Heineken Cup opener pits champs Munster against Leicester

MUNSTER will have little time to rest on their laurels as Heineken Cup Champions. In the opening tie of next season’s competition, the heroes of Cardiff must travel to former winners Leicester Tigers.

The two heavyweights meet on Sunday, 22 October, two days after the tournament gets underway officially with the Ospreys hosting Sale Sharks.

The following day, Saturday, October 21, last year’s beaten semi-finalists Leinster host Gloucester. On the same day, Celtic League champions Ulster will be visited by perennial Heineken Cup powerhouse Toulouse, who were seen off by Leinster last year.

HEINEKEN CUP POOLS 2006/2007 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 Rugby, Toulouse, London Irish, Llanelli Scarlets.

Pool 6: Biarritz Olympique, Northampton Saints, Overmach Rugby Parma, Border Reivers.

The fixtures (All kick-offs local times)

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 Rugby v Toulouse 13.35.

Sky Sports Pool 5: London Irish v Llanelli Scarlets 15.00.

S4C Sunday 22 October

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 Rugby, 19.30.

Sky Sports Saturday 28 October

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 Rugby 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 Rugby 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, 2007, Pool 1: Benetton Treviso v Castres Olympique.

Pool 1: London Wasps v Perpignan.

Pool 2: Agen v Gloucester Rugby; Leinster v Edinburgh Gunners.

Pool 3: Ospreys v Stade Francais Paris; Rugby Calvisano v Sale Sharks.

Pool 4: Leicester Tigers v Cardiff Blues; Bourgoin v Munster.

Pool 5: Ulster Rugby v Llanelli Scarlets; London Irish v Toulouse

Pool 6: Biarritz Olympique v Overmach Rugby Parma; 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; Edinburgh Gunners v Agen.

Pool 3: Stade Francais Paris v Rugby Calvisano; Sale Sharks v Ospreys

Pool 4: Cardiff Blues v Bourgoin; Munster v Leicester Tigers.

Pool 5: Llanelli Scarlets v London Irish; Toulouse v Ulster Rugby.

Pool 6: Overmach Rugby Parma v Border Reivers; 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.