RaboDirect Pro12

[Logorrhea]

Goodbye Magners League, hello the RadoDirect Pro12

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Worst.
Name.
Ever.

 

[iWin]

Celtic League unveils new sponsor

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/13693548.stm

Financial institution Rabobank has taken over the sponsorship of the Celtic League from Magners.

In April, Magners announced an end to the drinks company's association with the league it had sponsored since 2006.

The competition, which is made up of four Welsh, four Irish, two Scottish and two Italian sides, will now be known as the RaboDirect PRO12.

Rabobank has agreed a four-year deal for the league to carry the name of its online banking arm.

Welsh teams Cardiff Blues, Scarlets, Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons, Ireland's Munster - the newly crowned champions - plus Leinster, Ulster and Connacht, Scotland's Glasgow and Edinburgh and Italian duo Treviso and Aironi make up the tournament.

Originally, the league had comprised teams from the Celtic nations before Treviso and Aironi joined the tournament ahead of the start of the 2010/11 campaign.

It is not known at this stage if the deal brings extra funding for the clubs involved.

However, the competition's chief executive, John Feehan, said the sponsorship agreement with the international business would raise the profile of the tournament and "enhance the investment in the competition."

So yeah, welcome to the RaboDirect PRO 12. What a crappy name
Personally, I'm going to start calling it the Celtic League tbh. Makes more sense than the PRO 12...

EDIT - just saw there's already a thread in general NH. Feel free to delete

 

[Logorrhea]

They have been waiting to do it for a while now to be honest.

People will naturally use the main brand (Pro12) and drop the sponsors name, like Super15, Top14, The Premiership etc.

Its a good move for the league though.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I couldn't care how dodgy the new name sounds. If a company wants to throw a shitload of money at sponsoring the league, they can call it what they want.

I assume the competition has changed from the Celtic League to the Pro 12 because the ***le must work in Italian as well as English.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I couldn't care how dodgy the new name sounds. If a company wants to throw a shitload of money at sponsoring the league, they can call it what they want.

I assume the competition has changed from the Celtic League to the Pro 12 because the ***le must work in Italian as well as English.

Agreed 100%, as long as money is being thrown into the league all the better.

 

[coonor]

To be honest people are just going to the league the pro 12 anyway and that is no major difference to other leagues names like the Top 14 or Super 15

 

[Conal]

pro 12 sounds good
prefered celtic league though

 

[TVH11]

Pro 12 it is then. Won't ever remember RaboDirect all fun. Bring on the new season

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Pro12 still sounds rubbish.

 

[Jockstap]

Pro12 still sounds rubbish.

It isn't any worse than Super 15, Top 14, etc, we'll get used to it, I thought I'd never get used to the "Aviva" Premiership but now it's the Guinness Premiership that sounds strange.

The Celtic League is really making strides to where it was 10 years ago, all we need now is a proper qualification system for the HC and better attendances in Wales and we're golden.

 

[lucky number 7]

I couldn't care how dodgy the new name sounds. If a company wants to throw a shitload of money at sponsoring the league, they can call it what they want.

Eventually this could lead to the Ben and Jerry's premiership ....or the *shudders* Burger King top 14.

As for the whole Celtic league thing .. there was a considerable Celtic presence in northern Italy for a good while so It wouldn't be that inaccurate if it was still called the Celtic League..(best name ever)

 

[TrueSlawter]

I'll probs end up calling it the celtic league or magners :/ Pro 12 aint bad but tbh but the RaboDirect Pro 12 doesnt have a ring to it xD

 

[profitius]

Theres no much information thats been made available. For instance what are the terms and conditions of the sponsorship. The people running Pro12 rugby have stated that they're looking to help things in Scotland. Get greater media exposure etc. RaboDirect might also advertise the league better than Magners did which will help promote it.

Also, it looks like people will refer to it as the Pro 12, like they refer to the Super 15. That'll be there permanently so any change of sponsor will have limited impact eg Guiness Pro12, Telecom Pro12. Its also easier for Italians to feel part of it and those lowland Scots who consider themselves to be Saxons and not Celts!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I didn't even realise that the Magners still had the "Celtic League" tag, I thought people who called it that did so because it used to be called that 5 years ago

 

[Nielsch]

Why didn't Aironi and Treviso join the French league by the way? Makes sense to me, geographically wise. Then again, they would probably face relegation. Then the Cornish Pirates and the London Welsh could have joined the Celtic League, as their stint in the RFU Championship doesn't seem to get them any further, thanks to the RFU.

I wonder if we will see the Melbourne Rebels tour the celtic nations by the way, made possible by RaboDirect.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Then the Cornish Pirates and the London Welsh could have joined the Celtic League, as their stint in the RFU Championship doesn't seem to get them any further, thanks to the RFU.

How'd you come to that conclusion?

 

[Nielsch]

How'd you come to that conclusion?

They'll never be able to promote to the Aviva Premiership under the current rules...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Along with a lot of other teams - Doubt they'd be allowed into the Magners with grounds as small as theirs either

Doesn't matter anyway as neither of them has topped the league/won the playoffs anyhow

 

[Teh Mite]

That's got a nice ring to it.