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Welsh–Scottish League
The Welsh–Scottish League was a rugby union league in Scotland and Wales jointly implemented by the Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union from the 1999–2000 season onwards. It was a precursor to the Celtic League and lasted three seasons, being disbanded after the Celtic League was set up. History Impact of Professionalism in Rugby Union When World Rugby decreed an Open Game for Rugby Union in 1995, the Northern Hemisphere nations reacted with varying degrees of speed and enthusiasm to the new professional game. Wales and the Welsh Rugby Union largely continued as was. They entered teams into the 1995–96 season's European Rugby Champions Cup, the Heineken Cup; alongside teams from Ireland, Italy, Romania and France. Scotland and the Scottish Rugby Union, however, largely was stunned by the announcement. Scotland did not enter any teams into the 1995–96 season's Heineken Cup. Club versus District debate While Wales continued with the club model and attemp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rugby Union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an Rugby ball, oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped Goal (sports)#Structure, goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around the world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby, previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1872 Cup
The 1872 Cup – also known as the 1872 Challenge Cup – is a men's rugby union tournament contested every year between the two Scottish professional clubs, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby. Under the current format, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby play home-and-away league matches against one another within the United Rugby Championship in which both sides compete. The results in these matches is used to decide the Cup winners. The aggregate score in the home and away ties decides the 1872 Champions each year and bonus points won within the URC league structure are disregarded. Not only is the Glasgow – Edinburgh fixture the oldest inter-district rugby match in the world, but the derby is classed as one of the biggest in world rugby. Former Edinburgh coach, the South African Alan Solomons states: "These games are massive. For me, this is one of the big derbies of world rugby." Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith said: "It's a very special derby that is world r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Aitken
Jim Aitken (born 22 November 1947) is a British businessman and former Scotland international rugby union player. His regular playing position was Prop. Rugby Union career Amateur career Aitken played for his hometown club Penicuik, before moving to First Division Gala. He was the Gala Captain for their 3 League Championships in 1979/80, 80/81 and 82/83. Provincial career Aitken was capped by South of Scotland. Aitken played for Scotland Probables in the Trial match against Scotland Possibles on 11 January 1975. International career Aitken was capped twice by Scotland 'B' - in 1975 and 1976 against France 'B' - before receiving a full senior cap. Aitken won 24 international caps and scored one try, playing at loose head prop A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, dist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heineken Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Investec Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a predominantly European league. Clubs qualify for the Champions Cup via their final positions in their respective national/regional leagues (Premiership Rugby, English Premiership, French Top 14, and United Rugby Championship) or via winning the second-tier European Rugby Challenge Cup, Challenge Cup; those that do not qualify are instead eligible to compete in the second-tier Challenge Cup. Between 1995 and 2014, the equivalent competition was known as the Heineken Cup and was run by European Rugby Cup. Following #Disagreements over structure & governance, disagreements between its shareholders over the structure and governance of the competition, it was taken over by EPCR and its name was changed to the European Rugby Champions Cup, without ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Border Reivers (rugby)
Border Reivers, originally known as "Scottish Borders Rugby", and also known as ''The Borders'', were one of four professional rugby union teams in rugby union in Scotland, Scotland, alongside Edinburgh Rugby, Edinburgh, Caledonia Reds and Glasgow Warriors. Border Reivers were active in the Scottish Inter-District Championship from 1996 to 1998 and in the Pro14, Celtic League, Celtic Cup and Heineken Cup from 2002 until 2007, when, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union, Scottish Rugby Union's cost-cutting measures, they were disbanded. They played their home matches at Netherdale (capacity circa 6,000) in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders region. History The Border Reivers were a continuation of the amateur South of Scotland rugby union team, reshaped as a professional side in 1996. District sides Scotland had four district sides: North and Midlands, South of Scotland rugby union team, South, Glasgow District (rugby union), Glasgow District, and Edinburgh District (rugby union ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caledonia Reds
Caledonia Reds were a Scottish rugby union team. They participated in two seasons of the Heineken Cup. They evolved from one of the traditional four amateur districts of Scotland, North and Midlands, in 1996. Their home games were shared between Aberdeen and Perth. Previous Scottish national coach Frank Hadden once held the assistant coaching position with the Caledonia Reds. In 1998, the SRU decided to merge the side with the Glasgow Rugby team, who today are known as the Glasgow Warriors. The Caledonia district still exists: it does not field a side in the United Rugby Championship league, but it does have competitive age grade teams in Inter-District Championships. History Formation In 1995, with the arrival of professionalism in rugby union, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) realised their existing clubs would not be able to compete in the modern era alongside their English and French counterparts. After a year of debate of how to deal with professionalism, in 1996 the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keith Robertson (Scottish Rugby Union)
Keith William Robertson (born 5 December 1954 in Hawick, Scotland) is a former Scotland international rugby union player. Rugby Union career Amateur career Robertson played for Melrose. Richard Bath writes of him that: Provincial career He played for South of Scotland. International career He played for Scotland 'B' on 19 March 1978. He played for Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ... forty four times between 1978 and 1989.Bath, p155 He played at both wing and centre, the latter twenty times out of his forty four caps. Keith Robertson was a major part of Scotland's Grand Slam in 1984. He was never selected for the British Lions. Media career After retiring he became involved in Borders rugby, and was one of the major Scottish advocates of profe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gavin Hastings
Andrew Gavin Hastings, (born 3 January 1962) is a Scottish former rugby union player. A fullback, he is widely regarded to be one of the best ever Scottish rugby players and was one of the outstanding players of his generation, winning 61 caps for Scotland, 20 of which as captain. He played for Watsonians, London Scottish, Cambridge University, Scotland and the British Lions. He twice toured with the Lions, to Australia in 1989 and as captain on the 1993 tour to New Zealand. Early life Hastings was born in Edinburgh, and was educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, Paisley College of Technology (now the University of the West of Scotland), and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read Land Economy and graduated with a BA in 1986. Rugby union career Amateur career Hastings captained the victorious 1985 Cambridge University side, and during his sabbatical year he won the Gallaher Shield with Auckland University Rugby Football Club. In Scotland, Hastings play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won once. Ulster were the first Irish team and the first team outside England and France to win the European Cup in 1999. The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch, which is one of the four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Ulster, comprising Northern Ireland ( Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone) and three counties in the Republic of Ireland which are Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan. Prior to professionalisation, Ulster were a representative amateur team taking part in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. They have also competed in the now defunct Celtic Cup (2003–05). Their development team, Ulster A, formerly known as the Ulster Rav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby () is one of the professional provincial rugby union, rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union, IRFU's Munster Branch, which is responsible for rugby union throughout the Irish province of Munster. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." This is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy Mor dynasty, MacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile". Their main home ground is Thomond Park, Limerick, though some games are played at Musgrave Park, Cork, Musgrave Park, Cork (city), Cork. History Foundation and early years Munster was officially founded in 1879, at the same time as Leinster Rugby, Leinster and Ulster Rugby, Ulster, with Connacht Rugby, Connacht being founded ten years later in 1889. The first interprovincial matches between Leinster, Ulster and Munster, however, were held in 1875. The foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is one of the four professional provincial men's rugby union, rugby teams from the island of Ireland. Connacht competes in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Connacht Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Connacht. Connacht plays its home games at The Sportsground, which currently holds 6,126 spectators and can be expanded to 8,129. Connacht play in a predominantly green Rugby shirt, jersey, Rugby shorts, shorts and Rugby socks, socks. The Connacht Rugby crest is a modified version of the provincial flag of Connacht and consists of a dimidiation, dimidiated eagle and an arm wielding a sword. With the province containing just over 8% of the total Irish population, Connacht has a much smaller base of rugby union players to choose from than the other three provinces. This playe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby () is one of the four professional provincial club rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the Leinster Branch, one of the four provincial unions that together make up the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), but is not restricted to players from that province. Leinster play their home games primarily at the 18,500-capacity RDS Arena ('the RDS') in Dublin, although larger games are played in the 51,700-capacity Aviva Stadium when the capacity of the RDS is insufficient, or during 2024 and 2025 to accommodate venue improvements at the RDS, with occasional on-off games been moved to Croke Park, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association and by some distance the List of stadiums in Ireland by capacity, largest stadium in Ireland. Before moving to the RDS in 2005, Leinster's traditional home ground was Donnybrook Stadium, in Dublin 4. The province plays primarily in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
