MAGNERS LEAGUE LAUNCHTHIS SEASON will have a similar feel and a familiar structure to previous Magners League years. But next season the competition will bow to international trends and introduce a four-team play-off at the end of the tournament.

Everyone loves a final and Magners Rugby has bought into the concept that winning more matches throughout the season is all very well on merit but does not quite cut it in terms of producing a climax that befits a competition that runs over nine months, from September to May.

It was a feel-good launch for the league yesterday in Dublin, appropriately held in the RDS, home of last year's champions, Leinster.

But judging by some of the questions bandied about, the league is still engaged in a battle for hearts and minds.

That some of the teams in the latter stages of last season's Heineken European Cup rested players and rotated squads is not in doubt and that teams pulled their frontline players to ensure their fitness for bigger matches has been a matter of policy.

But this season the organisers have addressed the irregularity of the competition and promise that from the 2009 season onwards a more "rhythmic season" will be achievable by staging league weekends when no other competition is taking place.

The current patchwork of weekends that run through February, March and April during the Six Nations ensures the marquee names sit out the competition for significant spells.

If those players are with, for example the 2008 European Cup winners Munster, their inclusion in the league is further curtailed as they seek the greater glory of Europe.

"Celtic Rugby is always striving to align itself with other professional rugby tournaments around the world and consequently this season will be the last that the Magners league is played in its present format," said tournament director David Jordan. "Also, Magners League weekends will not compete with any other tournament."

It is a big step forward and one that was necessary, even though the statistics tell a story of increasing attendances as well as increased participation of international players. Over the last six years there have been five different winners of the competition (Leinster, Ospreys, Ulster, Llanelli, Munster) and as Jordan pointed out, "It took the Premiership 13 years to do that."

Digs at the Premiership are a response to dismissive references to the Celtic tournament by our English brethren, which the Leinster consultant coach and former Saracens boss Alan Gaffney said were born of "ignorance of the competition".

"We have an average of 11 international players taking part in matches and have 189 full international-standard players from Wales, Scotland and Ireland involved in the competition," said Jordan. "This is the highest amount of domestic talent participation of any league in the world.

"The way we are now moving forwards means we can guarantee that the best players are available."

Munster will again play most of their games on Saturday afternoons, their preferred time, while Ulster's Friday night at Ravenhill, despite 11 defeats overall last season, has proved their most popular slot.

That's exactly where new coach Matt Williams's team begin their fightback into the mainstream after a pretty horrible season.

Ulster's first game is against Llanelli Scarlets (7.30) in Belfast.

Munster travel away to Edinburgh for a Friday night opener, and Connacht host Ospreys in Galway, again on Friday, September 5th.

The European Cup champions, who finished third last season, play Newport in their first home game on Sunday, September 14th, without Denis Leamy. The Irish flanker is out for the first few months after shoulder reconstruction in the off-season.

Leinster's opening match is an away game against Cardiff Blues, where Leo Cullen will take over from last year's captain, Brian O'Driscoll.

The Wicklowman's opening home game as skipper is against Edinburgh in the RDS the following week. As an aside it might be remembered that Cullen and five other members of the Leinster pack - Ollie Le Roux, Bernard Jackman, Stan Wright, Malcolm O'Kelly and Jamie Heaslip - were voted on to the Magners League "dream team" last season, the only back-line player to make it being Felipe Contepomi.

"We have the philosophy that we want to win every game; that's the way we prepare," said Cullen yesterday. "Last season in Europe we were disappointed with our form but we were able to play fairly consistently in the league."

Magners are in the final year of their agreement with Celtic Rugby and are in talks about an extension of the sponsorship.

League Points

• Top Four play-off to be introduced in 2009-10 season

• 14,361 Leinster's average attendance

• 13 per cent increase in attendance per team

• Stadium investment - seven out of 10 teams

189 international players involved