European Quarter-Final Details Confirmed By EPCR
The road to the Bilbao finals and possible glory next May is now mapped out for Europe’s elite teams following today’s announcement of the dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
With the current Champions Cup and Challenge Cup holders, Saracens and Stade Francais, as well as six former competition winners, still in the mix, the knockout stages are once again set to deliver a mouth-watering series of heavyweight clashes over the Easter weekend.
The last-eight matches in the Champions Cup get underway on Friday, March 30 with a showdown between the in-form Scarlets, who have reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2007, and tournament debutants La Rochelle at Parc y Scarlets.
Next up on Saturday, March 31, Thomond Park will be at fever pitch when Munster take on Toulon, and that showdown will be followed by an Easter Sunday double-bill featuring Clermont Auvergne v Racing 92 at Stade Marcel-Michelin, and top seeds Leinster against Saracens at the Aviva Stadium.
There are two Challenge Cup ties on Friday, March 30 with this season’s top seeds and winners from 2000, Pau, meeting Stade Francais at Stade du Hameau, while Newcastle Falcons will host Brive at Kingston Park.
Connacht and last season’s beaten finalists, Gloucester, clash at the Sportsground on Saturday, March 31, and later the same day at BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh will go head-to-head with the Cardiff Blues.
All eight quarter-finals will be broadcast live with the coverage shared by BT Sport, Sky Sports, beIN Sports and France Télévisions.
CHAMPIONS CUP QUARTER-FINALS:
Friday, March 30:
QF2: Scarlets v La Rochelle, Parc y Scarlets, kick-off 5.30pm (BT Sport/beIN Sports)
Saturday, March 31:
QF3: MUNSTER v Toulon, Thomond Park, kick-off 3.15pm (Sky Sports/FR 2/beIN Sports)
Sunday, April 1:
QF4: Clermont Auvergne v Racing 92, Stade Marcel Michelin, 2pm local time (beIN Sports/Sky Sports)
QF1: LEINSTER v Saracens, Aviva Stadium, 3.30pm (BT Sport/beIN Sports)
Semi-Final 1 – Winners of QF1: LEINSTER v Saracens will play the winners of QF2: Scarlets v La Rochelle
Semi-Final 2 – Winners of QF3: MUNSTER v Toulon will play the winners of QF4: Clermont Auvergne v Racing 92
(Matches to be played on April 21-22)
Champions Cup Final: San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao, Saturday, May 12, kick-off 5.45pm local time
CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER-FINALS:
Friday, March 30:
QF1: Pau v Stade Francais, Stade du Hameau, kick-off 9pm local time (FR4/beIN Sports/BT Sport)
QF4: Newcastle Falcons v Brive, Kingston Park, 8pm (Sky Sports/beIN Sports)
Saturday, March 31:
QF3: CONNACHT v Gloucester, the Sportsground, 1pm (BT Sport/beIN Sports)
QF2: Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues, BT Murrayfield, 5.45pm (Sky Sports/beIN Sports)
Semi-Final 1 – Winners of QF1: Pau v Stade Francais will play the winners of QF2: Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues
Semi-Final 2 – Winners of QF3: CONNACHT v Gloucester will play the winners of QF4: Newcastle Falcons v Brive
(Matches to be played on April 21-22)
Challenge Cup Final: San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao, Friday, May 11, kick-off 9pm local time