2017–18 Pro14 | |
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Countries |
Ireland Italy Scotland South Africa Wales |
Official website | |
www |
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← 2016–17
2018–19 →
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The 2017–18 Pro14 (also known as the Guinness Pro14 for sponsorship reasons) is the seventeenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League. It is the first season to be referred to as the Guinness Pro14, with the installment of two South African teams.
Fourteen teams are confirmed to be competing this season — four Irish teams: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster; two Italian teams: Treviso and Zebre; two Scottish teams: Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors; two South African teams: Cheetahs and the Southern Kings; and four Welsh teams: Cardiff Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets.
On 18 May 2017, European Professional Club Rugby announced key changes to how Pro14 teams qualify for the European Rugby Champions Cup. At the end of the 2017–18 season, the top seven teams will automatically qualify for the 2018–19 European Rugby Champions Cup, regardless of their country of origin (previously the seven qualifiers included at least one team from each of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy). At present, the two additional South African teams will not be eligible to qualify for EPCR tournaments.
On 30 June 2017, BBC Wales reported that two South African teams were being dropped from the Super Rugby competition, the Cheetahs and Southern Kings, would be immediately added to Pro12. The two teams, the South African Rugby Union and Pro12 organiser Celtic Rugby Limited refused to comment on the report. However, their involvement was confirmed on 1 August 2017.