2015–16 Pro12
The 2015–16 Pro12 (also known as the Guinness Pro12 for sponsorship reasons) was the fifteenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, and the sixth with its current four-country format. it was the second season to be referred to as the Guinness Pro12.
| 2015–16 Pro12 | |
|---|---|
| Countries | Ireland Italy Scotland Wales |
| Date | 5 September 2015 – 28 May 2016 |
| Champions | Connacht (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Leinster |
| Matches played | 135 |
| Attendance | 1,144,802 (average 8,480 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 68,262 – Judgement Day (30 April 2016) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,000 – Treviso v Munster (28 February 2016) |
| Tries scored | 613 (average 4.5 per match) |
| Top point scorer | Rhys Patchell (Cardiff Blues) (174 points) |
| Top try scorer | Craig Gilroy (Ulster) Matt Healy (Connacht) (10 tries each) |
| Official website | |
| www | |
The twelve competing teams were the four Irish teams: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster; two Italian teams: Benetton Treviso and Zebre; two Scottish teams: Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors and four Welsh teams: Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets. The first stage involved the twelve teams playing home and away in a league format with the top four sides qualifying for the semi-finals. The semi finals were one legged affairs with 1st playing 4th and 2nd playing 3rd and the higher ranked team gaining home advantage. The winners of the semi-finals proceeded to the Pro12 final, held at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Glasgow were the defending champions having beaten Munster 31–13 in the previous season's play-off final, taking their first Pro12 title. They were unable to defend their title, after losing 16–11 to Connacht in the play-off semi-final. Connacht – who qualified for the play-offs for the first time – then proceeded to defeat Leinster 20–10 in the final, to become the seventh team to win the league title. Connacht had one of the top try scorers for the season, as Matt Healy and along with Ulster's Craig Gilroy, each scored 10 tries during the season. Rhys Patchell of Cardiff Blues was the competition's top points scorer, with 174.