Champions Cup 2023/24: Stade Rochelais to face Leinster in blockbuster opener as Pool fixtures announced
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Published 13/07/2023 at 08:18 GMT
The Pool stage fixtures for the 2023/24 Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup have thrown up some mouth-watering contests, none more so than an opening-day repeat of last season's final. Stade Rochelais will open their title defence with a rematch against Leinster, live on TNT Sports, in December. Elsewhere, Saracens begin away to the Vodacom Bulls and Cardiff face a trip to Stade Toulousain.
La Rochelle players celebrate with the trophy after the Heineken Champions Cup Final match between Leinster and La Rochelle at Aviva Stadium in Dublin
Image credit: Getty Images
European champions Stade Rochelais will kick off their title defence with a blockbuster clash against Leinster in a repeat of last season’s final, live on TNT Sports.
The French giants clinched back-to-back titles by downing their star-studded rivals in Dublin in June, but the Irish side will get a chance for revenge this December.
TNT Sports will have live coverage of the Pool 4 showdown from the Stade Marcel Deflandre on Sunday 10 December.
The full Champions Cup Pool stage fixture list was announced on Thursday.
Both European tournaments, the Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, kick off over the weekend of 8-10 December with the Finals weekend taking place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 24 and 25 May 2024.
Stade Rochelais face a challenging task from the off in their bid for a hat-trick of European crowns, sharing a Pool with DHL Stormers, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks – who they face in that order following the opener against Leinster.
English champions Saracens begin their campaign with a trip to South Africa to face the Vodacom Bulls, with further tests to come in Pool 1 against Connacht, Union Bordeaux-Begles and Lyon.
Pool 2 plays host to French Top 14 winners Stade Toulousain, who open at home to Cardiff before facing Harlequins and Ulster away and finishing at home to Bath.
In Pool 3, two-time champions Munster start at home to Aviron Bayonnais, before facing Exeter, Toulon and Northampton.
EPCR Chairman Dominic McKay said: “We are delighted to announce the details of EPCR’s 2023/24 tournament pool stage fixtures five months before the tournaments get under way again in December.
"This has been a collaborative process and we thank the clubs, leagues and our broadcast partners for their assistance in finalising the schedule in such a short period of time.
"We know the fans will be hugely excited about the fixtures and they are now able to plan their weekends well in advance. There are some intriguing clashes in the pool stages with world-class rugby for all to see.”
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