EUROPEAN QUALIFICATION ADDS EXTRA SPICE TO RABODIRECT PRO12
The announcement that only the top Irish, Italian, Scottish and Welsh sides plus the next best three teams in the RaboDirect PRO12 table will qualify for the new European Rugby Champions Cup, has added intrigue and further spice into the 2013/14 campaign.
David Jordan, Tournament Director said: “We are happy that a solution has been found to the European situation and welcome the new competition. The new format will add extra spice to our competition and our clubs/provinces still have a lot to play for this season. This new playing format together with the agreement with Sky Sports from next season will only strengthen our competition.”
Going into round 19 all twelve PRO12 outfits are still in with a shout of playing in Europe’s elite competition next season and therefore all six games this weekend and in later rounds now have added significance and meaning.
There is a three horse race for the guaranteed Irish place with Leinster, Munster and Ulster occupying the top three spots in the table.
Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh are still vying to be the Scottish qualifier which should give their 1872 fixture all the greater signicance.
Benetton Treviso and Zebre are separated by just four league points with four rounds left to decide Italy’s participant.
In Wales, Ospreys are 11 points clear of Scarlets to get the box seat, with Newport Gwent Dragons and Cardiff Blues too far behind to become the top Welsh region.
As for the three additional spots then it’s likely that two of those will go to Irish provinces (currently Munster and Ulster, but the third place looks like being a real shootout with even Cardiff Blues in 10th place still mathematically in the mix.
All will become a little clearer following the round 19 encounters:
Ospreys v Leinster
Ulster v Connacht
Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues
Scarlets v Zebre
Munster v Glasgow Warriors
Benetton Treviso v Newport Gwent Dragons
As it stands ahead of this weekend the the following teams would be playing in the European Rugby Champions Cup:
Leinster
Munster
Ulster
Glasgow Warriors
Ospreys
Scarlets
Treviso
