Some have made their feelings known about the concept of joint-winners in the league.
Divisions One, Two and Four will be shared by the two semi-final winners unless those sides meet in the Championship.
The finals would have taken place a week before the Championship begins.
Offaly and Derry made their feelings known about this and were able to get the Division Three final on their schedules.
Imagine county’s deciding if they play a final or not it’s a shambles from the @officialgaa ffs they should had planned it better it’s a disaster from a Pr situation !!
Today’s market movers with Betfred, official bookmaker of Royal Ascot
Betfred spokesman Matt Hulmes said: “Business has been brisk this morning and I had to check it wasn’t Cheltenham week when I saw the big move for an Emmet Mullins handicapper under Rachael Blackmore. Irish Cesarewitch winner Cape Gentleman has been the best backed horse of the day so far, with ‘The Batmobile’ Battaash a close second as he bids to retain his King’s Stand title.”
The going for day one of Royal Ascot is Good to Firm, Good in places.
Chris Stickels, Ascot’s Clerk of the Course, said: “The going this morning is Good to Firm, Good in places following a dry night.
“The track was watered yesterday, the Straight Course with 10mm and the Round Course with 4mm.
“We are expecting a fine, dry day today and a fine, warm, dry day again tomorrow.”
Going Stick Readings at 8.00am:
Stands side: 8.6
Centre: 8.3
Far side: 8.2
Round 7.9
Stalls:
Straight Course: Centre
Round Course: Inside
The running rail on the Round Course will be positioned approximately three yards out from approximately nine furlongs out to the Home Straight. This rail will remain in place until after racing on Wednesday.
Weather
Dry, warm conditions forecast, through to Wednesday when thunderstorms are forecast during the night and through Thursday. Showers possible for Friday, a little more settled with occasional showers for Saturday.
The new Pro16 rugby competition will be called the United Rugby Championship we have videos explaining how fixtures work and Champions Cup qualification will be done.
The ‘United Rugby Championship will kick off in September 2021 as the top clubs from South Africa (Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls) combine with the Guinness PRO14 to create a world-class 16-team league.
The United Rugby Championship will be bigger, bolder and stronger than its predecessors. Teams from five of rugby’s elite nations – Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales and South Africa will transform the competition into a league of super clubs, which will embrace difference and champion its athletes on their journey with the URC proudly representing all of those involved with the game.
Off the field the United Rugby Championship will strive to provide a platform for our players to tell their stories so that their achievements in sport and society can inspire the next-generation of rugby talent and the sport’s supporters to prove that rugby is a game for all.
This game-changing agreement between SA Rugby and PRO14 Rugby will strengthen their existing partnership and will drive greater growth of the game for the benefit of all 16 teams in the league.
Martin Anayi, CEO of United Rugby Championship, said: “Fans have always asked more of our league and now we are taking it to new heights. The United Rugby Championship will see World Cup winners, icons of the Guinness Six Nations, the Rugby Championship and stars of the British & Irish Lions tour turning up the intensity in an exciting new league format. Since the origins of the Celtic League in 2001, the vision has been to innovate and evolve in order to create a compelling competition which would challenge our players and teams to be at their very best every single week. Their potential has never been in doubt and now we can provide them with the arena to be the very best.
“Forming the United Rugby Championship will begin to reshape the world of club rugby. We are creating a league that embraces and celebrates difference and where the only way to succeed will be to match the skill and intensity of the international game.
“The arrival of South Africa’s elite teams and the removal of fixtures from international match weekends will make our league stronger across the board. We will see heroes taking on heroes every week in iconic locations to create an appeal that will be unmatched in in the world of club rugby.
“We now have a clear purpose and identity that everyone associated with our league can stand behind. We have listened and we have answered the challenge set by our clubs to take this competition to the next level both on and off the field. North and south will now collide on a regular basis and we cannot wait to see who will rise up as the first champions of the United Rugby Championship.”
Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby, said: “South African rugby has for many years imagined a future aligned with northern-hemisphere rugby and this announcement marks the arrival of that vision.
“Our teams will be pitting themselves against the leading clubs from four nations, steeped in rugby tradition and folklore. They’ll do it without having to cross time zones or acclimatise while 100 per cent of matches will kick off in South African prime time.
“This is a watershed moment in South African rugby history, opening new doors and heralding a new and exciting era for our sport.”
Crossing New Horizons in Rugby
This agreement will create a pathway for SA Rugby to become a full shareholder in Pro Rugby Championship (PRC DAC) alongside the Celtic and Italian unions. In a sporting landscape looking towards the post-pandemic future this unification of north and south provides everyone involved in the United Rugby Championship with optimism for prosperous days ahead.
Subject to contract, all teams in the United Rugby Championship will be eligible to qualify for EPCR competitions in time for the 2022/23 season.
In comparison to the Guinness PRO14 structure, the 18-round regular season in the United Rugby Championship will see the return of a single-standing table that will prevent clashes with international weekends and leave little margin for error for those chasing the title. Every game will count in the league which will be further strengthened by an expanded knock-out series that aims to deliver more jeopardy with a full schedule of quarter-finals and semi-finals capped off by a Grand Final played in a destination venue.
The United Rugby Championship will set the stage where the diversity of playing styles, languages and fan cultures will clash across iconic locations in rugby heartlands week after week. The new league will also allow South Africa’s former Super Rugby sides to operate in a common time zone which will help open up greater audiences across the league and increase commercial appeal.
United Rugby Championship League Format
The URC will use one league table to rank the teams who will reach the knock-out stages and compete to reach the title and become the champions.
Fixtures: The regular season of the United Rugby Championship will take place across 18 rounds with each team’s fixtures comprising of six (6) Home AND away fixtures against their regional pool opponents and12 Home OR away fixtures against the remaining teams in the league
South African Pool: Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls
Italian & Scottish Pool: Benetton Rugby, Edinburgh, Glasgow Warriors, Zebre Rugby Club
Final Series/Play-Offs: One league table will be used to rank teams and after 18 rounds the top eight sides will qualify for the Play-Offs. Teams will be seeded from 1 to 8 and will receive home advantage according to their seeding.
A full round of Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals will take place to produce two teams who will qualify for the Grand Final.
URC – Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Participation
A total of eight teams from the United Rugby Championship will qualify each season for the following season’s Heineken Champions Cup. The balance of teams will participate in the Challenge Cup.
Subject to the finalisation of contract terms with EPCR, South African teams will be eligible to qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup from the 2022/23 season if they have finished in the United Rugby Championship qualification places from the prior season.
All points won during the URC season will contribute to rankings in the regional pools and the highest-ranking team in each of the four pools will earn a place in the Heineken Champions Cup for the following season. This addition to the format is expected to add even greater intensity to these age-old local rivalries.
The remaining four places in the Heineken Champions Cup will be awarded to the four highest-ranked teams from the single-standing league table who have not already qualified through the four regional pools.
Division Two-bound Offaly will play Mickey Harte’s Louth in Navan.
Both sides have been promoted in the National Football League this season and will want to carry that momentum over to the championship.
Offaly took the top spot in Division Three South after three wins from three and dispatched Fermanagh to win promotion.
They have not yet played the Division Three final against Derry, at the time of writing.
However, John Maughan’s side did not make it easy for themselves.
Fortunately, veteran Niall McNamee took on the role of super-sub as he got Offaly over the line on multiple occasions.
Louth, on the other hand, has improved vastly under Mickey Harte.
A dramatic one-point loss to Antrim in the first round of the National Football League was the only blemish on an otherwise stellar record.
Second-halves become clinics for the Wee County as they cruised to three wins in a row to earn promotion.
Led by captain Sam Mulroy, Louth put on fantastic displays to distance themselves from the competition and take control of proceedings.
Offaly may be the higher-ranked side but an upset is not unlikely.
Prediction: Louth by 3
Wicklow v Wexford
Wicklow and Wexford will go head-to-head in Aughrim in the first round.
Wicklow masterminded the great escape in their relegation play-off against Cavan.
Their 3-11 (20) to 0-18 (18) win over the Ulster champions was their first of the season after a brutal campaign as the whipping boys in Division Three South.
Seanie Furlong’s 2-3 was instrumental in the shock win for Davy Byrne’s side.
Limerick will host Waterford in the first of two quarter finals.
The winner will face last year’s finalists Cork on July 10th.
Limerick’s Gaelic football has had a promising start to the season, building on their impressive 2020.
In contrast, the new league format has flattered Waterford.
Billy Lee’s Limerick has gone from strength to strength over the past few years and saw themselves a game away from Division Two after some impressive performances.
The Treaty County got their revenge on Munster champions Tipperary after last year’s tight Munster semi-final loss.
However, they were unable to make it two promotions on the bounce as they fell to Rory Gallagher’s Derry.
Waterford was beaten convincingly by Division Four South’s top side Carlow.
A lifeless performance in Dungarvan was cushioned by a one-point win over Division Four Shield winners Wexford.
The slim victory saw Waterford in with a chance of promotion but those hopes faded quickly.
Antrim’s blazing start against the Deise saw Shane Ronayne’s side condemned to another year in the fourth tier.
Billy Lee’s Shannonsiders should ease through.
Prediction: Limerick by 5
Kerry v Clare
Kerry will welcome Clare in the other quarter final tie in Fitzgerald Stadium on the same day.
The winner of the tie will advance to face defending Munster champions Tipperary on July 10th.
Peter Keane’s Kerry side has started 2021 as they mean to go on with some fantastic showings in the National Football League.
A stellar second-half comeback against Dublin is the prize jewel in a magnificent crown.
The fluency of play and domination of the midfield and high-ball showed how good Peter Keane is as a tactician.
David Clifford has reached the next level of his game in 2021 with some fine attacking displays, most notably bagging a hat-trick against Galway.
Their opponents Clare had another bright season in Divsion Two.
A four-point loss to Mayo is indicative of the quality the side has.
Their one-point loss to Cork halted their push for first in Division Two South.
However, they have the opportunity to continue to build upon their recent growth.
Furthermore, David Tubridy broke the National Football League points record during the season.
Kerry will have too much in the canister for Clare to handle but the Banner have the chance to let Peter Keane and co. know that they’re serious.
His last chance to make the team going to Japan next month will be on the 24th June at the British Athletics Championships. Qualification for the competition ends on 27th June.
Farah still feels hopeful that he can retain his title if he qualifies.
The gold medallist quit running on the track so that he could focus on the longer marathon race in 2017.
Farah told Sky Sports:
“At the same time, if it is in a situation like now, then there’s no choice but I believe if I get my head down in the next three or four weeks, knuckle down, get this little (ankle) niggle out the way and then hopefully we should be alright.”
Peter O’Mahony is the most experienced player available with 75 caps to his name.
However, Johnny Sexton, Cian Healy and Keith Earls have been left out of the Summer Series squad to allow other players to gain more experience, according to Andy Farrell.
Furthermore, 11 uncapped players have been drafted into the squad for the two matches.
Connacht captain Paul Boyle and Munster’s Gavin Coombes are among those expected to earn their first cap this summer.
Those selected for the British and Irish Lions are unavailable for selection.
However, Ronan Kelleher is training with the British and Irish Lions squad this week but has been selected in Andy Farrell’s squad. (INSERT INTERNAL LINK)
Both games will be broadcast live by RTÉ (Republic of Ireland) and Channel 4 (Northern Ireland).
Ireland 2021 Vodafone Summer Series Squad
Backs (17)
Will Addison (Ulster/Enniskillen) 4 caps
Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) uncapped
Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) uncapped
Billy Burns (Ulster) 6 caps
Harry Byrne (Leinster/Lansdowne) uncapped
Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 22 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 1 cap
Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 24 caps
Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Constitution) 1 cap
Tom Daly (Connacht/Lansdowne) uncapped
Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster) 14 caps
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 9 caps
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 11 caps
Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 29 caps
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 4 caps
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 34 caps
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 34 caps
Forwards (20)
Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 3 caps
Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 14 caps
Paul Boyle (Connacht/Lansdowne) uncapped
Ed Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 4 caps
Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) uncapped
Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians) 18 caps
Peter Dooley (Leinster/Lansdowne) uncapped
Caelan Doris (Leinster/UCD) 7 caps
Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 5 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 21 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 11 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 43 caps
Ross Molony (Leinster/UCD) uncapped
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 75 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) uncapped
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 35 caps
John Ryan (Munster/Cork Constitution) 23 caps
Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) uncapped
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 31 caps
Fineen Wycherley (Munster/Young Munster) uncapped
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