Celtic Challenge Explained

Celtic Challenge
Current Season:2023–24 Celtic Challenge
Sport:Rugby union
Teams:6
Country: Ireland

Champion: Wolfhounds (1st title)
Most Champs: Combined Provinces XV
Wolfhounds (one title)
Website:https://celticrugbycomp.com/

The Celtic Challenge is a cross-border women's rugby union competition that will be held annually, launched in 2023. Designed to develop players for the Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the inaugural pilot edition featured a double round robin between three teams, one from each participating union. From 2024 the competition will involve six teams, two from each participating union.[1] [2] Beginning with the 2024–25 season, the competition will maintain its six-team setup, transitioning into a full home-and-away round-robin format. The winners will be determined by standings at the end of the season.[3]

The three participating unions fund the competition, with further development funding from World Rugby.

Teams

+ Current teams
TeamEstablished Titles (last)
Brython Thunder2023 – (N/A)
Clovers2023– (N/A)
Edinburgh Rugby2023– (N/A)
Glasgow Warriors2023– (N/A)
Gwalia Lightning2023– (N/A)
Wolfhounds20231 (2023–24)

All time

A total of 9 clubs have been involved in since the league's inception in the 2023 season.

Below, the 2023–24 clubs are listed along with the number of full seasons they've competed in. Current clubs are shown in bold. The seasons each club has participated in, including the present one, are displayed in the last column.

Seasons Competed Team Seasons Participated
1 Brython Thunder 2023–24
1 Clovers 2023–24
1 Combined Provinces XV 2023
1 Edinburgh Rugby 2023–24
1 Glasgow Warriors 2023–24
1 Gwalia Lightning 2023–24
1 The Thistles 2023
1 Wales Development XV 2023
1 Wolfhounds 2023–24

History

2023 competition

The inaugural year of the competition in 2023 consisted of three teams:

The first edition consisted of six matches in a double round robin:[4] [5]
MatchdayHome teamScoreAway teamVenueDateRef
1 The Thistles27–29 Wales Development XVScotstoun Stadium22 January 2023https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rss8FzNaE9g[6] [7] [8]
2 Wales Development XV  26–27 Combined Provinces XVCardiff Arms Park29 January 2023[9] [10] [11]
3 Combined Provinces XV  45–12 The ThistlesKingspan Stadium4 February 2023[12] [13] [14]
4 Wales Development XV 7–21 The ThistlesCardiff Arms Park11 February 2023https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg6l9WYmFlU[15] [16] [17]
5 Combined Provinces XV19–0 Wales Development XVKingspan Stadium18 February 2023[18] [19] [20]
6 The Thistles  26–33 Combined Provinces XVDAM Health Stadium25 February 2023https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzpZRwGLTts[21] [22]

2023–24 competition

See main article: 2023–24 Celtic Challenge. In November 2023 it was announced that for the second season, the competition would expand to six teams.[23]

In December it was announced that the 2023–24 competition will run from December to March 2024 and will be contested by six teams:

The teams will play each other once, either home or away, across five rounds before play-offs to decide a champion in March 2024.[27]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Barnes . David . 21 December 2022 . Celtic Challenge to provide high-performance opportunities ahead of TikTok Six Nations . 20 November 2023 . The Offside Line . en-GB.
  2. News: Reid . Alasdair . 20 November 2023 . Young 'Thistles' set for new women's rugby challenge as Celtic Challenge announced . . en . 20 November 2023 . 0140-0460.
  3. Web site: 1 May 2024 . Edinburgh & Glasgow return for expanded Celtic Challenge . 1 May 2024 . BBC Sport . en-GB.
  4. Web site: Celtic Challenge – Rugby . 20 November 2023 . en-GB.
  5. Web site: Celtic Challenge kicks off this weekend . 18 January 2023 . 28 January 2023 . ScrumQueens.com . en . https://archive.today/20230118192703/https://www.scrumqueens.com/news/celtic-challenge-kicks-weekend . 18 January 2023 . live.
  6. Web site: Match Report: The Thistles v WRU Development XV . 22 January 2023 . 22 January 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230122210806/https://scottishrugby.org/match-report-the-thistles-v-welsh-development-xv/ . 22 January 2023 . live.
  7. Web site: WRU Development XV claims win in Scotland . 22 January 2023 . 22 January 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230122202407/https://www.wru.wales/2023/01/wru-development-xv-claims-win-in-scotland . 22 January 2023 . live.
  8. Web site: Celtic Challenge: Thistles 27-29 WRU Development XV . 22 January 2023 . 22 January 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230122202208/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64317919 . 22 January 2023 . live.
  9. Web site: Close Celtic challenge at Arms Park . 29 January 2023 . 29 January 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230129200434/https://www.wru.wales/2023/01/close-celtic-challenge-at-arms-park . 29 January 2023 . live.
  10. Web site: Combined Provinces Win Opening Celtic Challenge Clash In Wales . 29 January 2023 . 17 May 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230517130813/https://www.irishrugby.ie/2023/01/29/combined-provinces-win-opening-celtic-challenge-clash-in-wales . 17 May 2023 . live.
  11. Web site: Celtic Challenge: WRU Development XV 26-27 Combined Provinces XV . 29 January 2023 . 29 January 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230129133443/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64429531 . 29 January 2023 . live.
  12. Web site: Combined Provinces Win With Seven Tries At Kingspan Stadium . 4 February 2023 . 6 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230206192417/https://www.irishrugby.ie/2023/02/04/combined-provinces-win-with-seven-tries-at-kingspan-stadium . 6 February 2023 . live.
  13. Web site: Match Report: Combined Provinces v The Thistles . 4 February 2023 . 6 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230206192521/https://scottishrugby.org/match-report-combined-provinces-v-the-thistles . 6 February 2023 . live.
  14. Web site: Celtic Challenge: Combined Irish Provinces earn 45-12 win over Scottish Thistles . 5 February 2023 . 6 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230206192722/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64532827 . 6 February 2023 . live.
  15. Web site: Thistles gain revenge over Development XV . 11 February 2023 . 12 February 2023 . . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230212215954/https://www.wru.wales/2023/02/thistles-gain-revenge-over-development-xv . 12 February 2023 . live.
  16. Web site: Match Report: WRU Development XV v The Thistles . 11 February 2023 . 12 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230212220208/https://scottishrugby.org/match-report-wru-development-xv-v-the-thistles . 12 February 2023 . live.
  17. Web site: Celtic Challenge: WRU Development XV 7-21 Thistles . 11 February 2023 . 12 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230212220312/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64584805 . 12 February 2023 . live.
  18. Web site: Combined Provinces Notch Up Third Celtic Challenge Win . 18 February 2023 . 19 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230219184539/https://www.irishrugby.ie/2023/02/18/combined-provinces-celtic-challenge-win/ . 19 February 2023 . live.
  19. Web site: Combined Provinces remain unbeaten in Celtic Challenge . 18 February 2023 . 19 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230219184959/https://www.wru.wales/2023/02/combined-provinces-remain-unbeaten-in-celtic-challenge . 19 February 2023 . live.
  20. Web site: Celtic Challenge: Irish Provinces clinch title as Wales draw blank . 19 February 2023 . 19 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230219184912/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64683032 . 19 February 2023 . live.
  21. Web site: Match Report: The Thistles v Combined Provinces . 25 February 2023 . 26 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230226170909/https://scottishrugby.org/match-report-the-thistles-v-combined-provinces . 26 February 2023 . live.
  22. Web site: Combined Provinces Finish Celtic Challenge Unbeaten . 25 February 2023 . 26 February 2023 . . en . https://archive.today/20230226170955/https://irfu-admin.soticcloud.net/2023/02/25/combined-provinces-finish-celtic-challenge-unbeaten . 26 February 2023 . live.
  23. News: Celtic Challenge to expand in second year . en-GB . BBC Sport . 20 November 2023.
  24. Web site: Fixtures and Team Names for Celtic Challenge Announced . . 5 December 2023 . 5 December 2023.
  25. Web site: Two new teams to represent Wales in expanded Celtic Challenge . . 5 December 2023 . 5 December 2023.
  26. Web site: Celtic Challenge competition format confirmed alongside alignment of Scottish sides to Edinburgh Rugby & Glasgow Warriors . . 5 December 2023 . 5 December 2023.
  27. Web site: Thunder and Lightning set for Celtic Challenge . . 5 December 2023 . 5 December 2023.