“This is the most exciting league in the world,” was the refrain ringing round the Magners League launch in Dublin - five different winners in seven years, closer games than any rival competition, and success this year both in Europe and when players from the league moved up to international level, with Munster winning the Heineken Cup and Wales the RBS Six Nations Championship grand slam.

It is certainly a record to boast about. Yet tonight, when the league kicks off, doubts will remain and will continue to lurk until events on the field lay them to rest. In England and France, winning the domestic league is just as big an event as winning in Europe and until the Celtic countries develop the same pride in their bread and butter competition, those misgivings will stay.

In the past, the Irish and Welsh teams have been accused of using the league as nothing more than a warm-up for Europe and the Scots have never been a serious threat. At least the Scottish part of that is changing, and Sean Lineen, the Glasgow coach, is delighted at the new respect that his club and Edinburgh are getting.

“Being at the launch in Dublin really got the blood going,” he said. “It was the first time I have been across at these things and there was a real interest in the Scottish teams, a real sense of expectation. I thought, 'Yeah, this is great, let's see what we can do, let's get that across to the guys.' There is more respect and it is also coming from within. The Magners is a good competition, there are a lot of good players in it and a lot more media interest. It is an exciting competition to be part of.”

One problem is that the distances involved in travelling across the Irish Sea or over Hadrian's Wall for away games have always been a block to bumper crowds, but at the same time none of the immediate rival leagues offer the same chance for the home fans to see their internationals and the players challenging them. Most of the clubs are dominated by homegrown talent - Glasgow and Edinburgh between them brought in only one non-Scots-qualified player this summer with Tim Barker returning to Glasgow, a club he now says he should never have left.

The squad strengthening at Edinburgh involved Jim Hamilton and Chris Paterson, both Scotland internationals, plus a host of youngsters, some still at the national academy. At Glasgow, the most significant arrival was Mark McMillan, a product of Stirling County who has been on his travels for four years but is now back home.

It is a pattern mirrored across the league, a few big-name imports - Rocky Elsom and CJ van der Linde at Leinster, David Lyons at Llanelli Scarlets, where Nigel Davies is promising a return to the club's traditional attacking style but has still brought in John Muggleton, the world's highest profile defence coach, from Australia - but only Newport Gwent Dragons and Ulster have added a significant number of imports over the summer.

For Scotland, this season must be all about results - and at least there are grounds for optimism. Last season not only saw Edinburgh and Glasgow achieve their highest place finishes - fourth and fifth, respectively - but it was the first time since 2003, when a proper league replaced two pools and a knockout competition, that a Scottish team has not finished last.

Both sides started with encouraging pre-season campaigns - Edinburgh defeating London Wasps, the English champions, and Bath, the European Challenge Cup holders, while Glasgow travelled to France and came home with a trophy almost by accident - but need to build on that.

“There are real expectations going into the season,” Andy Robinson, the Edinburgh coach, said. “If we attack well and defend well we'll put ourselves in a position to win. If we attack poorly or defend poorly we'll lose.

We've put the foundations in place and now we have to build on them. I've been pleased with our first two performances but we have to go to another level. We have to get momentum early on. We found that last year, when it just took off for us, but it took us a few games.”

All three countries have promised to end the practice of resting players to keep them fresh for international duty, and assuming they live up to that promise, this could be the season where the league lives up to the boasts of its organisers, and Scotland lives up to its potential in the league.