| 2019–20 Celtic Cup | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  Ireland Wales |
| Date | 23 August – 13 October 2019 |
| Champions | Leinster A (2nd title) |
| Runners-up | Ulster A |
| Matches played | 29 |
The 2019–20 Celtic Cup was the second edition of the Celtic Cup rugby union competition, which features development regional and provincial teams from Ireland and Wales. It ran from August 2019 until October 2019, with a change to a single table format from the original conference system.
Leinster A, winners of the inaugural edition, defended their title by beating first time finalists Ulster A in an all-Ireland final 31–10.[1]
Formation and purpose
The Irish Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union created a new development competition, the Celtic Cup, for the emerging professional players from the four Irish provinces and four Welsh regions, announcing the tournament in August 2018.
The tournament, which features development squads from Pro14 teams Connacht, Leinster, Munster, Ulster, Cardiff Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets, aims to provide a learning environment for development players, coaches and referees by recreating the week-to-week challenges presented by senior professional rugby.[2]
2019–20 season
In a change from the 2018–19 tournament, the 2019–20 edition of the competition featured all eight teams in a single round-robin league format, rather than two conferences. Each team playing seven matches and the top two teams advanced to the final.[3]
Table
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leinster A (CH) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 351 | 140 | 211 | 55 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
| 2 | Ulster A (RU) | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 198 | 170 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
| 3 | Connacht Eagles | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 191 | 169 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| 4 | Scarlets A | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 217 | 194 | 23 | 29 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 22 |
| 5 | Dragons A | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 205 | 236 | -31 | 30 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 15 |
| 6 | Munster A | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 165 | 206 | -41 | 22 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| 7 | Ospreys Development | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 133 | 229 | -96 | 19 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 8 | Cardiff Blues A | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 109 | 225 | -116 | 17 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order -
| |||||||||||||
| Green background indicates teams that advance to the final (Q) Qualified for the final (CH) Champions (RU) Runners-up Updated: 5 October 2019 Source: Munster Rugby | |||||||||||||
Pool Stage
Round 1
| 24 August 2019 14:30 |
| (1 BP) Cardiff Blues A | 28–47 | Leinster A (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Cardiff Arms Park Referee: Mike English (WRU) |
| 23 August 2019 19:30 |
| Munster A | 20–20 | Ospreys Development |
| Report |
| Irish Independent Park Attendance: 200 Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU) |
Round 2
Round 3
| 6 September 2019 19:30 |
| Munster A | 21–47 | Leinster A (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Irish Independent Park Attendance: 200 Referee: Jonny Erskine (IRFU) |
| 6 September 2019 16:00 |
| (1 BP) Ulster A | 33–13 | Connacht Eagles |
| Report |
| Eaton Park Referee: Stuart Gaffikin (IRFU) |
Round 4
| 14 September 2019 13:00 |
| (1 BP) Connacht Eagles | 38–27 | Munster A |
| Report |
| Galway Sportsground Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU) |
| 14 September 2019 15:00 |
| (1 BP) Leinster A | 55–24 | Ulster A (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Energia Park Referee: Robert O'Sullivan (IRFU) |
Round 5
| 20 September 2019 19:15 |
| (1 BP) Ospreys Development | 24–54 | Leinster A (1 BP) |
| Report |
| St. Helen's Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) |
Round 6
| 28 September 2019 13:00 |
| (1 BP) Scarlets A | 46–28 | Munster A (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Carmarthen Park Referee: Elgan Williams (WRU) |
Round 7
| 4 October 2019 19:15 |
| (1 BP) Cardiff Blues A | 12–16 | Scarlets A |
| Report |
| Cardiff Arms Park Referee: Mike English (WRU) |
Final
References
- ↑ "Match Report: Leinster 'A' 31 Ulster 'A' 10". Leinster Rugby. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ↑ "Celtic Cup Announced".
- ↑ "Celtic Cup A Proving Ground For Emerging Talent". Irish Rugby Football Union. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.