That had been flagged but good to see it confirmed. It gives Connacht a better chance at qualification (in the unlikely event that we don't win the double as expected).
Annoying that it's still the eighth-placed team that loses out if a lower ranked team wins the Challenge Cup, even if that eighth placed team beats the top team in the quarter final.
The other interesting thing is that the Shields will now be determined only by games between the competing teams, which effectively means the return of the Interprovincial Championship after twenty-odd years.

The BKT United Rugby Championship will introduce full meritocracy for EPCR qualification starting from this season (2023/24).

In a change from the previous qualification method employed by the BKT URC for the previous two campaigns, all eight top-ranked teams from the league table will qualify for the Investec Champions Cup with the remaining sides taking their place in the Challenge Cup.

The winners of the regional Shields will no longer be awarded a place into the Champions Cup and the primary way to qualify from the BKT URC is to finish in the top eight after the 18-round regular season.

Should a BKT URC team win the Champions or Challenge Cups without finishing among the top-ranked teams in the league table, they will receive a place in the Champions Cup. In such an event, the team that finishes eighth in BKT URC will be placed into the Challenge Cup.

The previous qualification method was designated for review in the summer of 2023. At this point the league’s Sports & Regulatory Committee recommended the return to meritocracy. As a consequence, the Shield winners will now be determined by the games played amongst the teams within their regional group.