For the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons, the winners of every Shield have been decided on the premise of all 18 common season games performed, and also assured qualification for the European Rugby Champions Cup, Florida Plastering & Pool Remodeling regardless of their general league position. Derby games have turn out to be a tradition in all five member nations over this holiday interval, with most house teams attaining bumper crowds for the matches. In addition, the winners of the every Shield would be decided by the video games played amongst the groups within their regional group, reaffirming its status as a particularly national championship. In Scotland, the 'nationwide' trophy is taken into account to be the 1872 Cup played solely between the two Scottish clubs, often as a double header over the Christmas and New Year periods. However, since the start of the 2023-2024 season, this was now not the case and the top eight teams within the league would qualify for Europe regardless of Shield position.
As a result of travelling distance between Europe and South Africa, dwelling South African games are always played on a Saturday, allowing visiting groups to have a seven-day turnaround between fixtures, together with 5 "clean days" that do not involve any journey. Should the draw see European teams play both South African teams away, the schedule will see the away group play the two matches back-to-back across two weeks, acting as a "mini-tour". In Ireland, Wales and South Africa, this shield (the URC Irish Shield, URC Welsh Shield and URC South African Shield respectively) capabilities as an informal national championship title for the principle professional sides, while in Scotland and Italy's shared North Texas Pool Service Inc., will probably be a joint regional trophy. The concept is comparable to the Divisional Championships within the NFL that are additionally loosely geographically based mostly. On 24 September 2021, URC confirmed that the highest side in each regional Pete’s Pool Service after the top of the 18-recreation regular season can be awarded a trophy, a regional Shield.
URC clubs have won the Champions Cup on seven occasions, Leinster 4 instances, Munster twice and Ulster as soon as. These matches comprised the annual Judgement Day double-header at the Millennium Stadium. The Challenge Cup has come again to the league four occasions, as soon as with Leinster, twice with Cardiff Rugby and once with Sharks. Statistics do not embrace these from Celtic Cup or Rainbow Cup matches. Record match attendance in league history. Figures for 2001-02 are incomplete. Figures for 2002-03 are incomplete. The season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline in common attendance following the 2009-10 season coincided with the entry of two Italian groups into the Pro12. The first senior match to take place at the Aviva Stadium. The 2003-04 season was the primary that didn't embrace a knockout stage so no showpiece final and hence a decline in common attendance. This was the ultimate rugby match at Lansdowne Road earlier than it was redeveloped because the Aviva Stadium.
This, combined with the continued uncertainty surrounding the way forward for the European Cup, meant that there have been concerns over the longer term commercial viability of the tournament. The new system noticed a total of seven groups, with one place now being reserved for the very best-finishing Pro12 staff from every of 4 taking part international locations and three different qualifiers primarily based solely on league position. Under the previous format, the Pro12 offered a minimum of 10 teams, Claim Your Business with Scotland and Italy offering two teams each, and Ireland and Wales both providing three. Glasgow had a late surge to finish 2nd overtaking Munster and Ulster in the process. The RaboDirect title sponsor was replaced by Guinness. Ultimately Leinster topped the desk, having led for most of the season. With the Heineken Cup being changed by the 20-crew European Rugby Champions Cup in the 2014-15 season, the Pro12 desk had a larger influence on qualification. However, despite all off-subject points it was a successful season with a brand new excessive for both total attendance and for a single recreation (51,seven-hundred for Leinster v Munster).
As a result of travelling distance between Europe and South Africa, dwelling South African games are always played on a Saturday, allowing visiting groups to have a seven-day turnaround between fixtures, together with 5 "clean days" that do not involve any journey. Should the draw see European teams play both South African teams away, the schedule will see the away group play the two matches back-to-back across two weeks, acting as a "mini-tour". In Ireland, Wales and South Africa, this shield (the URC Irish Shield, URC Welsh Shield and URC South African Shield respectively) capabilities as an informal national championship title for the principle professional sides, while in Scotland and Italy's shared North Texas Pool Service Inc., will probably be a joint regional trophy. The concept is comparable to the Divisional Championships within the NFL that are additionally loosely geographically based mostly. On 24 September 2021, URC confirmed that the highest side in each regional Pete’s Pool Service after the top of the 18-recreation regular season can be awarded a trophy, a regional Shield.
URC clubs have won the Champions Cup on seven occasions, Leinster 4 instances, Munster twice and Ulster as soon as. These matches comprised the annual Judgement Day double-header at the Millennium Stadium. The Challenge Cup has come again to the league four occasions, as soon as with Leinster, twice with Cardiff Rugby and once with Sharks. Statistics do not embrace these from Celtic Cup or Rainbow Cup matches. Record match attendance in league history. Figures for 2001-02 are incomplete. Figures for 2002-03 are incomplete. The season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline in common attendance following the 2009-10 season coincided with the entry of two Italian groups into the Pro12. The first senior match to take place at the Aviva Stadium. The 2003-04 season was the primary that didn't embrace a knockout stage so no showpiece final and hence a decline in common attendance. This was the ultimate rugby match at Lansdowne Road earlier than it was redeveloped because the Aviva Stadium.
This, combined with the continued uncertainty surrounding the way forward for the European Cup, meant that there have been concerns over the longer term commercial viability of the tournament. The new system noticed a total of seven groups, with one place now being reserved for the very best-finishing Pro12 staff from every of 4 taking part international locations and three different qualifiers primarily based solely on league position. Under the previous format, the Pro12 offered a minimum of 10 teams, Claim Your Business with Scotland and Italy offering two teams each, and Ireland and Wales both providing three. Glasgow had a late surge to finish 2nd overtaking Munster and Ulster in the process. The RaboDirect title sponsor was replaced by Guinness. Ultimately Leinster topped the desk, having led for most of the season. With the Heineken Cup being changed by the 20-crew European Rugby Champions Cup in the 2014-15 season, the Pro12 desk had a larger influence on qualification. However, despite all off-subject points it was a successful season with a brand new excessive for both total attendance and for a single recreation (51,seven-hundred for Leinster v Munster).