News article – Style E 2164

The Heineken Cup resumes next month with European club rugby’s premier tournament set to break even more new ground.

The BBC Grandstand cameras will be at Meadowbank on 7 December when Edinburgh Rugby clash with 1996 champions Toulouse – the first time a home Scottish match has been shown on network in the history of the competition.

Millions of armchair viewers will watch Todd Blackadder and his team go under the spotlight and attempt to go a step closer to breaking their own new ground and become the first Scottish team to qualify for the quarter-finals.

And with a record 10 million viewers tuning into the televised matches in Rounds 1 and 2 of the tournament, the Heineken Cup is also reaching new parts.
The Italian broadcaster Tele + will show Amatori & Calvisano against Neath on 7 December followed by Viadana’s fixture against Munster a week later.

In France viewers will have a bumper Round 4 weekend. On 14 December they will have Biarrtiz Olympique’s clash with Ulster on FR2 and the following day the return between Toulouse and Edinburgh Rugby on FR3.

,b>Dave McHugh (Ireland) and English referee Tony Spreadbury have been appointed to take charge of the two Edinburgh Rugby against Toulouse clashes with Welshman Nigel Williams on duty when champions Leicester Tigers host Beziers in Round 4 on 14 December in the BBC Grandstand game.

Heineken Cup 2002/2003.

Round 3. (All kick-offs LOCAL time)
Friday, 6 December
Pool 2: Munster v Viadana1930Hugh Watkins (W)RTE
Pool 3: Sale Sharks v Llanelli1945 Joel Jutge (F)
Pool 6: Ulster v Biarritz Olympique 1930Chris White (E)BBC NI / B Euro
Saturday, 7 December
Pool 1: Amatori & Calvisano v Neath1430Dave Pearson (E)Tele +
Pool 4: Montferrand v Leinster Lions1500Nigel Whitehouse (W)
Swansea v Bristol Shoguns 1430Giulio De Santis (It)
Pool 5: Edinburgh Rugby v Toulouse1445Dave McHugh (I)BBC
Newport v London Irish1430Joel Dume (F)
Pool 6: Northampton Saints v Cardiff1500Rob Dickson (S)
Sunday, 8 December
Pool 1: Beziers v Leicester Tigers1500Alan Lewis (I)
Pool 2: Gloucester v Perpignan 1315Nigel Williams (W)B Euro / FR3
Pool 3: Bourgoin v Glasgow Rugby1500Tony Spreadbury (E)

ROUND 4
(All kick-offs LOCAL time)
Friday, 13 December
Pool 3: Llanelli v Sale Sharks 1930Alain Rolland (I)BBC W / B Euro
Glasgow Rugby v Bourgoin1930Giulio De Santis
Pool 4: Leinster Lions v Montferrand1935Chris White (E)RTE
Saturday, 14 December
Pool 1: Leicester Tigers v Beziers1445Nigel Williams (W)BBC
Neath v Amatori & Calvisano1430Eric Darriere (F)
Pool 2: Viadana v Munster1800Andy Ireland (S)Tele +
Perpignan v Gloucester1500Dave McHugh (I)
Pool 6: Biarritz Olympique v Ulster1500Nigel Whitehouse (W)FR2/BBC NI/B Eur
Sunday 15 December
Pool 4: Bristol Shoguns v Swansea1500Simon McDowell (I)
Pool 5: London Irish v Newport1500Antonio Lombardi (It)
Toulouse v Edinburgh Rugby1400Tony Spreadbury (E)FR3
Pool 6: Cardiff v Northampton Saints 1330Joel Jutge (F)B Euro