By Lestyn (02/07/03)
July 2 2003

Today saw the announcement of the forth coming Celtic League's fixtures. The regions will start their campaign in the first week of September and finish in the second week of May. They'll be few breaks for the regions, with fixtures going on right the way through the Six Nations and the World cup.

A new Celtic cup competition will also stretch the squad's, based on last season's result's Cardiff will sit out the first round. Neath-Swansea will probably feel aggrieved not to have a bye after Neath made it to the final, but the organisers have taken into account Swansea's poor showing.

The fixture list has produced a truly mouth-watering Boxing day, that will see old rivals Ponty and Bridgend (rumoured now to be called the Celtic Crusaders) playing Cardiff, the atmosphere at the Neath-Swansea v Llanelli game is sure to be electric. Both should be sell out.

Overall I don't think we could have wished for a better fixture list, even in the games without our international's the standard should be a lot higher than in the old Welsh Premiership.

The implementation of home and away fixtures for the 12 competing teams - in the previous two tournaments they have been split into two Pools with the successful sides progressing to knock-out phases - will guarantee all teams having a fair crack of the whip," said Keith Grainger, Tournament Director of the Celtic League.

"Every team will now have those 22 top quality fixtures spread over nine months and, with the introduction of the Celtic Cup, the 20 December finalists could end up having played 26 high intensity and high profile Celtic matches with a hugely welcome steady stream of income.

"With all the teams also taking part in one or other of the ERC European competitions, we believe the top players will only be competing in the most meaningful of matches that should go a long way towards enhancing standards in the Celtic nations and preparing players for the demands of international rugby."

John Hussey, Chairman of the Celtic League, welcomed the arrival of the Celtic Cup as "an extremely exciting new addition to the northern hemisphere rugby calendar.

"The League will establish our Celtic champions over the long haul of the entire season while the Cup will provide us with our Celtic knock-out specialists and I am sure the two competitions will provide supporters with an abundance of exciting and high level rugby."

The competing teams in the Celtic League and Celtic Cup are:

IRELAND: Connacht, Leinster Lions, Munster, Ulster
SCOTLAND: Edinburgh Rugby, Glasgow Rugby, The Borders
WALES: Bridgend / Pontypridd, Cardiff Blues, Gwent Dragons, Llanelli, Neath / Swansea

CELTIC LEAGUE 2003 / 2004

Weekend of 5/6 September 2003
The Borders v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Connacht v Edinburgh Rugby
Glasgow Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Leinster Lions v Munster
Llanelli v Gwent Dragons
Neath/Swansea v Ulster

Weekend of 12/13 September 2003
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Leinster Lions
Cardiff Blues v Connacht
Edinburgh Rugby v The Borders
Gwent Dragons v Neath/Swansea
Munster v Llanelli
Ulster v Glasgow Rugby

Weekend of 26/27 September 2003
The Borders v Cardiff Blues
Glasgow Rugby v Connacht
Leinster Lions v Edinburgh Rugby
Llanelli v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Neath/Swansea v Munster
Ulster v Gwent Dragons

Weekend of 10/11 October 2003
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Neath/Swansea
Cardiff Blues v Leinster Lions
Connacht v The Borders
Edinburgh Rugby v Llanelli
Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Rugby
Munster v Ulster

Weekend of 17/18 October 2003
Glasgow Rugby v The Borders
Gwent Dragons v Munster
Leinster Lions v Connacht
Llanelli v Cardiff Blues
Neath/Swansea v Edinburgh Rugby
Ulster v Bridgend/Pontypridd

Weekend of 24/25 October 2003
The Borders v Leinster Lions
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Gwent Dragons
Cardiff Blues v Neath/Swansea
Connacht v Llanelli
Edinburgh Rugby v Ulster
Munster v Glasgow Rugby

Weekend of 31 Oct/1 Nov 2003
Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh Rugby
Glasgow Rugby v Leinster Lions
Llanelli v The Borders
Munster v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Neath/Swansea v Connacht
Ulster v Cardiff Blues

Weekend of 7/8 November 2003
The Borders v Neath/Swansea
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Glasgow Rugby
Cardiff Blues v Gwent Dragons
Connacht v Ulster
Edinburgh Rugby v Munster
Leinster Lions v Llanelli

Weekend of 28/29 November 2003
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Edinburgh Rugby
Glasgow Rugby v Llanelli
Gwent Dragons v Connacht
Munster v Cardiff Blues
Neath/Swansea v Leinster Lions
Ulster v The Borders

Weekend of 26/27 December 2003
Cardiff Blues v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Glasgow Rugby v Edinburgh Ruby
Llanelli v Neath/Swansea

Weekend of 2/3 January 2004
The Borders v Gwent Dragons
Connacht v Munster
Leinster Lions v Ulster

Weekend of 6/7 February 2004
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Connacht
Edinburgh Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Gwent Dragons v Leinster Lions
Munster v The Borders
Neath/Swansea v Glasgow Rugby
Ulster v Llanelli

Weekend of 13/14 February 2004
Bridgend/Pontypridd v The Borders
Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Rugby
Edinburgh Rugby v Connacht
Gwent Dragons v Llanelli
Munster v Leinster Lions
Ulster v Neath/Swansea

Weekend of 20/21February 2004
The Borders v Edinburgh Rugby
Connacht v Cardiff Blues
Glasgow Rugby v Ulster
Leinster Lions v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Llanelli v Munster
Neath/Swansea v Gwent Dragons

Weekend of 27/28 February 2004
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Llanelli
Cardiff Blues v The Borders
Connacht v Glasgow Rugby
Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster Lions
Gwent Dragons v Ulster
Munster v Neath/Swansea

Weekend of 5/6 March 2004
The Borders v Connacht
Glasgow Rugby v Gwent Dragons
Leinster Lions v Cardiff Blues
Llanelli v Edinburgh Rugby
Neath/Swansea v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Ulster v Munster

Weekend 12/13 March 2004
The Borders v Glasgow Rugby
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Ulster
Cardiff Blues v Llanelli
Connacht v Leinster Lions
Edinburgh Rugby v Neath/Swansea
Munster v Gwent Dragons

Weekend of 26/27 March 2004
Gwent Dragons v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Glasgow Rugby v Munster
Leinster Lions v The Borders
Llanelli v Connacht
Neath/Swansea v Cardiff Blues
Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby

Weekend of 2/3 April 2004
The Borders v Llanelli
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Munster
Cardiff Blues v Ulster
Connacht v Neath/Swansea
Edinburgh Rugby v Gwent Dragons
Leinster Lions v Glasgow Rugby

Weekend of 16/17 April 2004
Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues
Glasgow Rugby v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Llanelli v Leinster Lions
Munster v Edinburgh Rugby
Neath/Swansea v The Borders
Ulster v Connacht

Weekend of 30 April/1 May 2004
The Borders v Ulster
Cardiff Blues v Munster
Connacht v Gwent Dragons
Edinburgh Rugby v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Leinster Lions v Neath/Swansea
Llanelli v Glasgow Rugby

Weekend of 7/8 May 2004
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Cardiff Blues
Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Rugby
Gwent Dragons v The Borders
Munster v Connacht
Neath/Swansea v Llanelli
Ulster v Leinster Lions

Weekend of 14/15 May 2004
The Borders v Munster
Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Rugby
Connacht v Bridgend/Pontypridd
Glasgow Rugby v Neath/Swansea
Leinster Lions v Gwent Dragons
Llanelli v Ulster

CELTIC CUP 2003 / 2004

Round 1 - 19 / 20 / 21 September 2003
First round:
Bridgend/Pontypridd v Glasgow Rugby
Leinster Lions v Neath/Swansea
The Borders v Connacht
Llanelli v Gwent Dragons
Byes: Edinburgh Rugby, Munster, Ulster and Cardiff Blues

Quarter Finals - 3 / 4 / 5 October 2003
Draw to be made Saturday, 20 September 2003

Semi-Finals - 14 / 15 / 16 November 2003
Draw to be made Saturday 4 October 2003

Celtic Cup Final - Saturday 20 December 2003
Live on BBC Grandstand Network