The Magners League will adopt a play-off finish to its competition from next season. Its chairman David Jordan said at yesterday's launch in Dublin that a top four conclusion would be in place by 2009-10, but conceded that subsequently the format may change so that the leading club would go straight into a final.

The competition will also have a greater presence from international players as there will be no games immediately preceding international competition, and the Welsh clubs will no longer be caught up in Anglo-Welsh rugby. "From 2009-10 those (EDF) weekends will be freed up and there will be no other competing competitions," Jordan said.