Ulster Rugby v Ospreys

It’s been 125 days since Leinster Rugby won their sixth title in Glasgow and now the Guinness PRO14 is primed for another exciting season as rugby becomes the headline act across the globe for the next six weeks. Of course, the Rugby World Cup will help us grow the game of rugby even further and it’s great to know the Guinness PRO14 will be a rich part of the fabric out in Japan. We’ve got 116 players from the Championship representing 10 countries – Canada, Fiji, Ireland, Italy, Namibia, Scotland, Tonga, USA, Wales & Samoa. The fields of the Guinness PRO14 will also be ripe with fresh ‘Next-Gen’ talent who will be the stars of the 2023 Rugby World Cup with many players making their bow over the next few weeks that will rise to become household names.

Across the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups close to 60 players appeared for the very first time in our Championship and who have gone on to become key international players – names like Hamish Watson, Carlo Canna, Garry Ringrose, Tadhg Beirne, Sam Johnson and Owen Watkin. Even a key figure in England’s current squad, Sam Underhill, first came to prominence in our Championship. This weekend there is a lot to be excited about. For the first time ever, the Guinness PRO14 season kicks off on South African soil when the Toyota Cheetahs host Glasgow Warriors in Bloemfontein. It’s the Currie Cup champions against last season’s beaten Guinness PRO14 finalists and it promises to be a real exhibition of running rugby. The Cheetahs have added so much flair since joining the competition in 2017 and we’ve watched with great pride as they captured the Currie Cup earlier this month. Ruan Pienaar will be a familiar face to fans across the Guinness PRO14 and his presence should give the Cheetahs a new edge in tight games this season. We also have teams kicking off their campaigns in Belfast, Limerick, Port Elizabeth, Treviso, Llanelli and Edinburgh with every game shown live in the UK on Premier Sports with Super Sport, eir Sport, TG4, S4C & DAZN ensuring fans in South Africa, Ireland, Wales and Italy get their fill of Guinness PRO14 action. Across the summer lots of hard work has gone on to keep raising the standards of the Guinness PRO14 and our Elite Referee Manager, Greg Garner, has been busier than most. For the next six rounds every refereeing appointment is neutral as Greg has made sure that neutrality, capability and experience combine to put our best foot forward. This weekend we’ll have over 350 appearances worth of experience shared across our seven referees, five of whom have held the whistle at international level. We have invested right across the tournament, too, thanks to sponsors like Guinness, Big Red Cloud and Ronseal, and our suppliers Gilbert and Macron who all play fantastic roles in supporting our Championship. This weekend marks the beginning of the 152-game trek towards the Guinness PRO14 Final at Cardiff City Stadium on June 20. The competition to wrestle the trophy away from Leinster looks more competitive than ever but your journey to Cardiff City Stadium doesn’t even require you to make a tackle. Last year saw yet another record attendance at the Guinness PRO14 Final, but with limited availability in 2020 be sure to visit www.pro14rugby.org/final to take advantage of early bird prices and get the best seats before they’re gone! Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi Chief Executive Officer

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