| The Celtic League has received a huge boost to its credibility ahead of this weekend’s kick off as a result of the Irish Rugby Football Union’s decision to attribute rankings according to the performance of their Provincial sides in the season long competition.
Philip Browne CEO of the IRFU said ”It has been agreed that the IRFU will use the Celtic League to rank its Provincial sides next season, but reserves its right to nominate which teams will qualify for participation in the Heineken Cup competition”.
Keith Grainger Tournament Director of the Celtic League was delighted to confirm, “This is the final piece in the Celtic Rugby jigsaw! Given the new and improved TV Broadcaster deals in Ireland and in Scotland which were confirmed recently and this tremendous Irish news we are now in a position to put the Celtic League alongside any other club tournament in the World. Every one of the 110 Celtic League games will have meaning and will be a full on game of top class rugby”.
Grainger was also keen to confirm that all eleven teams and all three unions (Ireland, Scotland and Wales) had worked hard during the last month to ensure that all the management teams at both National and Pro-level team level to maximise the availability of star players to the Celtic League subject to the standard 30/32 game player limit. “With no Rugby World Cup this year and only one game which directly clashes with a Six Nations’ weekend the public can expect to see a lot more of the big name players in Celtic League action this season”.
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