PRO14 announces full fixture list for August derbies

THE PRO14 has announced the kick-off times for the two games between Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors next month and revealed the make-up of the matches between the four Irish provinces and the quartet of Welsh sides. The two rounds of games will conclude a truncated regular season, with the semi-finals and final going ahead in the following two weekends.

Both games between the Scottish sides are at BT Murrayfield owing to Covid-19 restrictions, with the first on Saturday 22 August kicking off at 5pm and the second on Friday 28 starting at 7.35pm. The second match is officially a home fixture for Glasgow.

“We’re looking forward to these games against Edinburgh,” Warriors coach Danny Wilson said. “Scottish derbies are the types of games we want to be involved in.

“We entered into phase two of training this week. It’s been great to have the boys back and to start introducing a ball into training. We still mathematically have an opportunity to qualify for the semi-finals and we will be going into these games with the goal of doing just that. It’ll be great to get back out there and playing rugby.”

Similar to Scotland, all games in Ireland are being played at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, with teams only nominally having home advantage for one of their fixtures.  Ulster, who have to lose both of their games if Glasgow are to have a chance of overtaking them and claiming a place in the semi-finals, play Connacht in their first game then meet Conference A leaders Leinster. Munster, just two points behind Edinburgh at the top of Conference B, play Leinster first then Connacht.

Scarlets, who are third in Conference B and still have a slight chance of reaching the play-offs, are at home to Cardiff Blues then away to Dragons. Cardiff’s home game against the Ospreys will be played at Rodney Parade in Newport as the Arms Park is still a part of the Dragon’s Heart hospital at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital.

The two Italian sides have a double-header, but fixtures between the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings  have yet to be decided due to the continuing Covid restrictions in South Africa. As always, all games will be shown live on Premier Sports.

“So far we have been encouraged by the developments that have allowed all of our teams to return to training,” PRO14 tournament director David Jordan said. “Thanks to the great efforts of our clubs and unions, the willingness of governments and the support of our broadcasters we now have a fixture list to look forward to.

“Everyone who makes our games possible has had to adapt to a new way of working under the restrictions of the pandemic and the response of all our key stakeholders has been very impressive. With these fixtures now confirmed we are all geared to safe delivery of these games and to the welcome return of rugby after such a long period without the sport.”

PRO14 FIXTURES

Friday August 21:

Benetton v Zebre  (Stadio Monigo, 7pm British time)

Saturday 22:

Scarlets v Cardiff Blues (Parc y Scarlets, 3pm)

Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors (BT Murrayfield 5pm)

Leinster v Munster (Aviva Stadium, 7.35pm)

Sunday 23:

Ospreys v Dragons (Liberty Stadium, 2.15pm)

Connacht v Ulster (Aviva Stadium, 4.30pm)

Friday 28:

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby  (BT Murrayfield 7.35pm)

Saturday 29:

Dragons v Scarlets (Rodney Parade, 5.15pm)

Ulster v Leinster (Aviva Stadium, 7.35pm)

Sunday 30:

Munster v Connacht (Aviva Stadium, 3pm)

Cardiff Blues v Ospreys (Rodney Parade, 5pm)

Zebre v Benetton (Stadio Lanfranchi, 7pm)

Semi-finals to be played on weekend of 4-5 September. Final to be played on Saturday 12 September. Venues to be decided.