Munster to visit La Rochelle for pre-season game

Munster will also play Leicester Tigers in Cork ahead of their opening URC match on September 26

Munster beat La Rochelle in the 2024/25 Champions Cup round of 16. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Munster will play La Rochelle at Stade Marcel Deflandre in the team’s first pre-season fixture ahead of the 2026/27 season on Friday, August 28 at 7.30pm.

It will be the first time the sides have met since Munster beat the French side in the Champions Cup round of 16 last year. Munster have previously played pre-season fixtures against La Rochelle in 2011 and 2012, losing both. It will be a first outing for Munster's new-look backroom team featuring Jared Payne and Jimmy Duffy. 

An up and down season for Ronan O'Gara's team ended on Sunday night with a 45-5 defeat to Stade Francais in the Barrages stage of the Top 14. 

The game against La Rochelle will be one of two pre-season games that Clayton McMillan's side will play ahead of their opening URC match against Glasgow Warriors on September 26.

Munster will also play Leicester Tigers at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Friday, September 18 at 7:15pm. It will be the English side's first visit to Cork since August 2010 when Munster beat them 17-13. They also played a mid-season game last year which Leicester won 42-19. 

The draw for next season’s Champions Cup pool stage takes place on July 1 at 12.30pm.