THE FIXTURE DETAILS and TV coverage for this season’s Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions have been confirmed.
Leinster – four-time champions and last year’s Pro14 winners – open their 2021/22 Champions Cup campaign against Bath at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 11 December [3.15pm], with their Pool A counterparts Ulster away to Clermont [6.30pm] that same day.
On the Sunday in Pool B, Munster travel to Wasps [3.15pm] and Connacht host Stade Francais Paris at the Sportsground [1pm].
Tolouse, who completed a magnificent double of Heineken Champions Cup and Top14 triumphs last season, will kick off the defence of their elite European title on the Saturday against Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park [1pm].
You can see the full fixtures list here >
2021/22 weekends
Round 1: 10/11/12 December
Round 2: 17/18/19 December
Round 3: 14/15/16 January 2022
Round 4: 21/22/23 January 2022
Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 (1st leg) and EPCR Challenge Cup Round 5: 8/9/10 April 2022
Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 (2nd leg) and EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16: 15/16/17 April 2022
Quarter-finals: 6/7/8 May 2022
Semi-finals: 13/14/15 May 2022
EPCR Challenge Cup final: Friday 27 May 2022; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Heineken Champions Cup final: Saturday 28 May 2022; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille.
The Champions Cup will be competed for by 24 clubs, including nine previous winners with as many as 38 European titles between them, in two pools of 12 over four pool stage rounds.
The eight highest-ranked clubs from each pool will qualify for the knockout stage which will consist of a round of 16 on a home and away basis, quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the final in Marseille on 28 May next year.
The clubs ranked nine to 11 in each of the pools will qualify for the Round of 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup. A modified Challenge Cup format will see 15 clubs competing in three pools over five pool stage rounds.
Once again, BT Sport in the UK and Ireland, and beIN SPORTS in France, will broadcast each of the 48 Heineken Champions Cup pool matches live, with free-to-air transmission of key fixtures in each round available on Channel 4 and Virgin Media in the UK and Ireland, and by France Télévisions in France.
The final will be televised live on BT Sport as well as free-to-air in the UK and Ireland on Channel 4 and Virgin Media.
You can read the full EPCR article here >
