Date & Kick-Off Time Confirmed For Connacht’s Clash With Grenoble
As the RBS 6 Nations takes centre stage in the coming weeks, fans of the elite European club game will be able to look forward to even more world class action in April when the European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup quarter-finals get underway.
The knockout stages of the tournaments mark the beginning of the end of the journey to the 2016 finals in May when the two showcase matches will be staged at the state-of-the-art 59,000-capacity Grand Stade de Lyon.
A major weekend of knockout rugby will commence with the first of the Challenge Cup quarter-finals between Sale Sharks and Montpellier at the AJ Bell Stadium on Friday, April 8, with holders Gloucester, who are on a record run of 15 victories in the tournament, up against the Newport Gwent Dragons at Kingsholm the following day.
Grenoble v Connacht is the last quarter-final to kick off when Pat Lam’s men travel to the Rhône-Alpes region for the 9.05pm clash at Stade des Alpes on Saturday, April 9.
A win for Connacht will set up a Sportsground semi-final later in the month against the winnera of the Harlequins v London Irish tie.
All eight quarter-finals in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will be broadcast live, with the coverage shared by BT Sport, Sky Sports, beIN Sports and France Télévisions.
Supporters looking for details on flights and travel packages should contact Connacht Rugby’s travel partner Keller Travel on (090) 964 2131. Match tickets will be available through the FC Grenoble website.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER-FINALS:
Friday, April 8 –
QF3: Sale Sharks v Montpellier, AJ Bell Stadium, 7.45pm (Sky Sports/beIN Sports)
Saturday, April 9 –
QF4: Gloucester v Newport Gwent Dragons, Kingsholm, 12.45pm (Sky Sports)
QF1: Harlequins v London Irish, Twickenham Stoop, 8.05pm (BT Sport)
QF2: Grenoble v CONNACHT, Stade des Alpes, 9.05pm local time/8.05pm Irish time (FR4/BT Sport/beIN Sports)
Semi-final 1: Harlequins or London Irish v Grenoble or CONNACHT
Semi-final 2: Sale Sharks or Montpellier v Gloucester or Newport Gwent Dragons
(Matches to be played on April 22/23/24)
Challenge Cup final: Friday, May 13, Grand Stade de Lyon, 9pm local time