**It’s nearly Christmas, which can only mean one thing. Well, aside from presents under the tree, copious amounts of turkey and all the other yearly, festive staples…** That’s right, it’s the Guinness PRO14 derbies! There’s nothing quite like a derby, bragging rights are on the line, they’re enemies on the pitch but friends off it – pick your favourite cliché and get excited for some rugby with just a little bit of extra spice. Round 9 kicks off just after Christmas on December 26, with a full six-game slate of derby clashes, while Round 10 follows suit on New Year’s Day and January 2. Then for good measure, Round 11 on January 8 and 9 features two further Welsh derbies and two Irish interpros. Some would argue that the pride of beating your local rivals is reward enough but these festive fixtures will also help [**shape the Conference tables**](https://www.pro14.rugby/match-centre/table/2021), which are sure to change over the course of the next three rounds. Every game in Rounds 9 and 10 has its own kick-off slot, meaning you won’t need to miss a minute of any of those 12 derbies, and you can see exactly who faces who, and when, by [**visiting our match centre here**](https://www.pro14.rugby/match-centre/2021/9). As a reminder, last year’s festive derby fixtures had everything from high-scoring thrillers such as Leinster’s 54-42 win over Ulster to games won with the final kick like Dragons’ 22-20 triumph over Scarlets via enthralling low-scoring arm wrestles including Benetton’s 13-8 victory at Zebre. To help get you in the mood, we’ve been running our 12 Days of Derbies series, where we look back at classic Guinness PRO14 rivalry matches from yesteryear, including today’s reminiscence – [**Munster’s 64-7 shellacking of Ulster back in 2018**](https://www.pro14.rugby/latest/derby/12-days-of-derbies-red-army-run-riot-against-ulster). So, wherever you’re holed up for Christmas this year, make sure that come December 26, you’re settled in to watch some Guinness PRO14 derby fireworks.
