The fixtures, dates, kick-off times and host broadcasters for the first four Rounds of the Heineken Cup 2008 / 2009 tournament were today (Thursday, 17 July) announced by ERC, the tournament organisers, with a record 10 matches being televised on each of the opening two weekends in October expanding the tournament’s coverage.
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.
And 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.”
Leinster will open their campaign with a trip to Edinburgh on Saturday October 11th with the game kicking off at 1:35 p.m. Stade Francais provide the opposition for Ulster in Ravenhill at 3:30 p.m. the same day. Leinster will be at home the following week with London Wasps the visitors while Ulster will be away to Harlequins with Munster travelling to Sale on the Sunday.
Heineken Cup Pools 2008/09
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 Fran?ais 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
Pool 1 Munster v Montauban 20.00 Sky Sports / RTE*
Pool 3 Perpignan v Benetton Treviso 21.00 Canal+ Sport / Sky Italia
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 Fran?ais Paris 15.30 Sky Sports / FR2
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**
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
Pool 5 Glasgow Warriors v Toulouse 20.00 Sky Sports / Canal+ Sport / Sky Italia
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 / FR2
Pool 4 Stade Fran?ais 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
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
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
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 Fran?ais 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**
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
Pool 2 Castres Olympique v Leinster 21.00 Canal+ Sport / Sky Sports / RTE*
Pool 4 Llanelli Scarlets v Ulster Rugby 20.00 S4C* / Sky Sports** / Sky Italia
Pool 1 Munster v ASM Clermont Auvergne 15.30 Sky Sports / FR2 / RTE*
Pool 1 Montauban v Sale Sharks 19.00
Pool 3 Benetton Treviso v Ospreys 14.35 Sky Italia / Sky Sports**
Pool 4 Harlequins v Stade Fran?ais Paris 17.30 Sky Sports / Canal+Sport
Pool 5 Newport Gwent Dragons v Toulouse 14.30
Pool 6 Biarritz Olympique v Cardiff Blues 14.35 Canal+ / Sky Sports
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Rugby Calvisano 15.00
Pool 2 London Wasps v Edinburgh 13.00 Sky Sports / Sky Italia
Pool 3 Perpignan v Leicester Tigers 16.00 FR 2 / Sky Sports / Sky Italia
Pool 5 Glasgow Warriors v Bath Rugby 14.00
* Denotes delayed coverage.
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