Pro14

Pro14 is a professional rugby union competition in Ireland, featuring teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The league was founded in 2017 as a successor to the Irish Interprovincial Championship, which had been the top tier of Irish rugby for over a century. The Pro14 is organized by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in Ireland and is part of the broader European Rugby Champions Cup (ERCC) structure, which includes other top-tier European competitions.

The Pro14 consists of 14 teams, with each team playing 26 regular-season matches over the course of a season. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs, which culminate in the Pro14 Grand Final. The winner of the Grand Final is crowned the Pro14 champion and earns a place in the ERCC, where they compete against the champions of other top-tier European leagues.

The Pro14 is known for its competitive nature and high level of play, with many of the teams featuring players from top rugby unions around the world. The league has also been a platform for the development of young Irish rugby talent, with many players progressing through the Pro14 to play for the national teams.

In addition to the regular season and playoffs, the Pro14 also features a number of other competitions and events, including the Pro14 Rainbow Cup, a knockout tournament featuring the top four teams from the regular season, and the Pro14 Challenge Cup, a competition for the remaining teams in the league.

The Pro14 has been praised for its impact on the rugby landscape in Ireland, with the league helping to increase the popularity of rugby in the country and attracting new fans to the sport. The league has also been credited with helping to improve the standard of rugby in Ireland, with many of the teams in the Pro14 featuring players who have gone on to represent their countries at the highest level.