2007–08 Celtic League
The 2007–08 Celtic League (known as the 2007–08 Magners League for sponsorship reasons) was the seventh Celtic League season and the second with Magners as title sponsor. The season began on 31 August 2007 and finished on the weekend beginning 10 May 2008. Some disruption to fixtures occurred as a result of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which took place during September and October 2007.
| 2007–08 Celtic League | |
|---|---|
 A maul between Edinburgh Rugby and Munster | |
| Countries |  Ireland Scotland Wales |
| Champions | Leinster (2nd title) |
| Runners-up | Cardiff Blues |
| Matches played | 90 |
| Attendance | 609,015 (average 6,767 per match) |
| Tries scored | 341 (average 3.8 per match) |
| Top point scorer | Dan Parks (Glasgow) (159 points)[1] |
| Top try scorer | Tom James (Cardiff Blues) (9 tries)[2] |
| Official website | |
| www | |
The teams competing were the same as the previous season with one exception; only two Scottish teams participated, as the Scottish Rugby Union scrapped the Border Reivers region at the end of the 2006–07 season.[3] As in previous seasons, the league was played on a home and away basis, with teams earning four points for a win, and a bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match. The losing team may also earn a bonus point if they lose by seven points or less. The losing bonus point system is intended to ensure that both teams compete fully in all matches.
The ten teams competing were the four Irish provinces: Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster; two Scottish regions: Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors; and four Welsh regions: Llanelli Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons.
Teams
 Winners;  2nd–4th place;  Other teams. | |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | City, Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff Blues |
Cardiff Arms Park | 12,500 | Cardiff, Wales |
| Connacht |
Galway Sportsgrounds | 5,500 | Galway, Republic of Ireland |
| Edinburgh |
Murrayfield Stadium | 12,464[lower-alpha 1] | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Glasgow Warriors |
Firhill Stadium | 10,887 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Leinster |
RDS Arena | 18,500 | Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
| Llanelli Scarlets |
Stradey Park | 10,800 | Llanelli, Wales |
| Munster |
Musgrave Park | 8,300 | Cork, Republic of Ireland |
| Newport Gwent Dragons |
Rodney Parade | 12,000 | Newport, Wales |
| Ospreys |
Liberty Stadium | 20,500 | Swansea, Wales |
| Ulster |
Ravenhill | 12,800 | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
Pre-season
Following the end of the 2006–07 Celtic League season, a number of controversial events occurred in Celtic rugby. Mike Phillips moved from the Cardiff Blues to the Ospreys, in a move that would earn him £180,000 a year. The Border Reivers was officially closed as a rugby club, and Edinburgh Rugby were almost expelled from the competition, because of a row with the Scottish Rugby Union.
As a result of increased revenue from governing bodies and TV rights, most clubs were able to expand their squads with the signing of several new players.
Table
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | Try bonus | Losing bonus | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leinster |
18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 428 | 283 | +145 | 44 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 61 | |
| Cardiff Blues |
18 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 395 | 315 | +80 | 48 | 31 | 6 | 2 | 56 | |
| Munster |
18 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 330 | 258 | +72 | 33 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 48 | |
| Edinburgh |
18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 313 | 285 | +28 | 35 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 48 | |
| Glasgow Warriors |
18 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 340 | 349 | −9 | 31 | 38 | 1 | 3 | 46 | |
| Llanelli Scarlets |
18 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 403 | 362 | +41 | 45 | 38 | 6 | 5 | 39 | |
| Ospreys |
18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 321 | 255 | +66 | 24 | 24 | 2 | 9 | 37 | |
| Newport Gwent Dragons |
18 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 282 | 394 | −112 | 31 | 44 | 1 | 3 | 34 | |
| Ulster |
18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 278 | 407 | −129 | 33 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 29 | |
| Connacht |
18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 214 | 396 | −182 | 16 | 39 | 0 | 2 | 24 | |
|
Under the standard bonus point system, points are awarded as follows:
| |||||||||||||
| Source: RaboDirect PRO12 | |||||||||||||
Results
A provisional fixture list was released on 23 July 2007, with the opening game featuring Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys.
Welsh Round 1
- All-Welsh Round 5 matches played early to allow Welsh teams to play in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
| 1 September 2007 17:30 |
| Llanelli Scarlets | 23–30 | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Report |
| Stradey Park Attendance: 5,923 |
Welsh Round 2
- All-Welsh Round 6 matches played early to allow Welsh teams to play in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
| 26 December 2007 14:05 |
| Cardiff Blues | 11–6 | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Report |
| Cardiff Arms Park Attendance: 12,532 |
1872 Cup 1st round
Welsh Round 3
- All-Welsh Round 8 matches rescheduled to allow Welsh teams to play in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
| 1 January 2008 16:10 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 15–13 | Llanelli Scarlets |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 6,782 |
Round 10
| 4 January 2008 19:30 |
| Glasgow Warriors | 16–18 | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 1,798 |
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
1872 Cup 2nd round
Round 16
Rearranged fixtures
- Round 13 match postponed from 22 March because of the Ospreys' participation in the Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-final
- Round 10 match postponed from 4 January because of adverse weather conditions at Ravenhill.
Round 17
Rearranged fixture
- Round 15 match postponed from 12 April because of the Ospreys' participation in the Anglo-Welsh Cup final.
Round 18
Leading scorers
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-IRB nationalities.
Top points scorers
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Top try scorers
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Broadcast rights
Television rights for the league were split between three broadcasters: BBC Wales, S4C and Setanta Sports. BBC Wales and S4C continued to cover the Celtic League until the end of the 2009–10 season.[4]
Notes
- Although Murrayfield's full capacity is 67,800, only the lower section of the West Stand, with a capacity of 12,464, is generally opened for Edinburgh fixtures.
References
- "Leading Points-Scorers". RaboDirect PRO12. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- "Leading Try-Scorers". RaboDirect PRO12. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- "Scottish union axes Borders team". BBC. 27 March 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- "BBC extends Welsh rugby contract". BBC Sport. 30 August 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2013.