The 2011–12 season saw changes for Connacht both domestically and in Europe. Connacht competed at the highest level of European club rugby, qualifying for the Heineken Cup for the first time. This was due to Leinster winning the 2011 Heineken Cup Final. Competition rules introduced in the 2010–11 season, granted the winners of both the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup an automatic berth in the following year's Heineken Cup. As Leinster had qualified through performance in the 2010–11 Celtic League, this place was passed on to another team from the same country, with Connacht the beneficiaries. Domestically, the Celtic League was renamed, becoming the Pro12, due to the previous season's introduction of Italian teams.