Leinster handed tough opener

THE CELTIC League has finally unveiled the fixtures for next season after a summer of wrangling.

Celtic League champions The Ospreys open the defence of their title with the visit of Leinster on the first weekend in September.

Munster, with returning coach Declan Kidney at the helm, open their season at home against Borders.

But the 2005-2006 campaign was almost the season that wasn’t after a dispute between the Welsh Rugby Union and their counterparts in Ireland and Scotland. Wales were expelled from the Celtic League on May 31 after joining a new Anglo-Welsh Cup competition. The Cup was designed to replace the Powergen Cup in the English domestic calendar but required Welsh clubs being free of Celtic League fixtures for five weekends.

The Scottish and Irish unions were incensed by the decision.

But, after discussions in June, the three unions reached agreement with several games being played midweek.

Celtic League director David Jordan said: “We are delighted to announce such a competitive fixture list with Heineken Cup qualification at stake for all the Irish, Scottish and Welsh clubs and we look forward to super rugby over the coming months.”

IRFU chief executive Philip Browne, said: “The profile of the Celtic league has continually grown and this year’s competition again promises to be another excellent season, offering fans a league programme of top class rugby.

The agreed fixtures have to reflect the requirements of all the Celtic League stakeholders and these needs have shaped the schedule for this year. A certain amount of latitude should be available next season which will hopefully allow us to improve the fixture programme.

“From an Irish point of view, the Christmas schedule for the provinces, where all four will play each other during December and early January, will allow us to minimise travel for the teams and supporters and avail of the traditionally bigger attendances over the festive period.”

Details of the matches to be broadcast by the League’s tv partners BBC Wales, S4C and Setanta Sports (UK and Ireland) will be released shortly.

Celtic League fixtures 2005-6: 2/3/4 Sep: Llanelli Scarlets v Edinburgh; Ospreys v Leinster; Glasgow v Newport Gwent Dragons; Connacht v Cardiff Blues; Munster v Borders; Ulster free.

9/10/11 Sep: Cardiff Blues v Ulster; Munster v Ospreys; Borders v Llanelli Scarlets; Edinburgh v Connacht; Leinster v Glasgow; Newport Gwent Dragons free.

Tue 13/14 Sep: Ospreys v Newport Gwent Dragons; Cardiff Blues v Llanelli Scarlets.

16/17/18 Sep: Leinster v Newport Gwent Dragons; Llanelli Scarlets v Connacht; Glasgow Warriors v Munster; Borders v Ospreys; Ulster v Edinburgh; Cardiff Blues free.

23/24/25 Sep: Munster v Llanelli Scarlets; Newport Gwent Dragons v Ulster; Edinburgh v Ospreys; Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues; Connacht v Borders; Leinster free.

30Sep/1/2 Oct: Connacht v Munster; Leinster v Ulster; Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors; Borders free.

7/8/9 Oct: Ulster v Connacht; Munster v Leinster; Borders v Edinburgh; Glasgow Warriors free.

14/15/16 Oct: Ospreys v Connacht; Leinster v Cardiff Blues; Borders v Ulster; Llanelli Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors; Edinburgh v Newport Gwent Dragons; Munster free.

4/5/6 Nov: Ulster v Ospreys; Glasgow Warriors v Connacht; Newport Gwent Dragons v Borders; Leinster v Edinburgh; Cardiff Blues v Munster; Llanelli Scarlets free.

2/3/4 Dec: Connacht v Leinster; Munster v Ulster; Glasgow v Edinburgh; Borders free.

22/23/24 Dec: Ospreys v Cardiff Blues; Munster v Connacht; Newport Gwent Dragons v Llanelli Scarlets; Edinburgh v Borders; Ulster v Leinster; Glasgow free.

Tue 27/28 Dec: Cardiff Blues v Newport Gwent Dragons; Llanelli Scarlets v Ospreys.

31/1/2 Jan: Leinster v Munster; Newport Gwent Dragons v Ospreys; Llanelli Scarlets v Cardiff Blues; Borders v Glasgow Warriors; Connacht v Ulster; Edinburgh free.

6/7/8 Jan: Newport Gwent Dragons v Connacht; Llanelli Scarlets v Leinster; Borders v Cardiff Blues; Edinburgh v Munster; Ulster v Glasgow Warriors; Ospreys free.

27/28/29 Jan: Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh; Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys; Leinster v Borders; Munster v Newport Gwent Dragons; Ulster v Llanelli Scarlets; Connacht free.

17/18/19 Feb: Newport Gwent Dragons v Leinster; Ospreys v Borders; Edinburgh v Ulster; Connacht v Llanelli Scarlets; Munster v Glasgow; Cardiff Blues free.

3/4/5 Mar: Cardiff Blues v Ospreys; Llanelli Scarlets v Newport Gwent Dragons; Glasgow v Borders; Leinster v Connacht; Ulster v Munster; Edinburgh free.

24/25/26 Mar: Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors; Ospreys v Edinburgh; Llanelli Scarlets v Munster; Borders v Connacht; Ulster v Newport Gwent Dragons; Leinster free.

7/8/9 Apr: Newport Gwent Dragons v Munster;; Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors; Llanelli Scarlets v Ulster; Borders v Leinster; Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues; Connacht free.

14/15/16 Apr: Cardiff v Borders; Glasgow Warriors v Ulster; Connacht v Newport Gwent Dragons; Leinster v Llanelli Scarlets; Ospreys free.

Tue 17/18 Apr: Newport Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues; Ospreys v Llanelli Scarlets.

28/29/30 Apr: Cardiff Blues v Connacht; Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors; Borders v Munster; Edinburgh v Llanelli Scarlets; Leinster v Ospreys; Ulster free.

5/6/7 May: Ospreys v Munster; Llanelli Scarlets v Borders; Glasgow Warriors v Leinster; Connacht v Edinburgh; Ulster v Cardiff Blues; Newport Gwent Dragons free.

12/13/14 May: Cardiff Blues v Leinster; Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh; Glasgow v Llanelli Scarlets; Connacht v Ospreys; Ulster v Borders; Munster free.

26/27/28 May: Ospreys v Ulster; Borders v Newport Gwent Dragons; Edinburgh v Leinster; Connacht v Glasgow; Munster v Cardiff Blues; Llanelli Scarlets free.