The four regional Shield trophies on offer in the BKT United Rugby Championship will carry greater reward this season with the league adding prizes for charities and foundations.
The Championship will share its platforms and a number of promotional rights with the chosen charity partners of each Shield winner from this season and into the future.
Introduced in 2021, the regional Shields covering Ireland, Italy & Scotland, South Africa and Wales were used as a mechanism to award four of the league’s places in the Investec Champions Cup.
As of this season, the Shields no longer provide a qualifying place into that and as such only the games against a team’s Shield rivals (6) count towards their places in the mini tables.
This format allows the BKT URC’s closest competitors to trade blow for blow exclusively against each and now the four winners will have the added bonus of providing additional marketing assets to their chosen charity or foundation.
The charities or foundations will be invited to become guardians of their respective Shield for the following season while also taking part in a presentation ceremony.
The organisations will receive match-day assets within the stadium for all of the derby games (12) connected to their respective Shield while league digital platforms will provide spotlight content to promote their causes.
“Local rivalries have always brought about a fight for bragging rights and its very fulfilling for us to attach tangible rewards for organisations and causes that seek to better the communities of our clubs,” said URC CEO Martin Anayi.
“Everyone across our league uses their responsibilities as role models to make a positive impact – now through ‘Shields for Good’ their actions on the pitch will have even more resonance off it.”
In the Irish shield, Leinster are one point clear of Ulster on 14 points with Connacht and Munster trailing on the basis of the results so far. Ulster will play Leinster in Round 17 of the competition in what will be a likely decider.
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