Champions Cup Pool fixtures: Munster to start against Bayonne, Leinster to face La Rochelle

Connacht are set to get the tournament underway by hosting Union Bordeaux-Begles at The Sportsground.

Thu, 13 Jul, 2023 - 09:00

Simon Lewis

Munster are set to being their 2023-24 Champions Cup campaign with a home tie against Bayonne on December 9 while Leinster face a trip to La Rochelle for another crack at the back-to-back champions a day later.

Competition organisers EPCR released dates, kick-off times and broadcast details for all four rounds of next season’s pool stages on Thursday morning with Connacht set to get the tournament underway by hosting Union Bordeaux-Begles at The Sportsground on Friday, December 8.

Both of URC champions Munster’s home games at Thomond Park, against tournament newcomers Aviron Bayonnais in Round 1 and familiar foes Northampton Saints in Round 4 on January 20, are set to be shown free to air on RTÉ.

Graham Rowntree’s men have away assignments in Rounds 2 and 3, at Exeter Chiefs on Sunday, December 17 and against Toulon at Stade Felix Mayol on Saturday, January 13.

Four times champions Leinster, who will be without both veteran captain Johnny Sexton and senior coach Stuart Lancaster next season, kick off their latest bid for a fifth star in a blockbuster reunion with Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle, just under seven months after their 2023 final defeat at Aviva Stadium, which is set to air on TNT Sports, the new brand name for BT Sports.

Champions Cup runners-up in the past two seasons, Leo Cullen’s men are at home and live on RTÉ in Rounds 2 and 3 against Sale Sharks on Saturday, December 16, and Stade Francais on Saturday, January 13 with either the RDS Arena or Aviva Stadium to be confirmed as venues for the “pool of death” match-ups before a final-round trip to old rivals Leicester Tigers at Welford Road in Round 4 on Saturday, January 20.

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Next season’s Champions Cup will feature four pools of six clubs each, each pool containing two clubs from each of the French Top14, English Premiership and URC. Each team will play four pool matches against four different clubs not from the same league, two at home and two away.

EPCR Finals Weekend will take place at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next May 24 for the Challenge Cup and May 25 for the Champions Cup.

“We are delighted to announce the details of EPCR’s 2023/24 tournament pool stage fixtures five months before the tournaments get underway again in December,” EPCR Chairman Dominic McKay said.

“This has been a collaborative process and we thank the clubs, leagues and our broadcast partners for their assistance in finalising the schedule in such a short period of time.

"We know the fans will be hugely excited about the fixtures and they are now able to plan their weekends well in advance. There are some intriguing clashes in the pool stages with world-class rugby for all to see.”

Irish Provinces’ Pool Fixtures 2023/24 (all Irish time)

Round 1

Friday, December 8: Connacht v Bordeaux-Begles, 8pm – TNT Sports

Saturday, December 9: Bath v Ulster, 3:15pm – TNT Sports

Saturday, December 9: Munster v Bayonne, 5:30pm - RTÉ

Sunday, December 10: La Rochelle v Leinster 3:15pm – TNT Sports

Round 2

Saturday, December 16: Saracens v Connacht, 1pm – TNT Sports

Saturday, December 16: Leinster v Sale Sharks, 5:30pm - RTÉ

Saturday, December 16: Ulster v Racing 92, 8pm – TNT Sports

Sunday, December17: Exeter Chiefs v Munster, 1pm – ITV & TNT Sports

Round 3