RaboDirect PRO12 launches in Dublin

The latest incarnation of the Celtic League was formally unveiled today at Dublin’s Conrad Hotel.

Players and coaches were joined by league officials as the new league trophy and new sponser RaboDirect were introduced.

Speaking at the event, Chief Executive of RaboDirect PRO12 John Feehan said: “We are delighted to formally welcome RaboDirect as our new title sponsor alongside our new brand the PRO12. “The PRO12 is clearly more than a league, as it also involves play-off semi-finals and a showpiece final, and as such we needed a name that encapsulates both the structure and nature of the competition, more in keeping with the extraordinary growth it has experienced over the last five years.”

The Celtic League began in the 2001 and comprised top-flight teams from Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Formally known as the Magners League from 2006-2011, the name change reflects this coming season’s inclusion of Italian teams Aironi and Benetton Treviso.

This year’s competition begins on Friday, September 2.