New era of Guinness Pro14 kicks off in Wales

The Welsh capital will play host to a clash of European Champions as Cardiff Blues (Challenge Cup winners) welcome defending Guinness PRO14 title holders and Champions Cup winners, Leinster Rugby, to the Cardiff Arms Park as Premier Sports and eir sport screen Championship action live for the very first time on their channels (Premier Sports 2 & eir sport 1 & TG4).
 
The second game on Friday, August 31 will see Ospreys open the campaign with a visit of Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh, who reached the Guinness PRO14 Final Series for the very first time just two months ago (Premier Sports 1 & eir sport 2)
 
Round One sees a full set of terrific match-ups with two clashes of former champions when Connacht Rugby host Glasgow Warriors (live on TG4 & eir sport 1 & Premier Sport 1) while Scarlets, 2017 title winners and last season’s beaten finalists, travel to Kingspan Stadium to face the 2006 Celtic League winners, Ulster Rugby (live on Premier Sports 1, S4C and eir sport 2).
 
Munster Rugby will take on the Toyota Cheetahs (live on eir sport 1, Premier Sports 2 & Super Sport) while the Cheetahs’ South African compatriots, the Southern Kings start their season in Parma, Italy when they tackle Zebre Rugby Club (live on Free Sports, SuperSport & eir sport 1).
 
Finally, Dragons fans will have high hopes to see what the region can achieve in season two of Bernard Jackman’s tenure as they face a challenging opener against Benetton Rugby (live on Premier Sports 1 and eir sport 2) who are aiming to build on last season’s record number of wins to make a real push for the Guinness PRO14 Final Series.
 
For the first time ever the Championship has also been able to announce Kick-Off times and dates for the first 17 rounds of the Guinness PRO14 which is a big win for clubs and their supporters.
 
This year’s opening round marks a brand new era for the Championship where every single game will be broadcast live across the UK by Premier Sports & Free Sports – a true first for the Guinness PRO14. In Ireland, eir sport will bring coverage of the Championship to new levels while Super Sport will continue to give South African fans a real taste of the Guinness PRO14 every weekend.
 
PRO14 Rugby is proud that games will still be broadcast live on native language channels TG4 (Republic of Ireland) and S4C (Wales) to ensure Free-To-Air access among two stations that have supported the championship from the outset.
 
With 14 teams from five countries competing in the Guinness PRO14 across two hemispheres the process to formulate the fixture list comes with an extensive list of criteria to fulfil in terms of player welfare, respect to traditional match-days of various clubs and the needs of broadcasters.
 
Entering his 15th season as Tournament Director, David Jordan, said: “For the first-time ever we have produced fixtures with Kick-Off times and dates right up to Round 17 which we have never been able to do before. When you consider the planning required around incoming and outbound South African tours, it’s fantastic to have so much of the season mapped out ahead of us at this point.
 
“Rarely, has there been so much anticipation and excitement ahead of a new season now that we every game live across the UK on Premier Sports fully supported by eir sport & TG4 in Ireland, Super Sport in South Africa and S4C in Wales. Our new broadcast arrangements will drive up the broadcast standards and supporters should rightly get excited by what is to come.
 
“I would like to thank all of our broadcast partners for their input into the process and the patience and flexibility of our teams throughout. Naturally, the logistics involved in scheduling an international club rugby tournament present many challenges but our clubs and broadcasters recognize that the Guinness PRO14 is incredibly unique which is why they are so proud to be a part of the Championship.
 
Guinness PRO14 Fixtures for the 2018/19 Championship Season
(All fixtures are subject to change)
 
CLICK HERE to view list of fixtures