Rugby's Champions Cup: Times, dates and venues revealed

The Toulouse team celebrate after last season's Heineken Champions Cup final win. 

Munster will open their Heineken Champions Cup campaign away to Wasps on Sunday, December 12th.

That Pool B encounter will be played at Coventry Building Society Arena at 3.15pm with the game televised by BT Sport.

European Rugby chiefs have this morning confirmed time, dates and venues for the pool stages of the 2021-22 competition with Northampton Saints hosting Racing 92 in the opening game on Friday, December 10th at Franklin’s Garden.

Leinster will be the first Irish province in action - they host Bath at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, December 11th at 3.15pm - later that evening Ulster will face Clermont Auvergne in Stade Marcel-Michelin at 5.30pm.

Connacht welcome Stade Francais to the Sportsground in Pool B at 1pm on the Sunday afternoon.

In Round 2, Leinster and Ulster have been handed Friday night slots on December 17th. 

Leo Cullen’s side are away to Montpellier while Ulster host Northampton Saints. Both games have 8pm kick-offs.

On Saturday, December 18th, Munster will host Castres at Thomond Park (8pm) with Connacht away to Leicester on Sunday, December 19th at 1pm.

The return legs of those fixtures will be played on the weekend of January 14th-16th. 

Munster faces Castres on Friday night, January 14, at Stade Pierre Fabre (8pm) while Connacht welcome the Tigers to Galway on Saturday afternoon, January 15th at 3.15pm. 

Leinster and Ulster will both play on Sunday, January 16th, at 1pm and 3.15pm respectively.

In Round 4, Leinster are away to Bath (1pm) on Saturday, January 22 while Ulster host Clermont that afternoon (5.30pm).

On Sunday, January 23rd, Connacht are away to Stade Francais (1pm) with Munster hosting Wasps that afternoon at Thomond, 3.15pm).

The tournament will once again be competed for by 24 elite clubs in two pools of 12 with eight representatives from each of Europe’s leading professional leagues.

The eight highest-ranked clubs from each pool will qualify for the knockout stage which will consist of a Round of 16 on a home and away basis, quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the final in Marseille on 28 May 2022.

R1: Pool A: Leinster v Bath (Dec 11, Aviva Stadium, 3.15pm), Clermont v Ulster, (Dec 11, Stade Marcel Michelin, 5.30pm); Pool B: Connacht v Stade Francais, (Dec 12, The Sportsground, 1pm); Wasps v Munster. (Dec 12, Coventry Building Society Arena, 3.15pm);

R2: Pool A: Montpellier v Leinster (Dec 17, GGL Stadium, 8pm), Ulster v Northampton Saints (Dec 17, Kingspan Stadium, 8pm); Pool B: Munster v Castres (Dec 18, Thomond Park, 8pm), Leicester Tigers v Connacht (Dec 19, Welford Road, 1pm).

R3: Pool A: Leinster v Montpellier (Jan 16, RDS, 1pm); Northampton Saints v Ulster, (Jan 16, Franklin’s Gardens, 3.15pm); Pool B: Castres v Munster (Jan 14, Stade Pierre Fabre, 8pm); Connacht v Leicester Tigers (Jan 15, The Sportsground, 3.15pm).

R4: Pool A: Bath v Leinster, (Jan 22, The Rec, 1pm); Ulster v Clermont, (Jan 22, Kingspan Stadium, 5.30pm); Pool B: Munster v Wasps (Jan 23, Thomond Park, 3.15pm), Stade Francais v Connacht, (Jan 23, Stade Jean Bouin, 1pm).