Celtic Challenge
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Current season, competition or edition: 2025–26 Celtic Challenge | |
 | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2023 |
| First season | 2023 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country |  Ireland Wales Scotland |
| Most recent champions | Wolfhounds (3rd title) (2025–26) |
| Most titles | Wolfhounds (3 titles) |
| Official website | https://celticrugbycomp.com/ |
The Celtic Challenge is an annual cross-border women's rugby union, launched in 2023. Designed to develop players for the Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the inaugural pilot edition featured a double round robin between three teams, one from each participating union. From 2024 the competition will involve six teams, two from each participating union.[1][2] Beginning with the 2024–25 season, the competition will maintain its six-team setup, transitioning into a full home-and-away round-robin format. The winners will be determined by standings at the end of the season.[3]
The three participating unions fund the competition, with further development funding from World Rugby.
Current teams
| Team | Established | Location[a] | Seasons | Titles (last) | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brython Thunder |
2023 | Llanelli[4] & West Wales | 3 | – (N/A) | – (N/A) |
| Clovers |
2023 | Munster & Connacht[5] | 3 | – (N/A) | 2 (2024–25, 2025-26) |
| Edinburgh Rugby |
2023 | Edinburgh[6] | 3 | – (N/A) | 1 (2023–24) |
| Glasgow Warriors |
2023 | Glasgow[7] | 3 | – (N/A) | – (N/A) |
| Gwalia Lightning |
2023 | Cardiff[8] & South Wales | 3 | – (N/A) | – (N/A) |
| Wolfhounds |
2023 | Leinster & Ulster[9] | 3 | 3 (2023–24, 2024–25, 2025-26) | – (N/A) |
Previous teams
Nine clubs have been involved in the league since its inception in the 2023 season. Below, all former clubs are listed along with the number of full seasons they've competed in.
| Team | Area | Established | Disbanded | Seasons | Titles | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combined Provinces XV |
Ireland | 2023 | 2023 | 1 | 1 (2023) | – (N/A) |
| The Thistles |
Scotland | 2023 | 2023 | 1 | – (N/A) | 1 (2023) |
| Wales Development XV |
Wales | 2023 | 2023 | 1 | – (N/A) | – (N/A) |
Champions
The winners and runners up of each edition are listed below:
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Combined Provinces XV |
The Thistles |
| 2023–24 | Wolfhounds |
Edinburgh Rugby |
| 2024–25 | Wolfhounds |
Clovers |
| 2025–26 | Wolfhounds |
Clovers |
Summary of winners
| # | Team | Champions | Years as champions | Runners-up | Years as runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolfhounds |
3 | 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025-26 | 0 | |
| 2 | Combined Provinces XV |
1 | 2023 | 0 | — |