Celtic Challenge competition format confirmed alongside alignment of Scottish sides to Edinburgh Rugby & Glasgow Warriors

Following the recently announced return of the Celtic Challenge, the competition has confirmed its new look line-up to feature this season, including two Scottish teams aligned to Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors.

The alignment will see the two teams don the iconic colours of Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors and will be based out of Hive Stadium and Scotstoun Stadium respectively.

Speaking on the announcement, Gemma Fay, Scottish Rugby’s Head of Women’s & Girls’ Strategy said: “The decision to align our Celtic Challenge teams to Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors presents a fantastic opportunity to provide our two teams with a strong individual identity and sense of belonging, whilst also tapping into each club’s current fan base. I know that Al Kellock, Doug Struth and their colleagues will do a great job in making our teams and their management feel part of their clubs.

“This branding alignment plays a fundamental part in progressing our Women’s and Girls’ Strategy, and as the Celtic Challenge competition develops, we look forward to the prospect of that alignment being taken further as we continue to build towards semi-professional teams in the future.”

The remaining four teams from Ireland and Wales will be known as Wolfhounds, Clovers, Brython Thunder, and Gwalia Lightning.

The competition will adopt a new format which will be made up of five rounds, before three doubleheader play-off rounds determine who will be this season’s Celtic Challenge champions.

Round 1 will see a derby day clash for the home Unions with their respective sides facing off for the first time.

Ahead of the 1872 clash between Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors in the URC, the Celtic Challenge teams will face each other at Hive Stadium, kicking off at 12pm.

Glasgow Warriors first home game will take place against Wolfhounds at Scotstoun Stadium in Round 3 on Saturday 13 January at 2pm.

Tickets for Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors home games will be made available in due course, on sale via each respective club’s website.

The play-offs will be made up of three rounds, with each round being hosted by a Home Union as a doubleheader event. The fixtures, which will be determined by the regular round standings, will be the culmination of the competition’s most competitive fixtures as teams go head-to-head to be crowned this season’s winners.

An update on the coaching team and wider broadcast details will follow later this month.