Celtic League excites fans, say Scots

Edinburgh's Cammy Murray and Martin Leslie

Scottish rugby's leading lights have talked with relish about the forthcoming Celtic League, which they expect to boost the game both on and off the park.

Playing against the top sides from Ireland and Wales will capture the imagination of the fans and inspire Scottish players to greater heights, they believe.

Scotland coach Ian McGeechan, Edinburgh Rugby chief executive Nick Oswald and Glasgow Rugby captain Andy Nicol were talking as the new set-up was officially launched.

Glasgow travel across the Irish Sea to face Leinster in their first match on Friday as Edinburgh host Munster at Myreside.

And Oswald enthused: "To launch the season in great weather conditions against top-class competition means that this season will be incredibly exciting.

Great preparation

"Munster were semi-finalists in last season's Heineken Cup, finalists the year before and have a number of Lions in their side.

"They are a ferocious side and regarded as unbeatable at home in Ireland, so we are just glad we are playing them in Edinburgh."

Oswald pointed out that the Celtic League would provide great preparation for the European-wide Heineken Cup and Scotland's forthcoming internationals.

I think we are at a very exciting time as far as the professional game is concerned

Ian McGeechan

But Nicol stressed that it was also important that the two Scottish superdistricts qualified for the latter stages of the Celtic League.

"I think it will be very tough," he said. "It is short competition of seven games. So, if you lose a couple of games, you are quickly struggling to qualify.

"It is important that you get a good start and also that you win your home games.

"It still feels like pre-season, but this is the real business on Friday night."

Nicol was completely in favour of the new set-up, which adds the Irish districts to the clubs already taking part in the Welsh-Scottish League.

"I think the three countries, being honest, realise that they are quite a way behind England," said the Scotland and Lions scrum-half.

"They have a vibrant league and it's quite right that we pulled our resources.

"I think half the British Lions squad will be on show in this league, which just shows the level of and quality involved.

"I am sure that the spectators will want to come and watch the quality of the opposition.

"We are now playing all our home games at Hughenden, so people now know where we are.

Level of interest

"We had 4500 against Cardiff last season and, if we can get that amount again, we can make Hughenden a hard place to come."

McGeechan thought that the potential was shown by the level of interest in Edinburgh's warm-up game against English club Saracens last weekend.

"I think we are at a very exciting time as far as the professional game is concerned," he said.

"It is great that we have a competition of this quality coming in.

"Obviously, bringing in four new teams and having the best players in three countries brings a level of competition that's very important for our preparations at an international level."