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24th July 2018
02:29pm BST
The first derby round of the season will see Connacht take on Leinster at the Sportsgrounds in September before heading to Belfast to take on Ulster the following week,while Munster’s first Interprovincial derby of the year sees Ulster visit Thomond Park on Saturday, September 29, with a trip to face Leinster at the Aviva Stadium following that clash on Saturday, October 6.
All existing derby games have been protected in the new Conference format, while Italian, Scottish and South African teams have the bonus of playing a total of three derbies each against their domestic rivals.
The new season will also see the Conferences system remain unchanged after a review by the Championship’s Rugby Sub-Committee which includes representatives from the board of Celtic Rugby and key figures from the clubs.
The first Guinness PRO14 season proved a hit with attendances, viewership and digital audiences all growing while the Championship set a new try-scoring record.
Entering his 15th season as Tournament Director, David Jordan, said: “We are very satisfied with how the tournament, our teams and broadcasters handled the expansion into South Africa in the first Guinness PRO14 season and it is our responsibility to ensure we build upon that.
“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.
“Naturally, our clubs have been energised by the expansion, but as key stakeholders in the Championship it was important to adjust the format to help them harness this enthusiasm in order to be successful on and off the pitch. The Guinness PRO14 was highly competitive last season and we have no doubt that we will see the standards rise yet again across both Conferences in the upcoming season.”
The full list of season fixtures can be viewed here.Explore more on these topics:
