Munster will launch the defence of their Celtic League title against arch rivals Leinster Lions – the 2002 Celtic League winners – in a tantalising champions’ showdown in Dublin on the first weekend of September.
In Wales, the Llanelli region will clash with the Gwent Dragons in the first round of both the Celtic League and in the opening round of the new Celtic Cup competition on the weekend of September 19/20/21.
Click here for the match report from the Celtic League final 2002
The first round of the Celtic League, on the weekend of the 5/6 September sees the Neath-Swansea Ospreys region taking on Ulster while both the Cardiff Blues and the Celtic Warriors regions have fixtures north of the border – Cardiff Blues play Glasgow while Celtic Warriors travel to the Borders.
The format for the third season of the tournament involving the 12 top teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales will see each team play 22 fixtures on a home and away basis with the climax to the competition coming on the weekend of 14 / 15 May, 2004.
The Celtic League will continue to run throughout the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 RBS Six Nations Championship in tandem with the exciting new Celtic Cup knock-out tournament. The final of the Cup competition, on 20 December, will be televised live on BBC Grandstand.
‘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:
WALES: Celtic Warriors, Cardiff Blues, Gwent Dragons, Llanelli Scarlets, Neath-Swansea Ospreys
IRELAND: Connacht, Leinster Lions, Munster, Ulster
SCOTLAND: Edinburgh Rugby, Glasgow Rugby, The Borders
CELTIC LEAGUE FIXTURES 2003-2004
Weekend of 5/6 September 2003
The Borders v Celtic Warriors
Connacht v Edinburgh Rugby
Glasgow Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Leinster Lions v Munster
Llanelli Scarlets v Gwent Dragons
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Ulster
Weekend of 12/13 September 2003
Celtic Warriors v Leinster Lions
Cardiff Blues v Connacht
Edinburgh Rugby v The Borders
Gwent Dragons v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Munster v Llanelli Scarlets
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 Scarlets v Celtic Warriors Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Munster
Ulster v Gwent Dragons
Weekend of 10/11 October 2003
Celtic Warriors v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Cardiff Blues v Leinster Lions
Connacht v The Borders
Edinburgh Rugby v Llanelli Scarlets
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 Scarlets v Cardiff Blues
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Edinburgh Rugby
Ulster v Celtic Warriors
Weekend of 24/25 October 2003
The Borders v Leinster Lions
Celtic Warriors v Gwent Dragons
Cardiff Blues v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Connacht v Llanelli Scarlets
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 Scarlets v The Borders
Munster v Celtic Warriors
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Connacht
Ulster v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 7/8 November 2003
The Borders v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Celtic Warriors v Glasgow Rugby
Cardiff Blues v Gwent Dragons
Connacht v Ulster
Edinburgh Rugby v Munster
Leinster Lions v Llanelli Scarlets
Weekend of 28/29 November 2003
Celtic Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby
Glasgow Rugby v Llanelli Scarlets
Gwent Dragons v Connacht
Munster v Cardiff Blues
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Leinster Lions
Ulster v The Borders
Weekend of 26/27 December 2003
Cardiff Blues v Celtic Warriors
Glasgow Rugby v Edinburgh Ruby
Llanelli Scarlets v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Weekend of 2/3 January 2004
The Borders v Gwent Dragons
Connacht v Munster
Leinster Lions v Ulster
Weekend of 6/7 February 2004
Celtic Warriors v Connacht
Edinburgh Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Gwent Dragons v Leinster Lions
Munster v The Borders
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Glasgow Rugby
Ulster v Llanelli Scarlets
Weekend of 13/14 February 2004
Celtic Warriors v The Borders
Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Rugby
Edinburgh Rugby v Connacht
Gwent Dragons v Llanelli Scarlets
Munster v Leinster Lions
Ulster v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Weekend of 20/21February 2004
The Borders v Edinburgh Rugby
Connacht v Cardiff Blues
Glasgow Rugby v Ulster
Leinster Lions v Celtic Warriors
Llanelli Scarletsv Munster
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Gwent Dragons
Weekend of 27/28 February 2004
Celtic Warriors v Llanelli Scarlets
Cardiff Blues v The Borders
Connacht v Glasgow Rugby
Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster Lions
Gwent Dragons v Ulster
Munster v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Weekend of 5/6 March 2004
The Borders v Connacht
Glasgow Rugby v Gwent Dragons
Leinster Lions v Cardiff Blues
Llanelli Scarlets v Edinburgh Rugby
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Celtic Warriors
Ulster v Munster
Weekend 12/13 March 2004
The Borders v Glasgow Rugby
Celtic Warriors v Ulster
Cardiff Blues v Llanelli Scarlets
Connacht v Leinster Lions
Edinburgh Rugby v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Munster v Gwent Dragons
Weekend of 26/27 March 2004
Gwent Dragons v Celtic Warriors
Glasgow Rugby v Munster
Leinster Lions v The Borders
Llanelli Scarlets v Connacht
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Cardiff Blues
Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby
Weekend of 2/3 April 2004
The Borders v Llanelli Scarlets
Celtic Warriors v Munster
Cardiff Blues v Ulster
Connacht v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Edinburgh Rugby v Gwent Dragons
Leinster Lions v Glasgow Rugby
Weekend of 16/17 April 2004
Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues
Glasgow Rugby v Celtic Warriors
Llanelli Scarlets v Leinster Lions
Munster v Edinburgh Rugby
Neath-Swansea Ospreys 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 Celtic Warriors Leinster Lions v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Llanelli Scarlets v Glasgow Rugby
Weekend of 7/8 May 2004
Celtic Warriors v Cardiff Blues
Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Rugby
Gwent Dragons v The Borders
Munster v Connacht
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Llanelli Scarlets
Ulster v Leinster Lions
Weekend of 14/15 May 2004
The Borders v Munster
Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Rugby
Connacht v Celtic Warriors
Glasgow Rugby v Neath-Swansea Ospreys Leinster Lions v Gwent Dragons
Llanelli Scarlets v Ulster
CELTIC CUP FIXTURES 2003-2004
Round 1 – 19th, 20th & 21st September 2003
First round:
Celtic Warriors v Glasgow Rugby
Leinster Lions v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
The Borders v Connacht
Llanelli Scarlets v Gwent Dragons
Byes: Edinburgh Rugby, Munster, Ulster and Cardiff Blues
Quarter Finals – 3rd, 4th & 5th October 2003
Draw to be made Saturday 20 September 2003
Semi-Finals – 14th, 15th & 16th November 2003
Draw to be made Saturday 4 October 2003
Celtic Cup Final – Saturday 20 December 2003
Live on BBC Grandstand Network
