Heineken Cup fixtures announced

The fixtures, dates and kick-off times the first four Rounds of the 2008/09 Heineken Cup tournament were today announced by ERC with a record 10 matches being televised on each of the opening two weekends in October.

Reigning Heineken Cup champions Munster will be first into the action when they launch the defence of their title with an opening night Round 1 clash with tournament newcomers Montauban at a revamped Thomond Park on Friday, 10 October.

Treble champions and 2008 finalists Toulouse will close the first weekend’s matches when they host fellow former winners Bath Rugby in match No 12 on Sunday, 12 October, Toulouse staging the match at the 37,000 capacity Le Stadium.

Montauban – who will become the 55th team to play Heineken Cup rugby – will immediately go under the spotlight against the 2006 and 2008 champions with Montauban’s all-French clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne in Round 2 making Stade de Sapiac the 83rd venue to stage tournament action.

“Montauban will be a very interesting – and difficult – start for us and, at the moment, we don’t know that much about them,” said Tony McGahan, Munster’s new Director of Coaching. “However, they have done superbly well in the Top 14 in order to qualify for the Heineken Cup for the first time and there is absolutely no way we will be under-estimating them.”

Another new venue in the later stages will be Parc y Scarlets – the soon to be completed new home of Llanelli Scarlets – while a national ground that will see Pool stage action will be the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Blues moving their big Anglo-Welsh Round 2 match against Gloucester Rugby next door to the venue that has hosted three Heineken Cup finals.

THE POOLS

POOL 1: Munster, Sale Sharks, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Montauban

POOL 2: London Wasps, Leinster, Castres Olympique, Edinburgh

POOL 3: Leicester Tigers, Perpignan, Ospreys, Benetton Treviso

POOL 4: Stade Français Paris, Llanelli Scarlets, Ulster Rugby, Harlequins

POOL 5: Toulouse, Bath Rugby, Newport Gwent Dragons, Glasgow Warriors

POOL 6: Biarritz Olympique, Gloucester Rugby, Cardiff Blues, Rugby Calvisano

THE FIXTURES (All kick-offs LOCAL times)

ROUND 1

FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 1 Munster v Montauban 20.00 Sky Sports/ RTE*

Pool 3 Perpignan v Benetton Treviso 21.00 Canal+ Sport/ Sky Italia

SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 1 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Sale Sharks 14.35 Canal+ / Sky Sports**

Pool 2 Edinburgh v Leinster 13.35 Sky Sports/ RTE*/ Sky Italia

Pool 4 Llanelli Scarlets v Harlequins 15.30 S4C* / Sky Sports**

Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Stade Français Paris 15.30 Sky Sports/ FR 2

Pool 5 Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors 14.30

Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Biarritz Olympique 17.30 Sky Sports / Canal+ Sport

Pool 6 Rugby Calvisano v Cardiff Blues 14.35 Sky Italia / Sky Sports**

SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 2 London Wasps v Castres Olympique 15.00

Pool 3 Leicester Tigers v Ospreys 13.00 Sky Sports

Pool 5 Toulouse v Bath Rugby 16.00 FR2 / Sky Sports/ Sky Italia

ROUND 2

FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 5 Glasgow Warriors v Toulouse 20.00 Sky Sports / Canal+ Sport / Sky Italia

SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 2 Castres Olympique v Edinburgh 18.30 Canal+ Sport / Sky Sports**

Pool 2 Leinster v London Wasps 17.30 Sky Sports/ RTE*/ Sky Italia

Pool 3 Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers 14.35 Sky Italia / Sky Sports**

Pool 3 Ospreys v Perpignan 15.30 Sky Sports/ FR 2

Pool 4 Stade Français Paris v Llanelli Scarlets 14.35 Canal+ / Sky Sports

Pool 4 Harlequins v Ulster Rugby 15.00

Pool 6 Biarritz Olympique v Rugby Calvisano 18.00

SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER, 2008

Pool 1 Montauban v ASM Clermont Auvergne 16.00 FR2

Pool 1 Sale Sharks v Munster 13.00 Sky Sports / Sport+ / RTE*

Pool 5 Bath Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons 13.00 S4C* / Sky Sports**

Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Gloucester Rugby 15.00 Sky Sports/ Sky Italia

ROUND 3

FRIDAY 5 DECEMBER, 2008

Pool 1 Sale Sharks v Montauban 19.45

Pool 2 Edinburgh v London Wasps 19.30

Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Llanelli Scarlets 20.00 Sky Sports

Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Biarritz Olympique 20.00 S4C*/Sky Sports**/Canal+ Sport / Sky Italia

SATURDAY 6 DECEMBER, 2008

Pool 2 Leinster v Castres Olympique 13.35 Sky Sports / Sport+/ RTE*

Pool 3 Ospreys v Benetton Treviso 15.00

Pool 3 Leicester Tigers v Perpignan 17.30 Sky Sports / Canal+ Sport

Pool 4 Stade Français Paris v Harlequins 16.30 FR 2 / Sky Sports

Pool 5 Toulouse v Newport Gwent Dragons 14.35 Canal+ / Sky Sports** / Sky Italia

Pool 6 Rugby Calvisano v Gloucester Rugby 14.35 Sky Italia / Sky Sports**

SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER, 2008

Pool 1 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Munster 16.00 FR 2/ Sky Sports/ RTE*

Pool 5 Bath Rugby v Glasgow Warriors 13.00 Sky Sports/ Sky Italia