141-665: Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland . The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and became the first Scottish team to win a major trophy in rugby union's professional era. In 2023-24 they became the first Scottish side to win the United Rugby Championship in its current form. The side
282-570: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by
423-497: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union
564-509: A 90–19 defeat, was worse. The SRU was quick to act in the face of these poor results and Danny Wilson was stood down as Head Coach. Just before the 2022–23 season began, Glasgow hired Franco Smith . It took a few games for the team to settle into the new coach, but they did and results followed. Glasgow went unbeaten at home in the regular URC season, and in European Challenge Cup Glasgow tore through opposition till
705-481: A Welsh conference and an Irish conference. The Warriors stuttered through the URC campaign. They seemed to have a bad knack of winning fixtures until the last quarter and then blowing their lead. Still, home results remained a bit better than the away fixtures. By the end of April they were just about managing to cling onto top 4 in the URC. Then the form stopped stuttering, but unfortunately things got worse. They bowed out of
846-654: A conference with the Ospreys, Blues, Munster, Connacht, Zebre and Cheetahs. After a blistering start with 10 straight wins, the Warriors were the first team to secure a play-off place. The Warriors won top place in Conference A and secured a home semi-final. Inconsistent form in the latter half of the season then cost the Warriors; losing in the semi-final to Scarlets . Glasgow Warriors' conference did not change for season 2018-19 but home and away fixtures were swapped from
987-493: A crowd of 44,000 and the result was in the balance right up until the final whistle, but Leicester walked off 34–30 winners. Munster reached the 2001–02 final with quarter-final and semi-final victories on French soil against Stade Français and Castres . Leicester pipped Llanelli in the last four, after the Scarlets had halted Leicester's 11-match Heineken Cup winning streak in the pool stages. A record crowd saw Leicester become
1128-594: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament
1269-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain
1410-661: A major role, but Toulouse survived to win. In 2003–04 the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) voted to create regions to play in the Celtic League and represent Wales in European competition. Henceforth, Wales entered regional sides rather than the club sides that had previously competed. English side London Wasps had earned their first final appearance by beating Munster 37–32 in a Dublin semi-final while Toulouse triumphed 19–11 in an all-French contest with Biarritz in
1551-592: A merger with the Caledonian Reds. They dropped the Caledonians to become Glasgow Rugby in 2001 again and finally rebranded as the Glasgow Warriors in 2005. Scotland had four District Sides:- North and Midlands ; South ; Glasgow District and Edinburgh District . Glasgow and Edinburgh were formed in 1872 and played the world's first ever inter-district match on 23 November of that year. This
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#17327803545361692-516: A mini-cup tournament. The Glasgow-Edinburgh 'inter-city' derby dates back to 1872 and is the oldest provincial match in the world. To mark this, the 1872 Cup thus began in 2007-08 . The Celtic League was rebranded as the Pro12 league in season 2011–12 . This was to better reflect the entry of the Italian sides into the Celtic League. The Pro12 league format had a top four play-off system to decide
1833-409: A new procedure in place. In lieu of the draw that used to determine the semi-final pairing, EPCR announced that the fixed semi-final bracket would be set in advance, and that the home team would be designated based on "performances by clubs during the pool stages as well as the achievement of a winning a quarter-final match away from home" . Semi-final matches must have been played at a neutral ground in
1974-569: A packed Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux. The 2004 final saw Wasps defeat defending champions Toulouse 27–20 at Twickenham to win the Heineken Cup for the first time. The match was widely hailed as one of the best finals. With extra time looming at 20–20, a late opportunist try by scrum half Rob Howley settled the contest. The tenth Heineken Cup final saw the inaugural champions Toulouse battle with rising stars Stade Français when Murrayfield
2115-534: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play
2256-797: A row. Following the November 2015 Paris attacks , all Round 1 games due to take place in France that weekend were called off, along with the Round 2 fixture between Stade Français and Munster . Rescheduling of some matches was difficult, partly caused by fixture congestion due to the 2015 Rugby World Cup . Saracens won their first title defeating Racing 92 in Lyon 21–9 in 2016 final and followed it up with their second in 2017, beating Clermont 28–17 in Edinburgh. In 2017–18 season, Leinster overcame
2397-637: A semi-final against reigning Pro12 champions Scarlets. Leinster defeated Scarlets to face Racing 92 in Champions Cup Final in Bilbao. Leinster defeated Racing 92 by a scoreline of 15–12, becoming only the second team in history to earn four European titles. Leinster also won the Pro14 title to become the first Pro14 side to win the domestic-European 'Double'. Saracens won the 2018–19 competition, defeating defending champions Leinster 20–10 in
2538-539: A single point to claim their first major honour. England supplied two of the 2000–01 semi-finalists – Leicester Tigers and Gloucester – with Munster and French champions Stade Français also reaching the last four. Both semi-finals were close, Munster going down by a point 16–15 to Stade Français in Lille and the Tigers beating Gloucester 19–15 at Vicarage Road , Watford. The final, at Parc des Princes , Paris, attracted
2679-472: A single-legged quarterfinals, semi-finals and final. The 2022-23 campaign will retain the same pool format, but, like 2020–21, all knockout stage games will be single-legged. Twickenham has been the most common venue for the final, holding the event on six occasions. The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff has held five finals, and its predecessor stadium on the same site a further two, but the latter stadium
2820-483: A small crowd, the competition gathered momentum and crowds grew. Toulouse went on to become the first European cup winners, eventually beating Cardiff in extra time in front of a crowd of 21,800 at Cardiff Arms Park. Clubs from England and Scotland joined the competition in 1996–97. European rugby was further expanded with the advent of the European Challenge Cup for teams that did not qualify for
2961-583: A sold-out Scotstoun, remains the highest in the Celtic League/Pro12/Pro14 history. In 2019–20, the Warriors started poorly but results picked up as the season progressed. By the end of February 2020, Glasgow Warriors had solidified the play-off 3rd spot and were hopeful of a decent run to overtake Ulster into the 2nd place in their conference. However, the COVID-19 pandemic intervened and Pro14 matches were stopped. The season restarted at
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#17327803545363102-470: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside
3243-655: A successful dialogue with the Welsh Rugby Union that resulted in both Scottish sides being entered in the WRU Challenge Cup in early 1999 . The WRU Challenge Cup was deemed a success and the SRU and WRU announced a new league system for the 1999-2000 season . The Welsh-Scottish League was essentially the Welsh Premier Division augmented by the Glasgow and Edinburgh sides. This meant the end of
3384-401: A team has made the play-offs – with 5 seasons between 2011–12 and 2015–16. Going further back and taking the Celtic League into account, this record is also shared with Leinster who made the play-offs in the last 2 years of the Celtic League and first 3 years of the Pro12. With the addition of two South African sides, the Pro12 expanded to become the Pro14 for season 2017-18 . The format of
3525-535: A tournament record 81,076 fans. During competition there was uncertainty over the future of the tournament after the 2006–07 season as French clubs had announced that they would not take part because of fixture congestion following the Rugby World Cup and an ongoing dispute between English clubs and the RFU. It was speculated that league two teams might compete the next season, the RFU saying "If this situation
3666-538: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include
3807-457: Is a 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 oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around
3948-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,
4089-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of
4230-494: Is known for its fast, dynamic and attacking style of play, using offloads and quick rucks. Defensively the club prides itself on its 'Fortress Scotstoun' where the club play at home. Glasgow Warriors are a continuation of the amateur Glasgow District side founded in 1872. For the history of Glasgow as an amateur district side see: Reshaped as a professional club in 1996, Glasgow Warriors were originally known as Glasgow Rugby before rebranding as Glasgow Caledonians in 1998 by
4371-418: Is not resolved, the RFU owes it to the sport to keep this competition going...We have spoken to our FDR clubs, and if they want to compete we will support them.". A subsequent meeting led to the announcement that the tournament would be played in 2007–08, with clubs from all the six nations. On 20 May it was announced that both French and English top-tier teams would be competing In the 2008 final, Munster won
Glasgow Warriors - Misplaced Pages Continue
4512-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between
4653-495: 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 ( English Premiership , French Top 14 , and United Rugby Championship ) or via winning the second-tier Challenge Cup ; those that do not qualify are instead eligible to compete in the second-tier Challenge Cup. Between 1995 and 2014,
4794-499: The 2001–02 season onwards. Only two professional sides remaining meant that the 1998–99 Scottish Inter-District Championship was fought out in a three match 'Tri-Series' battle between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The combined sides did not fare better in Europe. Glasgow finished bottom of their group in the 1998–99 Heineken Cup . The SRU realised that Glasgow and Edinburgh needed more competition domestically than each other and so began
4935-515: The 2002–03 Scottish Inter-District Championship as a professional tournament. Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Borders fought in out in what was the final professional Inter-District championship; the Bank of Scotland Pro Cup. Glasgow finished bottom of the table. In 2004–05 Glasgow had been fifth in the Celtic League, the best placing of the three Scottish teams that existed at that time. Starting with
5076-470: The 2005–06 season, the team was again rebranded, this time as the Glasgow Warriors. Disappointing results for the Border Reivers saw them disband again in 2007. With only two professional sides once again, the SRU took the opportunity to dust down and rename the 1995 Scottish Inter-District Championship trophy and use the two Celtic League fixtures between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby as
5217-532: The 2016-17 season resolved those weather-related issues, though there have on occasion been complaints from visiting teams about the synthetic surface. Originally based at Hughenden Stadium in 1996-97 , Glasgow moved to Scotstoun Stadium for the 1997-98 season. Rugby at Scotstoun , however, goes back even further, right to the beginning of the 1900s when the likes of Glasgow HSFP and Kelvinside Accies along with others played there on their journeys to Old Anniesland and Balgray respectively. The merger with
5358-549: The 2020–21 competition took on a revised format based on a hybrid of the round-robin and Swiss systems . A similar, but revised 24 team format took place for 2021–22 and 2022-23 . On 31 August 2023, Investec , a bank and wealth management company with operations in South Africa and Europe, and the European Professional Club Rugby announced Investec would take over as title sponsor of
5499-771: The Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by
5640-464: The COVID-19 pandemic in Europe the 2020–21 competition took on a revised format. In this edition, the teams were split up into two separate pools of 12, in which they would play four games against opponents from their pool, before the top four teams from each of the two pools advanced to the knockout stage, made up of two-legged quarterfinals, and a single legged semi-finals and final. However, due to
5781-832: The Caledonia Reds for the season caused the Warriors to play their matches not only at Hughenden and Firhill Stadium in Glasgow, but also at Perth's McDiarmid Park and Aberdeen's Rubislaw Playing Fields as it consolidated the traditional North and Midlands district. The following year saw the Warriors additionally play at Bridgehaugh Park in Stirling. the Caledonian Stadium in Inverness and Millbrae in Ayr. Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby ,
Glasgow Warriors - Misplaced Pages Continue
5922-519: The Caledonia Reds to form a team that would be known as Glasgow Caledonians. Edinburgh Rugby similarly merged with the Border Reivers . In effect, both the Glasgow and Edinburgh clubs took over the other districts. Glasgow's new 'Caledonian' label was later quietly dropped at the start of the 2001–02 season, with the team name becoming once again Glasgow Rugby. The Glasgow side however became colloquially known as Glasgow Warriors from at least
6063-542: The Heineken Cup for the first time, in the 1997–98 season. In their group stage that season finishing second, they qualified out of the group only to be well beaten in the Quarter Final play-off by Leicester Tigers . Because of the SRU's high debt, partly as a result of the redevelopment of Murrayfield Stadium , there was a recognised need for further reorganisation. After two seasons, Glasgow merged with
6204-536: The Millennium Stadium , Cardiff , 23–19. It was third time lucky for the Irish provincial side, who had previously been denied the ultimate prize twice by Northampton and Leicester in finals, in addition to a series of tight semi-final losses. Munster's history of heartbreaking near misses, large away followings and their enduring close connection to the tournament provided much of the romantic narrative of
6345-543: The Rainbow Cup – which because of COVID-19 was run as a mini European league of the Pro14 sides; and a South African league of their 4 biggest franchises that the Pro14 wished to invite – the winners of the two leagues would play off in a final. Glasgow Warriors stuttered in the Pro14 and only improved towards the end of the tournament. They managed to still secure a Champions Cup spot despite their early form. The end of season Rainbow Cup saw Glasgow lose their match against
6486-615: The Scottish Inter-District Championship although it did continue as before with the amateur district sides. The 1999-2000 season's Tri-Series was run without a sponsor. Glasgow won the title, but at a cost; they had beaten Edinburgh four times that season (including twice in the Tri-Series) and Edinburgh's only win was the 5th match, a dead rubber at the end of the Tri-Series. The fans didn't like
6627-702: The "pool of death" consisting of Glasgow Warriors (who finished the 2017–18 season top of the Pro14), Montpellier (who finished the 2017–18 season top of the TOP 14) and Exeter (who finished the 2017–18 season top of the English Premiership), beating all three teams both home and away. Leinster went on to face the back to back Champions Saracens , dispatching a defeat at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, to set up
6768-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in
6909-488: The Challenge Cup will earn a place regardless of league position. Team distribution is typically: Until 2018–19, the final team each season qualified through a play-off competition between the best placed unqualified teams. For the pool stage teams are placed into pools via a draw. The teams are ranked based on domestic league performance the previous season, and arranged into four tiers. Teams are then drawn from
7050-467: The Champions Cup at the hands of La Rochelle (the eventual winners of the European Cup that season), to find themselves in the Challenge Cup. A win against Newcastle Falcons papered over cracks but they were beaten in the quarter-final against Lyon, again losing the match from a winning position. (Lyon went on to win the Challenge Cup.) Beaten by both European winners may have been understandable but
7191-636: The French side won out 43–19. Nevertheless, it was a very successful first season under Smith, with the side back challenging on all fronts after the slump of the Danny Wilson era. He was named URC coach of the year. Scotstoun remained a fortress in the URC and they remained unbeaten at home in the 2023–24 season. Indeed, only the Stormers, the Sharks, Edinburgh and Cardiff managed to prevent Glasgow taking
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#17327803545367332-487: The Glasgow side's league form was much worse and a run of away fixtures hardly helped. Beaten by the Stormers and Bulls, the Warriors lost the 1872 Cup deciding match to Edinburgh. Not only did Edinburgh secure the 1872 Cup, but it meant that Edinburgh leapfrogged Glasgow Warriors in the league and also won the Scottish-Italian conference. Glasgow Warriors finished 8th; their lowest league position since 2010–11. It
7473-714: The Heineken Champions Cup. Although they are technically two separate competitions, run by different organisations, the European Rugby Cup and the European Rugby Champions Cup are recognised as one title chain of elite club championships in Europe, with teams that have won multiple titles ranked, for example, by the aggregate of their wins in both versions. French clubs have the highest number of victories (12 wins), followed by England (10 wins) and Ireland (7 wins). England has
7614-462: The Heineken Cup. The Heineken Cup now had 20 teams divided into four pools of five. Only Leicester and Brive reached the knock-out stages with 100 per cent records and ultimately made it to the final, Cardiff and Toulouse falling in the semi-finals. After 46 matches, Brive beat Leicester 28–9 in front of a crowd of 41,664 at Cardiff Arms Park , the match watched by an estimated television audience of 35 million in 86 countries. The season 1997–98 saw
7755-473: The Irish side. That meant a final in South Africa at Loftus Versfeld. The Bulls won the match before, but like that match Glasgow knew they could win the second half, if they could keep the first half tight. A score at the end of the first half by Scott Cummings made the half time score 13–7 to the Bulls; and the Warriors stepped on the gas in the second half with tries by George Turner and Huw Jones. Glasgow saw out
7896-513: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example
8037-820: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in
8178-476: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by
8319-516: The Scottish district sides had no settled home and were not members of their Rugby Union. This meant when Scottish rugby embraced professionalism it was not clear if a model based on districts or clubs would be used. It was not clear which route professionalism would go in Scotland. This created a turbulent start for professionalism in Scotland and left Scotland far behind fast-embracing Ireland in
8460-489: The URC, but they were given the 1st seeds Leinster in Dublin to play. The Warriors failed to regroup for the quarter-final and although they again started brightly the team predictably slumped. It was quite a slump too, a 76–14 defeat: it was the Warriors worst result domestically; and their second-worse result of all time. Only the Leicester Tigers European quarter-final play-off match of 1997–98 season,
8601-537: The United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game
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#17327803545368742-423: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in
8883-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually
9024-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under
9165-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of
9306-413: The bonus point win there. Away from home, the Warriors were beaten five times. Once by Connacht, once by Munster, in the 1872 Cup match against Edinburgh - though not enough to stop the 1872 Cup heading to Glasgow again, and crucially at the end of the season an away loss to the Bulls and the Lions. The Warriors lost their 1st place in the league by the two South African losses, and finished the season 4th in
9447-503: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed
9588-432: The champions. Since the Pro12 started in season 2011–12, Glasgow Warriors were the only team that have made the play-offs in every year, but this record was finally broken at the end of the 2016–17 season on 28 April 2017 when the Warriors lost to Leinster in Dublin ensuring that a top 4 finish for the Glasgow side was unattainable. Glasgow Warriors hold the Pro12 record of the highest number of consecutive seasons that
9729-411: The club's European record or current status in the Heineken Champions Cup." There were no Saracens representatives at the launch of the 2019–20 competition, held in Cardiff on 6 November 2019. EPCR released a statement saying they were "disappointed to learn of Saracens' decision to make their club representatives unavailable for today's official 2019–20 season launch". Because of the COVID-19 pandemic
9870-440: The club's history reveals a more nomadic nature. Some of this was planned as the club took over the Caledonia Reds district; or a liberal spreading of the Warriors brand to various grounds for friendlies and smaller ties; and some of this was caused by inclement weather; in particular the Warriors had to play several games at the football ground of Kilmarnock F.C. in 2015/16. The laying of a synthetic pitch at Scotstoun Stadium for
10011-408: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in
10152-622: The clubs to be represented in Europe were former Scotland internationalists Gavin Hastings and Keith Robertson . Critically a speech from the floor from Brian Simmers of Glasgow Academicals – arguing that Hastings and Robertson didn't have the best interests of Scottish rugby at heart and they were arguing only for their own clubs – swung the debate and the District model won by 178 to 24. The four amateur district teams Glasgow, Edinburgh, South of Scotland and North and Midlands were to become
10293-490: The co-operation in a new Celtic League. The Celtic League began in truncated fashion in the autumn of 2001 with the addition of the four Irish provincial teams in two pools; Glasgow reached the semi-finals of the inaugural competition, but struggled thereafter. In its first year the Celtic League ran concurrently with the 2001–02 Welsh-Scottish League but fixture congestion meant that the Welsh-Scottish tournament
10434-474: The competition. The tournament moved away from the COVID-19 influenced hybrid system back toward a more straightforward, if still modified, round-robin pool format, while retaining the balance of four pool matches and four knock-out weekends. Typically, a total of 24 teams qualify for the competition, the same number as used to qualify for the Heineken Cup. At least 23 of the 24 teams qualify automatically based on position in their respective leagues. The winner of
10575-637: The cup for their second time ever by beating Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Leinster won the title in 2009 in their first ever final after beating Munster in the semi-final in front of a then world record Rugby Union club match attendance in Croke Park . They beat the Leicester Tigers in the final at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. They also beat Harlequins 6–5 in the quarter-finals at Twickenham Stoop , in
10716-487: The designated home team's country. Since 2018–19, the higher-seeded team will have home country/venue advantage for each semi-final regardless of whether they won their quarter-final at home or on the road. The EPCR may now also use its discretion to allow semi-finals to be played at a qualified club's home venue. The winners of the semi-finals will contest the final, which will be held in May each season. Because of
10857-496: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in
10998-407: The early years of the competition. The 2006–07 Heineken Cup would be distributed to over 100 countries following Pitch International's securing of the rights. That season was the first time in the history of the competition that two teams went unbeaten in pool play, with both Llanelli Scarlets and Biarritz doing so. Biarritz went into their final match at Northampton Saints with a chance to become
11139-404: The end of August; but it was instead curtailed, now with only two matches to play, meaning it was virtually impossible to catch Ulster in the second spot. Worse for the Warriors was the Pro14 decision to not play any Quarter-Final matches which meant that they would not be involved in the play-offs. Missing out, the final was played between Leinster and Ulster, with Leinster winning. Season 2020-21
11280-412: The equivalent competition was known as the Heineken Cup and was run by European Rugby Cup . Following 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 title sponsorship. Heineken returned as sponsor for the 2018–19 season, resulting in the competition being known as
11421-488: The famous Bloodgate scandal. In the 2010 final, Toulouse defeated Biarritz Olympique in the Stade de France to claim their fourth title, a Heineken Cup record. The 16th Heineken Cup tournament in 2011 resulted in an Irish province lifting the title for the fourth time in six years as Leinster recorded their second triumph in the competition. They defeated former multiple Heineken Cup winners Leicester and Toulouse in
11562-486: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of
11703-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if
11844-482: The field to accommodate fitter and faster (or heavier) players. Fixed cameras on tripods and advertising hoardings are often the main culprits for injuring players in the perimeter area. 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
11985-402: The final at Lansdowne Road , Dublin. Ulster then carried home the trophy after a 21–6 win over Colomiers in front of a capacity 49,000 crowd. English clubs returned in 1999–00. The pool stages were spread over three months to allow the competition to develop alongside the nations' own domestic competitions, and the knockout stages were scheduled to take the tournament into the early spring. For
12126-516: The final. Saracens were in breach of the Premiership salary cap during this edition and the previous year, in which they qualified for the 2018–19 cup. However, the EPCR have confirmed that Premiership ruling will not affect the results of the Heineken Champions Cup for 2018–19 or previous years, stating: "The Saracens decision is based on Gallagher Premiership Rugby regulations and does not affect
12267-622: The final. Winning the 1872 Cup and the Scottish-Italian Shield, they made 4th in the URC, playing Munster at home in the Quarter-Final. A red card to Tom Jordan made it difficult for the Warriors and they lost the match 14–5 to the Irish side. In the European Challenge Cup final, a devastating first half by Toulon scoring 21 points without reply left the Warriors too much to do in the second half and
12408-420: The first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895, the split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at
12549-518: The first season of the tournament in the 1995–96 season. Toulouse are the current European champions, having beaten the second-most successful club, Leinster 22–31 in the 2024 final in London , England. Toulouse completed "the Double" (Heineken Cup/European Rugby Champions Cup-National Championship) 3 times (1995-1996, 2020-2021 and 2023-2024), a record in Europe. The Heineken Cup was launched in
12690-489: The first side to successfully defend their title. From 2002, the European Challenge Cup winner now automatically qualified for the Heineken Cup. Toulouse's victory over French rivals Perpignan in 2003 meant that they joined Leicester as the only teams to win the title twice. Toulouse saw a 19-point half-time lead whittled away as the Catalans staged a dramatic comeback in a match in which the strong wind and showers played
12831-537: The first team ever to score bonus-point wins in all their pool matches, but were only able to score two of the four tries needed. Leicester defeated Llanelli Scarlets to move into the final at Twickenham, with the possibility of winning a Treble of championships on the cards, having already won the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the English Premiership. However, Wasps won the final 25 points to 9 in front of
12972-430: The first time clubs from four nations – England, Ireland, France and Wales – made it through to the semi-finals. Munster's defeat of Toulouse in Bordeaux ended France's record of having contested every final and Northampton Saints ' victory over Llanelli made them the third English club to make it to the final. The competition was decided with a final between Munster and Northampton, with Northampton coming out on top by
13113-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to
13254-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on
13395-413: The format and it was scrapped. The Welsh-Scottish League lasted three seasons. Although both Glasgow and Edinburgh finished no higher than mid-table for those three seasons, it did provide the Scottish sides with much needed competition. It was looked on as a successful model of co-operation between two rugby unions. The Irish Rugby Football Union began talks with the SRU and WRU about further extending
13536-443: The four pools gain home advantage in the round of 16, with the teams finishing third and fourth playing away The quarter-finals are unbracketed, and follow the standard 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 format, as found in the Heineken Cup. The winners of the quarter-finals will contest the two semi-finals, Up to and including the 2014–15 season, matches and home country advantage were determined by a draw by EPCR. In 2015–16, EPCR decided to put
13677-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area
13818-441: The highest Heineken Cup final winning margin. The performance broke a number of Heineken Cup Final records. Leinster became only the second team to win back-to-back titles, and the only team ever to win three championships in four years. In addition, the game had the highest attendance at a final (81,774), the highest number of tries (5) and points (42) scored by one team and the highest points difference (28). The final edition of
13959-671: The highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America ,
14100-413: The increasing spread of the virus, only two rounds were played before the competition was suspended, and instead the top eight teams from each of the two pools advanced to the knockout stage, with all matches being single-legged affairs. A similar format remained for 2021–22 , with the top eight teams from each of the two pools advancing to the knockout stage, which featured a two-legged Round of 16 before
14241-410: The introduction of a home and away format in the pool games. The five pools of four teams, which guaranteed each team a minimum of six games, and the three quarter-final play-off matches all added up to a 70-match tournament. Brive reached the final again but were beaten late in the game by Bath with a penalty kick. Ironically, English clubs had decided to withdraw from the competition in a dispute over
14382-402: The largest number of winning teams, with six clubs having won the title. The competition has been won by thirteen different clubs, eight of which have won it more than once, and five successfully defended their title including a unique three-in-a-row made by Toulon between 2012–13 and 2014–15 . Toulouse is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won it 6 times, including
14523-413: The league changed to accommodate the extra teams. It was split into two conferences and matches played in a conference system with the addition of 2 derby fixtures. The play-off system also changed with the winners of the conferences hosting a Semi-Final and each conference runners up and 3rd place teams playing off in Quarter-Final fixtures. For the Pro14's inaugural season, Glasgow Warriors were placed in
14664-631: The match 21 - 16, with the Bulls only scoring 3pts in the second half, to become URC champions. In December 2023, Glasgow launched a women's team to compete in the Celtic Challenge , a cross-border competition that is designed to develop players for the Celtic nations, starting in the 2023–24 season . For the most part, Glasgow Warriors through the years have played their matches in Glasgow either at Hughenden Stadium , Firhill Stadium or Scotstoun Stadium , their current base. A closer look at
14805-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;
14946-727: The other three Scottish districts competed in the Scottish Inter-District Championship to determine their European Qualifying; the leagues positions determining whether they entered the Heineken Cup or the Challenge Cup for the following season. Due to Glasgow District's bottom placing in the 1995–96 Scottish Inter-District Championship , Glasgow was entered into the 1996–97 European Challenge Cup where they finished second bottom of their group. Results improved somewhat domestically in 1996-97 with Glasgow securing second place in that season's Inter-District Championship behind Caledonia Reds . That meant that Glasgow qualified for
15087-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of
15228-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of
15369-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified
15510-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both
15651-659: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition
15792-618: The previous year. Other than a blip against the Southern Kings and a notable dip in the Festive period against Edinburgh and Benetton Treviso , by and large Glasgow Warriors seemed to ease through their fixtures. By the end of the regular season Glasgow were top of Conference A again and setting new records:- the final regular season match against Edinburgh Rugby saw the Warriors hit a club record of 7 consecutive try bonus point league wins; their total of 15 try bonus points throughout
15933-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind
16074-406: The professional sides Glasgow Warriors, Edinburgh Rugby , Border Reivers and the Caledonia Reds . Glasgow Rugby was created in 1996 to compete in the Heineken Cup , because the Scottish Rugby Union did not think that Scottish club sides would be able to compete against the best teams from France and England. For a detailed season by season guide of Glasgow Warriors history see: Glasgow and
16215-623: The quarter- and semi-finals. At the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, in front of 72,000 spectators, Leinster fought back from a 22–6 half-time deficit in the final against Northampton Saints , scoring 27 unanswered points in 26 second-half minutes, winning 33–22 in one of the tournament's greatest comebacks. Johnny Sexton won the man-of-the-match award, having scored 28 of Leinster's points total, which included two tries , three conversions , and four penalties . Leinster successfully defended their crown in 2012 at Twickenham, eclipsing fellow Irish province and former champions Ulster 42–14 to establish
16356-547: The result of each game, with teams receiving four points for a win, and two for a draw. Teams can also earn bonus points for scoring four or more tries and/or for losing a match by seven points or fewer. Following the completion of the pool stage, 16 teams qualify for the knock-out stage of the Champions Cup with a further 4 of the remaining 8 dropping into the Challenge Cup. The final four teams are eliminated The sixteen remaining teams are seeded from 1–16 based on performance in their respective pool. The top two teams in each of
16497-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around
16638-517: The season was a new Pro14 record; their 81 points scored was the most ever scored in a league campaign by Glasgow Warriors; and their 83 tries was the most scored in a league campaign by Glasgow Warriors; and their 621 points scored was the most scored in a league campaign by Glasgow Warriors. They narrowly lost to Leinster in the final at Celtic Park following an error by Stuart Hogg in the Warriors try-line. The Celtic Park final attendance, swelled by Glasgow Warriors fans normally unable to watch at
16779-408: The set up of its professional structure. The first season of the Heineken Cup in 1995–96 was run without any Scottish teams in European competition. An EGM was held by the SRU for its member clubs to debate the matter and try and settle the issue on 8 February 1996. The SRU management was in favour of districts and its Vice-president Fred McLeod , and Jim Telfer argued for the proposal. In favour of
16920-590: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst
17061-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international
17202-534: The summer of 1995 on the initiative of the then Five Nations Committee to provide a new level of professional cross border competition. Twelve sides representing Ireland, Wales, Italy, Romania and France competed in four pools of three with the group winners going directly into the semi-finals. English and Scottish teams did not take part in the inaugural competition. From an inauspicious beginning in Romania, where Toulouse defeated Farul Constanţa 54–10 in front of
17343-482: The surprise eventual Rainbow Cup tournament winners Benetton Treviso but then win the rest of their matches, securing the 1872 Cup along the way and beating this season's Pro14 winners Leinster in their last match. The European sides were again joined by the South African franchises in season 2021–22. The championship was split in four conferences:- a Scottish-Italian conference, a South African conference,
17484-475: The table, but only 3 points behind 1st place. The play-offs meant that Glasgow faced the Stomers at home. In blustery conditions the Warriors comfortably won the match, helped by the Stomers poor kicking in the wind. The quarter final was against Munster away at Thomond Park. Munster displaying advertising promoting the final between them and the Bulls before the match gave Glasgow extra impetus and they outplayed
17625-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',
17766-412: The tiers into pools at random, with the restriction that no team will be drawn in the same pool as another team from the same league and tier. The nature of the draw means that sides will have a relatively even spread of matches across venues, leagues and tiers. Teams will play the two other teams in their pool from each different league once, at home or away, and match points will be awarded depending on
17907-424: The tournament as constituted as the Heineken Cup was won for a second time by Toulon at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in May 2014. The tournament began on 17 October 2014, with Harlequins playing Castres Olympique in the first ever Champions Cup game. Toulon retained their title, beating Clermont 24–18 in a repeat of the 2013 Heineken Cup Final , thereby becoming the first club to win three European titles in
18048-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between
18189-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually
18330-546: The way it was run. Without English clubs, the 1998–99 tournament revolved around France, Italy and the Celtic nations. Sixteen teams took part in four pools of four. French clubs filled the top positions in three of the groups and for the fourth consecutive year a French club, in the shape of Colomiers from the Toulouse suburbs, reached the final. Despite this it was to be Ulster 's year as they beat Toulouse (twice) and reigning French champions Stade Français on their way to
18471-616: 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, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845,
18612-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on
18753-704: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,
18894-599: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played
19035-438: Was known as the 'Inter-City' derby; originally a twice a season event until 1876, then became annual thereafter. The district sides capped the best amateur players from their area's club sides to play inter-district matches and matches against touring sides. The Scottish Inter-District Championship began in 1953-54 (and so encompassed the traditional Inter-City derby). Unlike the Scottish clubs (and Ireland's provincial sides),
19176-522: Was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France,
19317-652: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:
19458-420: Was scrapped in favour of the new league. The new Celtic League was an instant success and the SRU took the opportunity to resurrect one of its disbanded districts in 2002. The Border Reivers were thus reborn for 2002–03 season. The Celtic League remained in its truncated 'pools' form for 2002–03 season before its expansion to a full league set-up the following season. This gave the SRU a one-off chance to revive
19599-568: Was still affected with the COVID-19 pandemic; this meant very limited or usually no fans at the matches. The Southern Kings went bankrupt and the Cheetahs were unable to compete due to the pandemic, so the Pro14 ran with 12 European sides, still in two conferences. They did however court some of the South African Super Rugby Unlocked franchises for the following season and organised an end of season tournament –
19740-453: Was the first Scottish venue to host the final. Fabien Galthié 's Paris side led until two minutes from the end of normal time before Frédéric Michalak levelled the contest for Toulouse with his first penalty strike. He repeated this in the initial stages of extra time and then sealed his side's success with a superb opportunist drop-goal. Toulouse became the first team to win three Heineken Cup titles. In 2006, Munster defeated Biarritz in
19881-426: Was the first time that Edinburgh finished higher than Glasgow since that 2010–11 season. Finishing 8th meant that Glasgow failed to qualify for the Champions Cup next season. The last time that happened was the 2005–06 season, causing Hugh Campbell to lose his job; and they played the 2006–07 season in the Challenge Cup under Sean Lineen. Eighth place in 2021-22 did qualify the Warriors for the last quarter-final place of
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