinster Munster Ulster. More from The Irish Times International. Home energy upgrades are now more important than ever. Commenting on The Irish Times has changed. To comment you must now be an Irish Times subscriber.
The account details entered are not currently associated with an Irish Times subscription. Hartpury University have announced that seven players from Gloucester Rugby will be joining the Championship side. After an atypical return to the Championship for Richmond, there are a number of positives which the club are taking into the new season which begins in September.
Saracens have confirmed their promotion back to the Premiership following convincing wins over Ealing Trailfinders. Saracens have confirmed that USA international Will Hooley will leave the club at the end of ongoing season.
Saracens have strengthened their chances in returning back to the Premiership as they trounced Ealing Trailfinders in the first Championship play-off final at Trailfinders Sports Club on Sunday. Saracens are looking to challenge the decision of the Championship disputes committee over their ruling in the cancelled fixture against Hartpury. The final day of the GK IPA Championship season will be contested without Saracens, but there are still plenty of talking points across Round 11 in the second tier.
Captain: Peter O'Mahony. Prospects: Desperate to shake off the 'nearly-men' tag, Munster will be feeling this is the season when it must all come together. The returning Simon Zebo and a fully-fit Joey Carbery are expected to take their attacking game to the next level while the hope is that exciting young back-rows Gavin Coombes and Fineen Wycherley, fresh from their international debuts, will firmly establish themselves among the best in the league. What they say: "The belief really is there.
There's an unbelievable buzz around the place. I think we're just a step away from clicking and really competing. Coach: Toby Booth. Captain: Justin Tipuric. Home ground: Swansea. Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe will be like a new signing after he made his long-awaited return from a knee ligament injury in pre-season against Northampton.
He had been sidelined for days after arriving from Cardiff. The good news will be tempered by star turns Justin Tipuric, Dan Lydiate and George North missing the first few months of the season through injury.
What they say: "There has been a lot of transition and we are 12 months further down the line. We have shown we have been competitive and we just have to strive to be as consistent as we can.
Coach: Dwayne Peel. Captain: Jonathan Davies. Home ground: Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli. Prospects: Scarlets were the last Welsh side to win a version of this tournament after lifting the Pro12 title in May and will hope for a return of those days. They have turned to Scarlets legends with Dwayne Peel coming in as head coach and Jonathan Davies succeeding Ken Owens as captain after the hooker's seven years in the role.
The west Walians will though have to cope with the absence of injured full-back Leigh Halfpenny for most of the season. What they say: "Last year was difficult for everyone, it was a mixed bag.
Having the full season with a different league structure as well as the inclusion of the big South African franchises is very attractive. Coach: Sean Everitt. Captain: Lukhanyo Am and Phepsi Buthelezi. Home ground: Kings Park Stadium, Durban. Prospects: They are the second best South African side of recent times after a pair of Currie Cup final defeats to the Bulls.
Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi can add some backline firepower later in the tournament, while World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi signed from the Stormers in February Familiar faces to Pro14 audiences will be Ruan Pienaar and Tian Meyer, both of whom joined the Sharks from the Cheetahs on short-term loan deals. What they say: "The boys are excited about experiencing a new competition. The URC is a tough tournament that brings in new challenges and different opposition, but the guys are up for the challenge after a very good Currie Cup and a good year.
Coach: John Dobson. Captain: Steven Kitshoff. What they say: "I think the Currie Cup was a nice breeding ground for us, and this is a new competition that I believe is going to be really refreshing for our team.
We'll focus on ourselves and we know our strengths. Coach: Dan McFarland. Captain: Iain Henderson. Home ground: Kingspan Stadium, Belfast. There was no other alternative to this decision after the cancelled match points allocation system was devised. It was surely foreseeable that awarding teams who ultimately caused the cancellation of games more points than a team who plays and loses by one point was grossly unfair.
The lack of Premiership relegation does not affect Championship Rugby promotion, for this season at least. If Saracens gain promotion, all 13 Premiership shareholders will be in the league at the same time, for the first time.
They could well be right. We will probably only find out if Saracens do not win the Championship. Would they really be left in the second tier for another season, given the implications on the England team? The lack of Championship action for a year has meant several players have taken their chances with Premiership clubs. Many were taken on loan or short-term deals.
Naturally, those who performed well, such as Kyle Moyle, have been snapped up permanently.
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