Celtic Challenge
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024 Celtic Challenge
SportRugby union
Founded2023 (2023)
No. of teams6 (from 2024); 3 (founding)
Country Ireland
 Wales
 Scotland
Most recent
champion(s)		Ireland Combined Provinces XV (1st title)
Most titlesIreland Combined Provinces XV (one title)

Celtic Challenge is a women's cross-border rugby union competition that will be held annually, launched in 2023. Designed to develop player for the Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the inaugural pilot edition featured a double round robin between three teams, one from each participating union. From 2024 the competition will involve six teams, two from each participating union.[1][2]

The competition is funded by the three participating unions, with further development funding from World Rugby.

Pilot (2023)

The first year of the competition in 2023 consisted of three teams:[2]

Union Ireland Ireland Scotland Scotland Wales Wales
Team Combined Provinces XV The Thistles Wales Development XV

The first edition consisted of six matches in a double round robin:[3]

Matchday Home Team Score Away Team Venue Date
1 Scotland The Thistles 27 - 29 Wales Wales Development XV Scotstoun Stadium 22 January 2023
2 Wales Wales Development XV  26 - 27 Ireland Combined Provinces XV Cardiff Arms Park 29 January 2023
3 Ireland Combined Provinces XV  45 - 12 Scotland The Thistles Kingspan Stadium 4 February 2023
4 Wales Wales Development XV 7 - 21 Scotland The Thistles Cardiff Arms Park 11 February 2023
5 Ireland Combined Provinces XV 19 - 0 Wales Wales Development XV Kingspan Stadium 18 February 2023
6 Scotland The Thistles  26 - 33 Ireland Combined Provinces XV DAM Health Stadium 25 February 2023
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD T TB LB Pts
1 Ireland Combined Provinces XV (C) 4 4 0 0 124 64 +60 18 3 0 19
2 Scotland The Thistles 4 1 0 3 86 114 −28 14 1 2 7
3 Wales Wales Development XV 4 1 0 3 62 94 −32 9 0 1 5
First match(es) will be played: Unknown. Source:
Rules for classification: 1) competition points; 2) match points difference; 3) match points for
(C) Champion

Second season (2024)

The three participating unions announced in November 2023 that a second edition of the competition would take place with six teams as originally planned, two from each participating union, and run for eleven weeks. The names and constitution of the six teams has not yet been confirmed.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Barnes, David (2022-12-21). "Celtic Challenge to provide high-performance opportunities ahead of TikTok Six Nations". The Offside Line. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  2. 1 2 Reid, Alasdair (2023-11-20). "Young 'Thistles' set for new women's rugby challenge as Celtic Challenge announced". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  3. ↑ "Celtic Challenge – Rugby". Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  4. ↑ "Celtic Challenge to expand in second year". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
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