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20° giornataSABATO 19 APRILE 2014STADIO “XXV APRILE” di Parma KicK off: 15.30

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A SEGUIRE la finale del IV COLORNO TOURNAMENT UNDER 16 “FILIPPO CANTONI”

Chairman’s Welcome Welcome to Round 2 of the RaboDirect PRO12. It was great to kick o� the season last week and we’re looking forward to yet another great season, with the Final nine months away.

Last year’s RaboDirect PRO12 showcased what our 12 clubs are capable of. There were many memorable moments, with 536 tries and 5,339 points scored in the 135 games played - almost four tries and 40 points per match.

Our competition boasts 229 full internationals from 17 nations and is the breeding ground for star players, with Tim Visser, Toby Faletau, Stuart Hogg and Luke Marshall all winning the Young Player of the Year award in past seasons. Indeed, Faletau and Hogg joined 27 other RaboDirect PRO12 players as part of the recent victorious British & Irish Lions tour.

This quality is re� ected in the popularity of the RaboDirect PRO12 and last season we were delighted to see an increase in match attendance of 4.3% on the 2011-12 campaign. Our TV audiences were also up on the previous year, with over 12.9 million viewers watching the action in all four countries. And we launched a new YouTube channel in March 2013 which has recorded close to a million views in its � rst few months.

The facilities here in Parma have improved greatly and will be the envy of many visiting teams! New Zebre coach Andrea Cavinato and his team will expect a tough battle tonight against Munster but will be con� dent that their second half performance again Connacht can be built upon. Munster had a good bonus point win over Edinburgh to start their campaign and know they need to win on the road to get back to a top 4 position this season so tonight should be an exciting game!

As we look forward to another exciting season, let’s wish both teams the best of luck for tonight’s encounter.

Andy IrvineChairmanRaboDirect PRO12

www. RaboDirectPRO12.com

Chairman’s Welcome

www. RaboDirectPRO12.com

Welcome to Round 20 of the RaboDirect PRO12! Between the battle to secure a place in the Play-Off Zone and the race for the European Rugby Champions Cup qualification, there is bound to be great excitement over this Easter weekend.

We are happy that a solution has been found to the European situation and welcome the new format. The announcement that only the top Irish, Italian, Scottish and Welsh sides plus the next best three teams in the RaboDirect PRO12 table will qualify for the new European Rugby Champions Cup, has added intrigue and further spice into the 2013/14 campaign and our clubs and provinces still have a lot to play for this season. This new qualification criteria together with the agreement with Sky Sports from next season will only strengthen our competition. Last weekend was one of mixed fortunes for the Italian teams in the RaboDirect PRO12. Benetton Treviso were victorious in the Stadio Monigo against Newport Gwent Dragons, while Zebre were left disappointed after their trip to Llanelli to play Scarlets.This round’s action kicks off with the competition leaders and reigning champions Leinster welcoming Benetton Treviso to the RDS. Leinster’s winning streak came to an end in Swansea in the last round against the Ospreys and the province will be eager to return to winning ways in order to cement their spot at the top of the table. However, the Italians coming off the back of a win against Dragons will be seeking to avenge their one point defeat to Leinster in the Stadio Monigo back in November. Friday night in Scotstoun looks set to be full of thrills and spills as fourth placed Glasgow Warriors take on second placed Ulster. The Scots will fancy their chances at home to Irish opposition after a convincing away win against Munster. The first of Saturday’s encounters sees Zebre entertain Edinburgh at the Stadio XXV. After both sides losing out to Welsh opposition last weekend both teams will be keen to notch up some precious points. It was a close encounter when the two sides met in Murrayfield in November, with Edinburgh just snatching the win by two points. The Sportsground on Saturday evening will see local rivals Connacht and Munster fight it out. After disappointing losses in Round 19, both provinces have a lot to play for. Easter Sunday sees a special day for the four Welsh Regions, as for the second year running two derby matches are played back to back in the Millennium Stadium. ‘Judgement Day II’ begins with Cardiff Blues taking on the Scarlets. Both sides will be coming into this fixture with confidence after both securing wins in the last round.Round 20 concludes with Dragons versus the Ospreys. There have been contrasting fortunes for these two regions not just last weekend as Ospreys toppled Leinster and Dragons were slayed by Benetton Treviso but all season.

Enjoy the long weekend and the rugby ahead,

Andy IrvineChairmanRaboDirect PRO12

LE FORMAZIONI

Sabato 19 aprile 2014 Stadio “XXV aprile” di Parma

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