Cardiff Blues will kick-off their Celtic League campaign in Glasgow on the weekend of 5/6 September.
On the second weekend of the season, Cardiff Blues face an attractive home fixture against Irish province Connacht at the Arms Park.
Other visitors to the Arms Park in the first half of the season include Leinster Lions, Gwent Dragons and the Neath/Swansea region.
A bumper attraction over the Christmas holiday is another home fixture against Bridgend/Pontypridd.
There will also be a Celtic Cup competition and Cardiff Blues have a first round bye on 19/20 September. They will then go into the draw for the quarter finals to be played on the first weekend in October.
The format for the third season of the tournament involving the 12 top teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales will see each team play 22 fixtures on a home and away basis with the climax to the competition coming on the weekend of 14 / 15 May, 2004.
The Celtic League will continue to run throughout the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the 2004 RBS Six Nations Championship in tandem with the exciting new Celtic Cup knock-out tournament. The final of the Cup competition, on 20 December, will be televised live on BBC Grandstand.
“The implementation of home and away fixtures for the 12 competing teams – in the previous two tournaments they have been split into two Pools with the successful sides progressing to knock-out phases – will guarantee all teams having a fair crack of the whip,” said Keith Grainger, Tournament Director of the Celtic League.
“Every team will now have those 22 top quality fixtures spread over nine months and, with the introduction of the Celtic Cup, the 20 December finalists could end up having played 26 high intensity and high profile Celtic matches with a hugely welcome steady stream of income.
“The League will establish our Celtic champions over the long haul of the entire season while the Cup will provide us with our Celtic knock-out specialists and I am sure the two competitions will provide supporters with an abundance of exciting and high level rugby.”
The competing teams in the Celtic League and Celtic Cup are:
IRELAND: Connacht, Leinster Lions, Munster, Ulster
SCOTLAND: Edinburgh Rugby, Glasgow Rugby, The Borders
WALES: Bridgend / Pontypridd, Cardiff Blues, Gwent Dragons, Llanelli, Neath / Swansea
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CARDIFF BLUES FIXTURES 2003 / 2004
Friday 22nd August 2003
Pre-season Friendly
Cardiff Blues v Leicester Tigers KO: 7.05PM
Friday 29th August 2003
Pre-season Friendly
Cardiff Blues v Northampton Saints KO: 7.05PM
Weekend of 5/6 September 2003
Celtic League
Glasgow Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 12/13 September 2003
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Connacht KO: 5.30PM
Weekend of 19/20/21 September 2003
Celtic Cup First round
Cardiff Blues given a bye
Weekend of 26/27 September 2003
Celtic League
The Borders v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 3/4/5 October 2003
Celtic Cup Quarter Final
Cardiff Blues will play a qualifier home or away (Draw to be made Saturday, 20 September 2003)
Weekend of 10/11 October 2003
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Leinster Lions
Weekend of 17/18 October 2003
Celtic League
Llanelli Scarlets v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 24/25 October 2003
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Neath/Swansea KO: 2.30PM
Weekend of 31 Oct/1 November 2003
Celtic League
Ulster v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 7/8 November 2003
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Gwent Dragons
Weekend of 14/15/16 November 2003
Celtic Cup Semi-Final
Draw to be made Saturday 4 October 2003
Weekend of 28/29 November 2003
Celtic League
Munster v Cardiff Blues
Weekend 5/6/7 December
Heineken Cup Pool Game 1
Sale Sharks v Cardiff Blues
Weekend 12/13/14 December
Heineken Cup Pool Game 2
Cardiff Blues v Leinster Lions
Saturday 20 December 2003
Celtic Cup Final
Live on BBC Grandstand Network
Saturday 27th December 2003
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Celtic Warriors KO:5.30PM
Weekend of 9/10/11 January 2004
Heineken Cup Pool Game 3
Biarritz Olympique v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 16/17/18 January 2004
Heineken Cup Pool Game 4
Cardiff Blues v Biarritz Olympique
Weekend of 23/24/25 January 2004
Heineken Cup Pool Game 5
Leinster Lions v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 30/31 January/ 1 February 2004
Heineken Cup Pool Game 6
Cardiff Blues v Sale Sharks
Weekend of 6/7 February 2004
Celtic League
Edinburgh Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 13/14 February 2004
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Rugby
Weekend of 20/21February 2004
Celtic League
Connacht v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 27/28 February 2004
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v The Borders
Weekend of 5/6 March 2004
Celtic League
Leinster Lions v Cardiff Blues
Weekend 12/13 March 2004
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Llanelli Scarlets
Weekend of 26/27 March 2004
Celtic League
Neath/Swansea v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 2/3 April 2004
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Ulster
Weekend of 16/17 April 2004
Celtic League
Gwent Dragons v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 30 April/1 May 2004
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Munster
Weekend of 7/8 May 2004
Celtic League
Celtic Warriors v Cardiff Blues
Weekend of 14/15 May 2004
Celtic League
Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh Rugby