Heineken Cup Fixtures Are Released

European club rugby’s premier tournament, the Heineken Cup, will kick-off in November with an absorbing contest between the reigning champions London Wasps and the 2006 winners Munster.

The clash of Wasps and Munster should provide an exciting start to the tournament on the weekend of November 9-11 which will see nine matches broadcast live on television with a wealth of Heineken Cup action for fans to savour.

The first four rounds of the tournament will see increased television coverage with at least 33 Heineken Cup matches being shown live on television by ERC’s broadcast partners.

The fixtures for the first round of the competition will also see Friday night action at Ravenhill, where 1999 winners Ulster will host Gloucester Rugby, and at Stade Aime Giral, where Perpignan take on Newport Gwent Dragons while the beaten 2007 finalists and former double champions Leicester Tigers will travel to Dublin to face Leinster – the Irish top seeds – on Saturday.

The fixtures, dates, kick-off times and host TV broadcasters for the opening rounds, released by ERC today, also see Magners League champions the Ospreys launch their bid to make the knock-out stages for the first time with a home tie against Bourgoin.

Harlequins, back in the tournament after a two-year absence, mark their return with a trip to France to face French champions Stade Français Paris while Glasgow Warriors, the Scottish top seeds, travel to Saracens and Italian champions Benetton Treviso will also be on the road when they go to London Irish.

Details of the additional TV coverage of Rounds 1-4 by ERC’s broadcast partners, Sky Sports, France Televisions, Canal Groupe, S4C and RTE, including all live, delayed and highlights broadcasts, will be announced shortly. The fixture dates and kick-off times for Rounds 5 and 6 will be announced at a later date.

2007/08 HEINEKEN CUP – POOLS:

POOL 1: Benetton Treviso, London Irish, Perpignan, Newport Gwent Dragons
POOL 2: Ospreys, Gloucester Rugby, Bourgoin, Ulster
POOL 3: Stade Français Paris, Bristol Rugby, Cardiff Blues, Harlequins
POOL 4: Glasgow Warriors, Saracens, Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque, Viadana
POOL 5: London Wasps, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Llanelli Scarlets, Munster
POOL 6: Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Toulouse, Edinburgh Rugby

2007/08 HEINEKEN CUP POOL FIXTURES: (all kick-off times local time)

ROUND 1 –

Friday, November 9: Pool 1 – Perpignan v Newport Gwent Dragons, 9pm (Canal+Sport/Sky Sports*); Pool 2 – Ulster v Gloucester, 8pm, Sky Sports

Saturday, November 10: Pool 1 – London Irish v Benetton Treviso, 3pm; Pool 2 – Ospreys v Bourgoin, 5.30pm, (S4C*/Sport+/Sky Sports*); Pool 3 – Stade Francais Paris v Harlequins, 2.35pm (Canal+); Pool 4 – Viadana v Biarritz Olympique, 2.30pm; Pool 5 – London Wasps v Munster, 5.30pm (Sky Sports/Sport+**); Pool 6 – Edinburgh Rugby v Toulouse, 3.30pm (Sky Sports/FR2); Pool 6 – Leinster v Leicester Tigers, 1.30pm (Sky Sports)

Sunday, November 11: Pool 3 – Cardiff Blues v Bristol Rugby, 1pm (Sky Sports); Pool 4 – Saracens v Glasgow Warriors, 3pm; Pool 5 – ASM Clermont Auvergne v Llanelli Scarlets, 4pm (FR2/Sky Sports)

ROUND 2 –

Friday, November 16: Pool 2 – Gloucester Rugby v Ospreys, 8pm (Sky Sports); Pool 2 – Bourgoin v Ulster, 9pm (Canal+Sport/Sky Sports*); Pool 4 – Glasgow Warriors v Viadana, 7.30pm

Saturday, November 17: Pool 1 – Newport Gwent Dragons v London Irish, 1.30pm (S4C*/Sky Sports); Pool 1 – Benetton Treviso v Perpignan, 2.30pm; Pool 3 – Harlequins v Cardiff Blues, 3.30pm (Sky Sports); Pool 4 – Biarritz Olympique v Saracens, 4.30pm (FR2); Pool 5 – Llanelli Scarlets v London Wasps, 5.30pm (Sky Sports); Pool 6 – Leicester Tigers v Edinburgh Rugby, 3pm

Sunday, November 18: Pool 3 – Bristol Rugby v Stade Francais Paris, 3pm (Sky Sports/FR2); Pool 5 – Munster v ASM Clermont Auvergne, 1pm (Sky Sports/Sport+); Pool 6 – Toulouse v Leinster, 9pm (Canal+/Sky Sports)

ROUND 3 –

Friday, December 7: Pool 2 – Ospreys v Ulster, 8pm (S4C*/Sky Sports*); Pool 2 – Bourgoin v Gloucester Rugby, 9pm (Canal+Sport); Pool 6 – Leinster v Edinburgh Rugby, 8pm (Sky Sports)

Saturday, December 8: Pool 1 – Benetton Treviso v Newport Gwent Dragons, 2.30pm; Pool 3 – Harlequins v Bristol Rugby, 3pm; Pool 4 – Saracens v Viadana, 3pm; Pool 5 – ASM Clermont Auvergne v London Wasps, 2.35pm (Canal+/Sky Sports); Pool 5 – Llanelli Scarlets v Munster, 5.30pm (Sky Sports); Pool 6 – Leicester Tigers v Toulouse, 3.30pm (Sky Sports/FR2)

Sunday, December 9: Pool 1 – London Irish v Perpignan, 3pm; Pool 3 – Stade Francais Paris v Cardiff Blues, 4pm (FR2/Sky Sports); Pool 4 – Glasgow Warriors v Biarritz Olympique, 1pm (Sky Sports/Sport+)

ROUND 4 –

Friday, December 14: Pool 2 – Ulster v Ospreys, 8pm (Sky Sports); Pool 4 – Biarritz Olympique v Glasgow Warriors, 9pm (Canal+Sport/Sky Sports*)

Saturday, December 15: Pool 1 – Newport Gwent Dragons v Benetton Treviso, 4.30pm (FR2); Pool 1 – Perpignan v London Irish, 4.30pm (FR2); Pool 2 – Gloucester Rugby v Bourgoin, 3pm; Pool 3 – Cardiff Blues v Stade Francais Paris, 1.35pm (S4C*/Canal+/Sky Sports); Pool 4 – Viadana v Saracens, 2.30pm; Pool 5 – London Wasps v ASM Clermont Auvergne, 5.30pm (Sky Sports/Sport+); Pool 6 – Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster, 3.30pm (Sky Sports)

Sunday, December 16: Pool 3 – Bristol Rugby v Harlequins, 3pm; Pool 5 – Munster v Llanelli Scarlets, 1pm (Sky Sports); Pool 6 – Toulouse v Leicester Tigers, 4pm (FR2/Sky Sports)

Television Coverage – * Highlights, ** Delayed

ROUND 5 –

January 11, 12, 13, 2008:

Pool 1 – London Irish v Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 1 – Perpignan v Benetton Treviso
Pool 2 – Ospreys v Gloucester Rugby
Pool 2 – Ulster v Bourgoin
Pool 3 – Stade Francais Paris v Bristol Rugby
Pool 3 – Cardiff Blues v Harlequins
Pool 4 – Saracens v Biarritz Olympique
Pool 4 – Viadana v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 5 – ASM Clermont Auvergne v Munster
Pool 5 – London Wasps v Llanelli Scarlets
Pool 6 – Leinster v Toulouse
Pool 6 – Edinburgh Rugby v Leicester Tigers

ROUND 6 –

January 18, 19, 20, 2008:

Pool 1 – Newport Gwent Dragons v Perpignan
Pool 1 – Benetton Treviso v London Irish
Pool 2 – Gloucester Rugby v Ulster
Pool 2 – Bourgoin v Ospreys
Pool 3 – Bristol Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Pool 3 – Harlequins v Stade Francais Paris
Pool 4 – Biarritz Olympique v Viadana
Pool 4 – Glasgow Warriors v Saracens
Pool 5 – Munster v London Wasps
Pool 5 – Llanelli Scarlets v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 6 – Toulouse v Edinburgh Rugby
Pool 6 – Leicester Tigers v Leinster