Celtic League enters new era

YESTERDAY marked the start of another new chapter in the history of the Celtic League.

Renamed the RaboDirect Pro12 following the expiration of the Magners Irish Cider contract as league sponsors, it’s the latest significant change to the competition since it’s formation 11 years ago.

Last season was the first to include Italian teams, proving how far the league has come. Having operated a standard league format whereby the team with the most points wins for nine years, the system was updated just two seasons ago to include play-offs and a grand final, similar to the English, French and Tri-Nations leagues.