As revealed in April, the British & Irish Cup has been revised for the 2013-14 season, moving from 32 teams to 24, playing in six pools of four. Four Principality Premiership teams will now represent Wales in the competition, joining the 12 clubs of the Green King IPA Championship as well as four from each of Ireland and Scotland.
Selection of the Welsh teams will be based on regional play-offs at the start of next season, with final positions in this season’s Principality Premiership giving teams Home field advantage.
2013-14 British & Irish Cup structure:
Teams
* 12 Greene King IPA Championship clubs
* 4 Welsh Principality Premiership clubs
* 4 Irish provinces – Connacht, Munster, Leinster and Ulster Ravens
* 4 Scottish teams – top 4 finishers in RBS Premier Division: Ayr, Gala, Stirling County and Edinburgh Academicals.
Pool Stages
* 6 pools of 4 playing home and away
* 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for a) scoring 4 or more tries and/or b) losing by 7 points or less
Quarter finals
* top side in each pool progress to knockout stage, plus two best runners-up
* 8 quarter-finalists ranked with teams ranked 1-4 having home advantage
Semi-finals and final
* four winning quarter finalists progress to semi -final draw
* winning semi-finalists progress to final
Pool 1
Leinster A
Wales 3
Moseley
Ealing Trailfinders
Pool 2
London Welsh
Wales 2
London Scottish
Edinburgh Academicals
Pool 3
Bedford Blues
Rotherham Titans
Wales 4
Connacht
Pool 4
Munster A
Nottingham Rugby
Plymouth Albion
Stirling County
Pool 5
Bristol Rugby
Wales 1
Leeds Carnegie
Gala
Pool 6
Cornish Pirates
Ulster Ravens
Ayr
Jersey RFC
Fixtures
Round 1
Pool 1: Leinster A V Ealing Trailfinders, Wales 3 V Moseley
Pool 2: London Welsh V London Scottish, Edinburgh Academicals V Wales 2
Pool 3: Rotherham V Bedford, Wales 4 V Connacht
Pool 4: Plymouth v Nottingham, Munster A V Stirling County
Pool 5: Bristol Rugby v Leeds Carnegie, Gala v Wales 1
Pool 6: Cornish Pirates V Ulster Ravens, Jersey v Ayr
Round 2
Pool 1: Ealing v Wales 3, Moseley v Leinster A
Pool 2: London Scottish v Edinburgh Academicals, Wales 2 v London Welsh
Pool 3: Bedford Blues v Wales 4, Connacht v Rotherham
Pool 4: Nottingham Rugby v Munster A, Stirling County v Plymouth Albion
Pool 5: Leeds Carnegie v Gala, Wales 1 v Bristol Rugby
Pool 6: Ulster Ravens v Jersey RFC, Ayr vs Cornish Pirates
Round 3
Pool 1: Moseley v Ealing Trailfinders, Leinster A v Wales 3
Pool 2: Wales 2 v London Scottish, London Welsh v Edinburgh Academicals
Pool 3: Connacht v Bedford Blues, Rotherham v Wales 4
Pool 4: Stirling County v Nottingham Rugby, Plymouth Albion v Munster A
Pool 5: Wales 1 v Leeds Carnegie, Bristol Rugby v Gala
Pool 6: Ayr v Ulster Ravens, Cornish Pirates v Jersey RFC
Round 4
Pool 1: Ealing Trailfinders v Mosely, Wales 3 v Leinster A
Pool 2: London Scottish v Wales 2, Edinburgh Academicals v London Welsh
Pool 3: Bedford Blues v Connacht, Wales 4 v Rotherham Titans
Pool 4: Nottingham Rugby v Stirling County, Munster A v Plymouth Albion
Pool 5: Leeds Carnegie v Wales 1, Gala v Bristol Rugby
Pool 6: Ulster Ravens v Ayr, Jersey RFC v Cornish Pirates
Pool 5
Pool 1: Leinster A v Moseley, Wales 3 v Ealing Trailfinders
Pool 2: London Welsh v Wales 2, Edinburgh Academicals v London Scottish
Pool 3: Rotherham Titans v Connacht, Wales 4 v Bedford Blues
Pool 4: Plymouth Albion v Stirling County, Munster A v Nottingham Rugby
Pool 5: Bristol Rugby v Wales 1, Gala v Leeds Carnegie
Pool 6: Cornish Pirates v Ayr, Jersey RFC v Ulster Ravens
Round 6
Pool 1: Ealing Trailfinders v Leinster A, Moseley v Wales 3
Pool 2: London Scottish v London Welsh, Wales 2 v Edinburgh Academicals
Pool 3: Bedford Blues v Rotherham Titans, Connacht v Wales 4
Pool 4: Nottingham Rugby v Plymouth, Stirling County v Munster A
Pool 5: Leeds Carnegie v Bristol Rugby, Wales 1 v Gala
Pool 6: Ulster Ravens v Cornish Pirates, Ayr v Jersey RFC
