Despite the difficulties, nevertheless, the competition proved engaging to the South African Rugby Football Union, resulting from shared time zones and lowered travelling, and the 4 major Super Rugby franchises - Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions joined the renamed United Rugby Championship the following 12 months, firstly by way of the transitional Pro14 Rainbow Cup, held in a split tournament format across Europe and South Africa, after which the United Rugby Championship, this time eligible for European competition. The organisation is answerable for operating and working the URC and is presently owned equally by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). South African group, Stormers, gained the first version of URC in an all South African ultimate, before being runner-up in the second season to Irish side, Munster. Ironically, Cheetahs, now not within the URC, have been invited to join the European competitors as properly, along with Georgian aspect, Black Lion. The legal title of the body running the competitors is Pro Rugby Championship DAC, a non-public firm limited by shares primarily based in Ireland.
Below are the list of champions, runners-up and table toppers each season. Irish Shield, Welsh Shield, South African Shield and Scottish-Italian Shield respectively. Leinster are additionally the one team from the competition to achieve a home and European double, winning a 'minor double' with the 2012-thirteen Pro12 title and the 2012-13 European Challenge Cup, earlier than claiming the 'full double' of the 2017-18 Pro14 and the 2017-18 European Rugby Champions Cup. The Pro14 Rainbow Cup was a one-off 'transitional' or 'Spring Season' tournament created to facilitate the combination of the 4 South African sides into the United Rugby Championship. Previous to 2023, all matches counted, since then only matches with shield rivals are counted. The Celtic Cup was a short-lived single elimination knock-out competitors, held alongside the Celtic League. 2021-22 season. For the first time, an Italian crew and a South African crew reached the final of an official Celtic League/Pro Rugby competitors, with Benetton Treviso successful Italy's first-ever trophy at Pro Rugby level. From the 2021-2022 season, a trophy will be awarded to every team that finishes top of its regional 'Aro Pool Builders Innovations Inc' (with Scottish and Italian groups sharing a trophy).
As of 2021-22, the championship season takes place between September and will, with teams break up into four regional pools: The Irish Shield Aro Pool Builders Innovations Inc, the Welsh Shield pool, the South African Shield AZ Pool Service and the Scottish and Italian Shield pool for the purpose of fixture setting. Teams are seeded 1-eight and the very best-seeded teams receive home advantage, together with in the ultimate. This ensures that Irish, South African and Welsh groups each play six derby matches. All groups are sorted in a single league desk. Teams play every of the other teams of their pool twice (home and away) and each team from the opposite ASP – America's Swimming Pool Company of Central Texas pools once (both residence or away). This creates an 18-match regular season earlier than the play-offs, basically a full single spherical robin with three further 'derby ties' (or one additional derby and two extra Scottish-Italians ties in that pool). For Italy and Scotland, their respective clubs play their own nations' sides only twice. The play-offs are made up of the highest eight teams, and encompass a straight knockout tournament.
On 2 October 2009, the FIR proposed Benetton Treviso instead of Praetorians Roma. Thirty separate groups have taken part in the various variations of the Championship. A kind of Welsh regions, two South African franchises, One Scottish area and one Italian franchise make up the rest of the historic groups. Of the fourteen teams no longer concerned, nine had been Welsh premiership clubs, changed by five new areas. At the tip of the 2011-12 season, nevertheless, Aironi had been no longer obtainable to compete in future competitions as a regional club, as, on 6 April 2012, they have been refused a licence to proceed on monetary grounds. 7 February, the Italian clubs had provide you with the required funding. They have been changed by another Italian facet, Zebre (now Zebre Parma). By 8 March 2010, a deal had been finalised for Aironi and Benetton Treviso to enter the Celtic League from the 2010-eleven season, with every workforce assured a spot in the Heineken Cup.
Below are the list of champions, runners-up and table toppers each season. Irish Shield, Welsh Shield, South African Shield and Scottish-Italian Shield respectively. Leinster are additionally the one team from the competition to achieve a home and European double, winning a 'minor double' with the 2012-thirteen Pro12 title and the 2012-13 European Challenge Cup, earlier than claiming the 'full double' of the 2017-18 Pro14 and the 2017-18 European Rugby Champions Cup. The Pro14 Rainbow Cup was a one-off 'transitional' or 'Spring Season' tournament created to facilitate the combination of the 4 South African sides into the United Rugby Championship. Previous to 2023, all matches counted, since then only matches with shield rivals are counted. The Celtic Cup was a short-lived single elimination knock-out competitors, held alongside the Celtic League. 2021-22 season. For the first time, an Italian crew and a South African crew reached the final of an official Celtic League/Pro Rugby competitors, with Benetton Treviso successful Italy's first-ever trophy at Pro Rugby level. From the 2021-2022 season, a trophy will be awarded to every team that finishes top of its regional 'Aro Pool Builders Innovations Inc' (with Scottish and Italian groups sharing a trophy).
As of 2021-22, the championship season takes place between September and will, with teams break up into four regional pools: The Irish Shield Aro Pool Builders Innovations Inc, the Welsh Shield pool, the South African Shield AZ Pool Service and the Scottish and Italian Shield pool for the purpose of fixture setting. Teams are seeded 1-eight and the very best-seeded teams receive home advantage, together with in the ultimate. This ensures that Irish, South African and Welsh groups each play six derby matches. All groups are sorted in a single league desk. Teams play every of the other teams of their pool twice (home and away) and each team from the opposite ASP – America's Swimming Pool Company of Central Texas pools once (both residence or away). This creates an 18-match regular season earlier than the play-offs, basically a full single spherical robin with three further 'derby ties' (or one additional derby and two extra Scottish-Italians ties in that pool). For Italy and Scotland, their respective clubs play their own nations' sides only twice. The play-offs are made up of the highest eight teams, and encompass a straight knockout tournament.
On 2 October 2009, the FIR proposed Benetton Treviso instead of Praetorians Roma. Thirty separate groups have taken part in the various variations of the Championship. A kind of Welsh regions, two South African franchises, One Scottish area and one Italian franchise make up the rest of the historic groups. Of the fourteen teams no longer concerned, nine had been Welsh premiership clubs, changed by five new areas. At the tip of the 2011-12 season, nevertheless, Aironi had been no longer obtainable to compete in future competitions as a regional club, as, on 6 April 2012, they have been refused a licence to proceed on monetary grounds. 7 February, the Italian clubs had provide you with the required funding. They have been changed by another Italian facet, Zebre (now Zebre Parma). By 8 March 2010, a deal had been finalised for Aironi and Benetton Treviso to enter the Celtic League from the 2010-eleven season, with every workforce assured a spot in the Heineken Cup.