The 2017–18 PRO14 (also known as the Guinness PRO14 for sponsorship reasons) was the seventeenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League.
Leinster, however, won the final at the Aviva Stadium to take their fifth title in the competition's various iterations, and seal a domestic league and European Cup double, only the sixth team to do so, and the first from the PRO14 Championship.
The fourth ranked eligible team in each conference met in a play-off match with the winner taking the seventh Champions Cup place.
[20] In June 2017, after many weeks of media speculation, Munster confirmed that director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and defence coach Jacques Nienaber would leave their roles with the province and return to South Africa on 31 December 2017, to take over the national team.
[25] Kiss left his post on 31 January 2018 by mutual agreement with the province, with Gibbes assuming all coaching responsibility of the team for the remainder of the season.
In July 2017, New Zealand-born flanker Dean Budd was named as team captain replacing Alessandro Zanni.
This followed an earlier announcement from the Italian Rugby Federation that Zebre intended to withdraw from the league due to major financial complications.
[29] In February 2017, Edinburgh announced that former Leicester Tigers coach Richard Cockerill would be taking over as their new director of rugby from the start of the season.
Bradbury was stripped of his captaincy in October 2017 due to off-field discipline issues, and replaced in the role by Fraser McKenzie.
[31] Scottish international Ryan Wilson was announced as the side's new captain in August 2017, replacing Jonny Gray and Henry Pyrgos.
The move will see Duncan take charge of the first team, with Smith focusing on development of junior players and coaches, which will allow him to remain involved with South Africa at international level.
[35] Southern Kings preparation for the season was disrupted by the loss of a number of players prior to the confirmation of the side's admission to the competition.
[36] To fill out the squad, a number of players were signed on loan deals from South African Super Rugby sides.
[37] On 28 August, head coach Deon Davids appointed hooker Mike Willemse as the team's captain for their first ever tour in the competition.
The team's forwards coach, former Ulster and Ireland player Allen Clarke, was named as his replacement on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.
All games scheduled to be held in the United Kingdom and Italy were postponed over 28 February and 1 March due to a cold weather wave resulting in sub-zero temperatures, and potential inability for air travel.
The fourth ranked eligible team in each conference meet in a play-off match with the winner taking the seventh Champions Cup place.