Rugby/Celtic League: Whatever about the haemorrhage of players from Leinster following the messy off-field business at the end of last season, the province will need to get a motivated squad together promptly if they wish to start strongly in the coming season's Celtic League competition.
Leinster opens its account against last year's champions with a difficult away match against Neath-Swansea Ospreys. Connacht and Munster have each drawn home matches, Cardiff are coming to the Sportsground and Border Reivers will be arriving to Cork or Limerick for Declan Kidney's first match in charge since leaving Leinster last season. Ulster do not begin their campaign until the second week when they travel to Cardiff.
Around about the time the kids begin to go back to school, the 2005-06 Celtic League will kick off with September 2nd-4th the scheduled weekend for the first round of matches.
Also built into the programme is a full round of games in the final weekend of league action at the end of May next year. All four Irish provinces are involved in matches over that weekend, which could make for an exciting finish if any are in the running for the title or a Heineken Cup place.
Bearing in mind the international autumn series in which the Irish national side will play in a series of Tests against New Zealand, South Africa and Romania, there will be no Celtic League games played during those three weekends in November.
The fixture list is also free of Celtic League competition throughout the five weekends of the RBS Six Nations Championship in the new year. The hope is that that the clubs will be able to call on their international players.
Celtic League director David Jordan, speaking as the fixtures were released, said: "We are delighted to announce such a competitive fixture list with Heineken Cup qualification at stake for all the Irish, Scottish and Welsh clubs." Details of the matches to be broadcast by the League's TV partners BBC Wales S4C and Setanta Sports UK and Ireland will be released in the coming days.
Celtic League: This season's fixtures
September 2nd-4th: Llanelli Scarlets v Edinburgh Gunners; Ospreys v Leinster ; Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons; Connacht v Cardiff Blues; Munster v Border Reivers. Free: Ulster.
September 9th-11th: Cardiff Blues v Ulster; Munster v Ospreys; Border Reivers v Llanelli Scarlets Edinburgh Gunners v Connacht; Leinster v Glasgow Warriors; Free: Newport Gwent Dragons
September 13th-14th: Ospreys v Newport Gwent Dragons; Cardiff Blues v Llanelli Scarlets.
September 16th-18th: Leinster v Newport Gwent Dragons; Llanelli Scarlets v Connacht; Glasgow Warriors v Munster; Border Reivers v Ospreys; Ulster v Edinburgh Gunners; Free: Cardiff Blues.
September 23rd-25th: Munster v Llanelli Scarlets; Newport Gwent Dragons v Ulster; Edinburgh Gunners v Ospreys; Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues; Connacht v Border Reivers; Free: Leinster.
September 30th-October 2nd: Connacht v Munster; Leinster v Ulster; Edinburgh Gunners v Glasgow Warriors; Free: Border Reivers.
October 7th-9th: Ulster v Connacht; Munster v Leinster; Border Reivers v Edinburgh Gunners; Free: Glasgow Warriors.
October 14th-16th: Ospreys v Connacht; Leinster v Cardiff Blues; Border Reivers v Ulster; Llanelli Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors; Edinburgh Gunners v Newport Gwent Dragons; Free: Munster.
November 4th-6th: Ulster v Ospreys; Glasgow Warriors v Connacht; Newport Gwent Dragons v Border Reivers; Leinster v Edinburgh Gunners; Cardiff Blues v Munster; Free: Llanelli Scarlets.
December 2nd-4th: Connacht v Leinster; Munster v Ulster; Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Gunners; Free: Border Reivers.
December 22nd-24th: Ospreys v Cardiff Blues; Munster v Connacht; Newport Gwent Dragons v Llanelli Scarlets; Edinburgh Gunners v Border Reivers; Ulster v Leinster; Free: Glasgow Warriors.
December (Tues) 27th-28: Cardiff Blues v Newport Gwent Dragons; Llanelli Scarlets v Ospreys.
December 31st-January 2nd: Leinster v Munster; Newport Gwent v Dragons Ospreys; Llanelli Scarlets v Cardiff Blues; Border Reivers v Glasgow Warriors; Connacht v Ulster; Free: Edinburgh Gunners.
January 6th-8th: Newport Gwent Dragons v Connacht; Llanelli Scarlets v Leinster; Border Reivers v Cardiff Blues; Edinburgh Gunners v Munster; Ulster v Glasgow Warriors; Free: Ospreys
January 27th-29th: Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Gunners; Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys; Leinster v Border Reivers; Munster v Newport Gwent Dragons; Ulster v Llanelli Scarlets; Free: Connacht.
February 17th-19th: Newport Gwent Dragons v Leinster; Ospreys v Border Reivers; Edinburgh Gunners v Ulster; Connacht v Llanelli Scarlets; Munster v Glasgow Warriors; Free: Cardiff Blues.
March 3rd-5th: Cardiff Blues v Ospreys; Llanelli Scarlets v Newport Gwent Dragons; Glasgow Warriors v Border Reivers; Leinster v Connacht; Ulster v Munster; Free: Edinburgh Gunners.
March 24th-26th: Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors; Ospreys v Edinburgh Gunners; Llanelli Scarlets v Munster; Border Reivers v Connacht; Ulster v Newport Gwent Dragons; Free: Leinster.
April 7th-9th: Newport Gwent Dragons v Munster; Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors; Llanelli Scarlets v Ulster; Border Reivers v Leinster; Edinburgh Gunners v Cardiff Blues; Free: Connacht.
April 14th-16th: Cardiff Blues v Border Reivers; Glasgow Warriors v Ulster; Connacht Newport v Gwent Dragons; Leinster v Llanelli Scarlets; Free: Ospreys.
April (Tues) 17th-18th: Newport Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues; Ospreys v Llanelli Scarlets.
April 28th-30th: Cardiff Blues v Connacht; Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors; Border Reivers v Munster; Edinburgh Gunners v Llanelli Scarlets; Leinster v Ospreys. Free: Ulster.
May 5th-7th: Ospreys v Munster; Llanelli Scarlets v Border Reivers; Glasgow Warriors v Leinster Connacht v Edinburgh Gunners; Ulster v Cardiff Blues; Free: Newport Gwent Dragons.
May 12th-14th: Cardiff Blues v Leinster; Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh Gunners; Glasgow Warriors v Llanelli Scarlets; Connacht v Ospreys; Ulster v Border Reivers; Free: Munster.
May 26th-28th: Ospreys v Ulster; Border Reivers v Newport Gwent Dragons; Edinburgh Gunners v Leinster; Connacht v Glasgow Warriors; Munster v Cardiff Blues; Free: Llanelli Scarlets.
