Ulster Rugby vs Glasgow

Managing Director, PRO12 Rugby Welcome

With the rugby season in full flow I’d like to offer you a very warm welcome to Round 15 of the Guinness PRO12 where I’m sure you’ll get your regular fill of adventurous play and dramatic action. It’s been an excellent season so far for our clubs and unions and whether you’re Italian, Irish, Scottish or Welsh your teams and favourite players have given you something to shout about in the Guinness PRO12, in Europe and in the international arena. On and off the pitch there is a wonderful positivity around our Championship and we still have the the business end of the season to look forward to when semi-final places and Champions Cup berths will all be up for grabs. Although we have seen great consistency from Munster Rugby, Ospreys Rugby and Leinster Rugby all season, each round of action in the Guinness PRO12 brings us something unexpected. The competition among the top six is so intense right now and we saw a perfect example of that when Scarlets travelled to Scotland and took home a priceless victory over Glasgow Warriors in front of a packed house at Scotstoun. It has inched Scarlets above the Warriors into fourth place but Ulster Rugby’s win over Edinburgh Rugby has now put them in position to surge back into Championship contention, particularly as they have a game in hand, too. It’s also really exciting to know that between now and the end of the season we have 12 games involving the top six teams playing against each other. Meanwhile, Edinburgh, Cardiff Blues, Newport-Gwent Dragons and Connacht Rugby will know that they have a chance to make it to the Champions Cup play- offs in May and again there will be plenty of fixtures between that group of clubs as well. It will be fascinating to see where everyone is positioned when Super Saturday arrives in Round 22. The rugby is of course the reason why our supporters chose to attend games every weekend. Now that we’ve passed the halfway point of the season it’s clear that try- scoring and positive play have been a big theme in the Guinness PRO12. Our clubs have produced 421 tries which has us on course for a record-setting campaign. What’s also really encouraging is the record low number of points scored from penalties which shows that our coaches and players are more interested in tries than pointing to the posts. We’ve also seen a rise in broadcast viewers and attendances so never forget that your support is invaluable. Behind the scenes at all our clubs and within our own team at PRO12 Rugby we are all working hard to make sure you enjoy a great day out every time you come to a game. The competition to claim the Championship title ramping up with intensity every week but you still have time to guarantee your place at the Guinness PRO12 Final at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on May 27. It promises to be an unmissable event and prices start at just €35. Ticket sales have been incredibly strong so far and you can avoid missing out by logging onto www.ticketmaster.ie to get yours. Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi

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