Heineken Cup Fixtures Released

…A close-up view of the Heineken Cup trophy…

The fixtures for the early rounds of the 2006/07 Heineken Cup have been released. Munster will open their title defence with a trip to Leicester.

Declan Kidney’s side are on the road for the start of their Pool 4 campaign with a clash of the past and present champions at Welford Road on Sunday, October 22 (kick-off 3.00pm).

Th Tigers, the 2001 and 2002 champions, will make the return trip to Thomond Park in Round 6.

For the opening round, Leinster, beaten semi-finalists last season, are at home to Gloucester (kick-off 5.30pm) while the reigning Celtic League champions Ulster will entertain French kingpins Toulouse (kick-off 1.35pm).

The fixtures, dates and kick-off times and host TV broadcasters for the first four rounds of the 12th Heineken Cup tournament see English champions Sale Sharks also on the road in Round 1 taking on the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium on the opening night.

French champions Biarritz Olympique will have home advantage against 2000 Heineken Cup winners Northampton Saints when the opening shots are fired in Pool 6, with top Scottish team Edinburgh Gunners travelling to the south of France to meet Agen, who return to the tournament after a two year absence, in Pool 2.

Welsh top seeds Cardiff Blues will also travel to France to tackle Bourgoin in Pool 4. Italian standard bearers Benetton Treviso are home to French opposition, in the form of Perpignan, in Pool 5.

Another interesting clash will see London Irish at home to Ulster on December 9.

Details of the additional TV coverage of Rounds 1 to 4 by ERC’s broadcast partners, France Televisions, Groupe Canal +, Sky Sports, RTE TV and S4C, including all live, delayed and highlights broadcasts, will be announced shortly.

2006/07 HEINEKEN CUP POOLS:

Pool 1 – Benetton Treviso, Perpignan, London Wasps, Castres Olympique
Pool 2 – Edinburgh Gunners, Agen, Gloucester Rugby, LEINSTER
Pool 3 – Sale Sharks, Stade Francais Paris, Rugby Calvisano, Ospreys
Pool 4 – Cardiff Blues, Bourgoin, Leicester Tigers, MUNSTER
Pool 5 – ULSTER, Toulouse, London Irish, Llanelli Scarlets
Pool 6 – Biarritz Olympique, Northampton Saints, Overmach Rugby Parma, Border Reivers

THE FIXTURES:
(All kick-off times local)

ROUND 1:

Friday, October 20
Pool 2 Agen v Edinburgh Gunners 20.30 Groupe Canal+
Pool 3 Ospreys v Sale Sharks 19.30 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Border Reivers v Overmach Rugby Parma 19.30

Saturday, October 21
Pool 1 Benetton Treviso v Perpignan 14.00
Pool 2 Leinster v Gloucester Rugby 17.30 Sky Sports
Pool 3 Rugby Calvisano v Stade Francais Paris 14.00
Pool 4 Bourgoin v Cardiff Blues 16.30 France Televisions
Pool 5 Ulster v Toulouse 13.35 Sky Sports
Pool 5 London Irish v Llanelli Scarlets 15.00 S4C

Sunday, October 22
Pool 1 London Wasps v Castres Olympique 13.00 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v Munster 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Biarritz Olympique v Northampton Saints 16.00 France Televisions

ROUND 2:

Friday, October 27
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Benetton Treviso 20.30 Groupe Canal+
Pool 3 Sale Sharks v Rugby Calvisano 19.45
Pool 5 Llanelli Scarlets v Ulster 19.30 Sky Sports

Saturday, October 28
Pool 1 Perpignan v London Wasps 16.30 France Televisions
Pool 2 Gloucester Rugby v Agen 15.00
Pool 3 Stade Francais Rugby v Ospreys 14.35 Groupe Canal+
Pool 4 Munster v Bourgoin 17.30 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Northampton Saints v Border Reivers 15.30 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Overmach Rugby Parma v Biarritz Olympique 14.00

Sunday, October 29
Pool 2 Edinburgh Gunners v Leinster 13.00 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Cardiff Blues v Leicester Tigers 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Toulouse v London Irish 16.00 France Televisions

ROUND 3:

Friday, December 8
Pool 4 Bourgoin v Leicester Tigers 20.30 Groupe Canal+

Saturday, December 9
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Perpignan 16.30 France Televisions
Pool 2 Leinster v Agen 17.30 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Gloucester Rugby v Edinburgh Gunners 15.00
Pool 3 Rugby Calvisano v Ospreys 14.00
Pool 5 Llanelli Scarlets v Toulouse 15.00 S4C
Pool 5 London Irish v Ulster 15.30 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Border Reivers v Biarritz Olympique 13.35 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Overmach Rugby Parma v Northampton Saints 14.00

Sunday, December 10
Pool 1 London Wasps v Benetton Treviso 15.00
Pool 3 Stade Francais Paris v Sale Sharks 16.00 France Televisions
Pool 4 Cardiff Blues v Munster 13.00 Sky Sports

ROUND 4:

Friday, December 15
Pool 1 Perpignan v Castres Olympique 20.30 Groupe Canal+
Pool 3 Ospreys v Rugby Calvisano 19.30
Pool 5 Ulster v London Irish 19.30 Sky Sports

Saturday, December 16
Pool 1 Benetton Treviso v London Wasps 14.00
Pool 2 Agen v Leinster 16.30 France Televisions
Pool 4 Munster v Cardiff Blues 17.30 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v Bourgoin 14.45
Pool 5 Toulouse v Llanelli Scarlets 14.35 Groupe Canal+
Pool 6 Northampton Saints v Overmach Rugby Parma 15.00

Sunday, December 17
Pool 2 Edinburgh Gunners v Gloucester Rugby 13.00 Sky Sports
Pool 3 Sale Sharks v Stade Francais Paris 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Biarritz Olympique v Border Reivers 14.00 France Televisions

ROUND 5 – January 12/13/14

Pool 1 Benetton Treviso v Castres Olympique
Pool 1 London Wasps v Perpignan
Pool 2 Agen v Gloucester Rugby
Pool 2 Leinster v Edinburgh Gunners
Pool 3 Ospreys v Stade Francais Paris
Pool 3 Rugby Calvisano v Sale Sharks
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v Cardiff Blues
Pool 4 Bourgoin v Munster
Pool 5 Ulster v Llanelli Scarlets
Pool 5 London Irish v Toulouse
Pool 6 Biarritz Olympique v Overmach Rugby Parma
Pool 6 Border Reivers v Northampton Saints

ROUND 6 – January 19/20/21

Pool 1 Castres Olympique v London Wasps
Pool 1 Perpignan v Benetton Treviso
Pool 2 Gloucester Rugby v Leinster
Pool 2 Edinburgh Gunners v Agen
Pool 3 Stade Francais Paris v Rugby Calvisano
Pool 3 Sale Sharks v Ospreys
Pool 4 Cardiff Blues v Bourgoin
Pool 4 Munster v Leicester Tigers
Pool 5 Llanelli Scarlets v London Irish
Pool 5 Toulouse v Ulster
Pool 6 Overmach Rugby Parma v Border Reivers
Pool 6 Northampton Saints v Biarritz Olympique

QUARTER-FINALS
March 30/31/April 1

SEMI-FINALS
April 20/21/22

HEINEKEN CUP FINAL
May 19/20 – Twickenham Stadium