Leinster Add Bordeaux Trip To Pre-Season Schedule

Leinster Rugby have confirmed the second of their two fixtures in this season’s pre-season schedule, as they gear up for the start of the new BKT United Rugby Championship campaign on Friday, September 20.

A pre-season clash with Northampton Saints, their Investec Champions Cup semi-final opponents from last May, has already been pencilled in for Saturday, September 7 at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens. Tickets are available to buy here.

Meanwhile, a second pre-season game for Leo Cullen’s men has been announced today. They will play Bordeaux-Bègles at the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Friday, August 30. Tickets are also now on sale here.

Northampton Saints are the current Gallagher Premiership champions and played Leinster as recently as last season in that unforgettable Champions Cup semi-final showdown in front of a full house at Croke Park.

Bordeaux-Bègles have no recent history with Leinster on the pitch – you have to go back to 1998 for that – but the French side were Top 14 finalists last season, beating Stade Francais in the semi-final before losing the decider to Toulouse.

Bordeaux have former Leinster Academy manager and ex-Ireland Under-20 Men’s head coach, Noel McNamara, in their coaching team as well as former Leinster and Munster out-half Joey Carbery, the 37-times capped Ireland international, in their playing ranks.

The wider Leinster squad returned for pre-season training a number of weeks ago but are currently on a break, and will return towards the end of next week.