Irish rugby prepared for Celtic League

A 14-team Celtic League in rugby, involving all four Irish provinces, is set to be up and running from next season onwards, with the Welsh, Scottish and Irish Unions already fitting the new competition into their fixture lists for the 2001-2002 season.

Crucially, officials from the respective Celtic Unions have lined up a sponsor and television coverage of the proposed new competition, without which it could not have realistically gone ahead. Union sources are confident such a commercial package will be put together in time for next season.

Since the concept was broached once more by the Welsh and Scottish Unions over the close-season intensive discussions have taken place between the respective Celtic Unions, as well as negotiations with prospective sponsors and television companys, with regard to expanding the pan-European and global seasons, and this has led to a couple of significant potential spin-offs.

It is envisaged the winners of the Celtic League, the English Premiership, the Italian League and the French League will meet in play-offs encompassing semi-finals and a final over an extended weekend at the end of the season. Furthermore, the possibility of an annual play-off between the winners of the European Cup and the Super 12s has been explored, and these negotiations are at an advanced stage. Two seasons ago, for example, this would have resulted in a clash between Ulster and the ACT Brumbies for the right to be called the provincial/club champions of the world. The Celtic League would comprise of all four Irish provinces, the two Scottish Super Districts, and the top eight Welsh clubs, and would be divided into two groups of seven participants, the pool stages to be played over seven weekends early in the season. The top two from each section would then progress to the semi-finals.

The Interprovincial Championship would revert to the old format of three matches, thus halving the competition from its present six-series, home-and-away format which was introduced the season before last. The interprovincials would be incorporated into the Celtic League, insofar as the two meetings between the Irish provinces in each of the Celtic League sections would double up as interpro matches. Each of the 14 contestants would have one idle weekend, and these would be structured to coincide for the Irish provinces and thereby ensure a second round of interpro matches, with the third round to be accommodated outside of the Celtic League weekends.

Nevertheless, coupled with the existing six pool matches in either of the European Cup or European Shield, this would result in a net increase of competitive games per season for the provinces from a minimum of 12 to 14 from next season onwards to a maximum of 15 to 19.

Augmented by a customary seven or eight internationals in the regular season, for Ireland's Test, A and under-21 players, this latest provincial fait accompli will invariably lead to the clubs, and the All-Ireland League, being squeezed out once more.

With 5 p.m. yesterday constituting the deadline for the registration of players with ERC Ltd for this season's European Cup and European Shield, there was relatively feverish activity on the " transfer market". In accordance with ERC limits, each of the four provinces were obliged to submit provisional lists of 30 squad members, plus four nominated front-row substitutes to the IRFU on Monday, enabling the Union to ensure there was no crossover and also nominate players such as, say, those in the Union's academy where they saw fit.

The final squad lists could then be submitted to the ERC by the stipulated deadline yesterday. Amongst the new signings Leinster made are a couple of notable last-minute additions in the form of ex-Natal Sharks and London Irish scrumhalf Kevin Putt, now back with Terenure, and the All Blacks' under-21 outhalf Eddie Hekenui.