The 18th All-Ireland League season, sponsored by AIB for the eleventh consecutive year, kicks off this coming Saturday. Read on for a statistical preview and details of the first weekend’s fixtures.
AIB LEAGUE STATISTICAL PREVIEW:
– The AIB League is kicking off two Saturdays later than usual due to the 2007 Rugby World Cup
– 48 clubs from all four provinces will be competing – 17 from Leinster, 16 from Munster, 11 from Ulster and 4 from Connacht
– 16 clubs compete in each division. Eight clubs get eight home dates and eight clubs get seven home dates, i.e. each club have 15 fixture dates. All 16 clubs in each division are due to play on each date – no club is idle on a league weekend
– 120 fixtures (eight games x 15 dates) are due to be played in each division during the league series. Seven AIB League dates are planned before Christmas and eight afterwards
– The venues for all games in all three divisions have been reversed since last season. In all three divisions, all clubs that had eight homes and seven aways last season have seven homes and eight aways this season and vice versa
– An initial block of four games is followed a break of one weekend, three dates in early to mid December are again followed by a break of three weekends. Each Saturday in January bar the 5th, which is the AIB Cup’s third round, are AIB League weekends
– At the end of the regular league series, the top two clubs will be automatically promoted out of Division Two and Division Three and the bottom two clubs will be automatically relegated from Divisions One and Two. The bottom club in Division Three will be replaced by the winner of the Junior clubs’ Round Robin series. There will be no promotion/relegation play-offs in any division
– No AIB League games have been scheduled for the five Six Nations weekends. However, the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the AIB Cup are planned for February 2 and March 8 – days when Ireland play Italy and Wales at Croke Park. Friday evenings and Sunday games will be investigated here
– All AIB League dates are covered by a Magners League/Heineken Cup weekend. The scoring system has four points for a win and two points for a draw plus two opportunities for collecting a bonus point, (a) one bonus point for losing by seven points or less and (b) one bonus point for scoring four tries or more
– On completion of the regular league series, the top four clubs in each division will enter knockout competitions called the championships
– The play-off semi-finals in each division – the club placed first will be at home to the club placed fourth and the club placed second at home to the club placed third – are set for Saturday, May 3 (Division One) and Saturday, April 12 (Division Two and Three)
– The championship finals days will be on Saturday, May 10 (Division One) and Saturday, April 19 (Division Two and Three)
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AIB LEAGUE FIXTURES:
Saturday, October 27 (kick-off 2.30pm unless stated):
DIVISION ONE:
Ballymena v Garryowen, Eaton Park
Cork Constitution v Blackrock College, Temple Hill
Dolphin v Greystones, Musgrave Park
Dungannon v Terenure College, Stevenson Park
Galwegians v St. Mary’s College, Crowley Park
Lansdowne v Clontarf, RDS
Old Belvedere v Shannon, Anglesea Road
UL Bohemians v UCD, UL Bowl
DIVISION TWO:
Ballynahinch v UCC, Ballymacarn Park
Barnhall v Thomond, Parsonstown
Bective Rangers v Dublin University, Donnybrook, 3.30pm
Buccaneers v Clonakilty, Dubarry Park
Highfield v Old Crescent, Woodleigh Park
Suttonians v De La Salle Palmerston, JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds
Wanderers v Belfast Harlequins, Merrion Road
Young Munster v Malone, Tom Clifford Park
DIVISION THREE:
Ards v Midleton, Hamilton Park
City of Derry v Bruff, Judges Road
Nenagh Ormond v Corinthians, New Ormond Park
Old Wesley v Instonians, Donnybrook, 1.30pm
Queen’s University v Naas, Dub Lane
Rainey Old Boys v Banbridge, Hatrick Park
Waterpark v County Carlow, Ballinakill
Sunday, October 28 (kick-off 2.30pm):
DIVISION THREE:
Sunday’s Well v Connemara, Musgrave Park
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