Mouthwatering clashes mark 2015/16 Champions Cup kick-off (SCROLL DOWN FOR FIXTURES)
2015/16 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup fixtures
The 2015/16 European Rugby Champions Cup will kick off in style when Leicester Tigers host Stade Francais Paris in a mouthwatering Round 1 clash at Welford Road on Friday, 13 November.
The Pool 4 meeting of the two-time winners and the reigning Top 14 champions live on BT Sport is just one of a number of heavyweight confrontations scheduled for the opening weekend of Europe’s elite club tournament.
RC Toulon, who completed an historic hat-trick of titles last season, begin their defence when they take on Bath Rugby at Stade Félix Mayol in the ultra-competitive Pool 5 on Sunday, 15 November, while in Pool 1, Aviva Premiership champions, Saracens, host Toulouse in another seismic Anglo-French fixture at Allianz Park on Saturday, 14 November.
First-time Guinness PRO12 champions, Glasgow Warriors, have a tough task on their hands when they travel to Racing 92 in Pool 3 also on Saturday, 14 November, and Champions Cup debutants, Oyonnax, will stage their first game in Europe’s top flight on the same day against Ulster Rugby at Stade Charles Mathon.
All 40 matches in Rounds 1 to 4 of the Champions Cup will be broadcast live in the UK and Ireland on either BT Sport or Sky Sports, and TV coverage of the journey to the Lyon 2016 finals will get under way on Sky Sports when Harlequins host Montpellier in Pool 3 of the Challenge Cup at the Twickenham Stoop on Thursday, 12 November.
Last season’s Challenge Cup winners, Gloucester Rugby, open their campaign against Zebre Rugby at Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday, 14 November.
The fixtures for Pool 1 of the Challenge Cup involving Connacht Rugby, Brive, Newcastle Falcons and Russian newcomers, Enisei-STM who are based in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, will be announced shortly. EPCR is currently working with all four clubs to determine the most suitable venues for Enisei-STM’s home matches as well as the travel logistics for the games.
The December back-to-back fixtures in Rounds 3 and 4 which traditionally guarantee sell-out attendances across the pools have also thrown up some fascinating clashes with RC Toulon and Leinster Rugby renewing their rivalry. The venue for the Round 3 game between the three-time champions on Sunday, 13 December is yet to be decided, however, the return will go ahead at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 19 December.
The clashes of Munster Rugby and Leicester Tigers, Racing 92 and Northampton Saints, Ulster Rugby and Toulouse, as well as Wasps v Bath Rugby will also feature prominently in the key back-to-back series.
The dates and kick-off times for the Round 5 and 6 fixtures in both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup will be announced following the completion of the Round 4 games.
Tournament weekends
Round 1: 12/13/14/15 November
Round 2: 19/20/21/22 November
Round 3: 10/11/12/13 December
Round 4: 17/18/19/20 December
Round 5: 14/15/16/17 January 2016
Round 6: 21/22/23/24 January 2016
Quarter-finals: 7/8/9/10 April 2016
Semi-finals: 22/23/24 April 2016
LYON 2016 FINALS
Champions Cup – Saturday, 14 May 2016; Grand Stade de Lyon (17.45)
ROUND 1
KICK OFF TIMES ARE LISTED AS LOCAL
13/11/2015 19:45 P4
Leicester Tigers v Stade Francais Paris
Welford Road BT Sport / beIN Sports
14/11/2015 14:00 P1
Oyonnax v Ulster Rugby
Stade Charles Mathon beIN Sports / Sky Sports
14/11/2015 16:15 P3
Racing 92 v Glasgow Warriors
Stade Yves-Du-Manoir beIN Sports / Sky Sports
14/11/2015 17:15 P1
Saracens v Toulouse
Allianz Park Sky Sports / beIN Sports
14/11/2015 17:15 P4
Munster Rugby v Benetton Treviso
Thomond Park Sky Sports / beIN Sports
14/11/2015 19:45 P3
Northampton Saints v Scarlets
Franklin’s Gardens BT Sport / beIN Sports
15/11/2015 13:00 P5
Leinster Rugby v Wasps
RDS Arena BT Sport / beIN Sports
15/11/2015 14:00 P2
Bordeaux-Begles v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Stade Chaban-Delmas beIN Sports / BT Sport
15/11/2015 16:15 P5
RC Toulon v Bath Rugby
Stade Félix Mayol FR2 / BT Sport / beIN Sports
15/11/2015 17:15 P2
Ospreys v Exeter Chiefs
Liberty Stadium Sky Sports / beIN Sports
ROUND 2
KICK OFF TIMES ARE LISTED AS LOCAL
20/11/2015 19:45 P1
Ulster Rugby v Saracens
Kingspan Stadium BT Sport / beIN Sports
21/11/2015 14:00 P4
Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers
Stadio Comunale di Monigo Sky Sports / beIN Sports
21/11/2015 15:15 P5
Bath Rugby v Leinster Rugby
Recreation Ground BT Sport / beIN Sports
21/11/2015 16:15 P1
Toulouse v Oyonnax
Stade Ernest Wallon beIN Sports / BT Sport
21/11/2015 17:15 P3
Glasgow Warriors v Northampton Saints
Scotstoun Stadium Sky Sports / beIN Sports
21/11/2015 17:15 P3
Scarlets v Racing 92
Parc y Scarlets Sky Sports / beIN Sports
21/11/2015 19:45 P2
Exeter Chiefs v Bordeaux-Begles
Sandy Park Stadium BT Sport / beIN Sports
22/11/2015 14:00 P2
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Ospreys
Stade Marcel-Michelin beIN Sports / Sky Sports
22/11/2015 16:15 P4
Stade Francais Paris v Munster Rugby
Stade Jean Bouin FR2 / Sky Sports / beIN Sports
22/11/2015 17:15 P5
Wasps v RC Toulon
Ricoh Arena BT Sport / beIN Sports
ROUND 3
KICK OFF TIMES ARE LISTED AS LOCAL
11/12/2015 19:45 P1
Ulster Rugby v Toulouse
Kingspan Stadium BT Sport / beIN Sports
12/12/2015 13:00 P3
Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets
Scotstoun Stadium Sky Sports / beIN Sports
12/12/2015 16:15 P3
Racing 92 v Northampton Saints
Stade Yves-Du-Manoir beIN Sports / BT Sport
12/12/2015 16:15 P4
Benetton Treviso v Stade Francais Paris
Stadio Comunale di Monigo beIN Sports / BT Sport
12/12/2015 17:15 P2
Exeter Chiefs v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Sandy Park Stadium Sky Sports / beIN Sports
12/12/2015 17:15 P2
Ospreys v Bordeaux-Begles
Liberty Stadium Sky Sports / beIN Sports
12/12/2015 19:45 P4
Munster Rugby v Leicester Tigers
Thomond Park BT Sport / beIN Sports
13/12/2015 14:00 P1
Oyonnax v Saracens
Stade Charles Mathon beIN Sports / Sky Sports
13/12/2015 16:15 P5
RC Toulon v Leinster Rugby
TBA FR2 / Sky Sports / beIN Sports
13/12/2015 17:15 P5
Wasps v Bath Rugby
Ricoh Arena BT Sport / beIN Sports
ROUND 4
KICK OFF TIMES ARE LISTED AS LOCAL
18/12/2015 19:45 P3
Northampton Saints v Racing 92
Franklin’s Gardens BT Sport / beIN Sports
19/12/2015 13:00 P1
Saracens v Oyonnax
Allianz Park Sky Sports / beIN Sports
19/12/2015 15:15 P5
Bath Rugby v Wasps
Recreation Ground BT Sport / beIN Sports
19/12/2015 16:15 P4
Stade Francais Paris v Benetton Treviso
Stade Jean Bouin beIN Sports / BT Sport
19/12/2015 17:15 P5
Leinster Rugby v RC Toulon
Aviva Stadium Sky Sports / beIN Sports
19/12/2015 18:15 P2
Bordeaux-Begles v Ospreys
Stade Chaban-Delmas beIN Sports / Sky Sports
19/12/2015 19:45 P3
Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors
Parc y Scarlets BT Sport / beIN Sports
20/12/2015 14:00 P1
Toulouse v Ulster Rugby
Stade Ernest Wallon beIN Sports / Sky Sports
20/12/2015 16:15 P2
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Exeter Chiefs
Stade Marcel-Michelin FR2 / Sky Sports
20/12/2015 17:15 P4
Leicester Tigers v Munster Rugby
Welford Road BT Sport / beIN Sports
ROUND 5
KICK OFF TIMES ARE LISTED AS LOCAL
15/16/17 Jan P1 Oyonnax v Toulouse
Stade Charles Mathon
15/16/17 Jan P1
Saracens v Ulster Rugby
Allianz Park
15/16/17 Jan P2
Bordeaux-Begles v Exeter Chiefs
Stade Chaban-Delmas
15/16/17 Jan P2
Ospreys v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Liberty Stadium
15/16/17 Jan P3
Northampton Saints v Glasgow Warriors
Franklin’s Gardens
15/16/17 Jan P3
Racing 92 v Scarlets
Stade Yves-Du-Manoir
15/16/17 Jan P4
Leicester Tigers v Benetton Treviso
Welford Road
15/16/17 Jan P4
Munster Rugby v Stade Francais Paris
Thomond Park
15/16/17 Jan P5
Leinster Rugby v Bath Rugby
RDS Arena
15/16/17 Jan P5
RC Toulon v Wasps
Stade Félix Mayol
ROUND 6
KICK OFF TIMES ARE LISTED AS LOCAL
22/23/24 Jan P1
Toulouse v Saracens
Le Stadium
22/23/24 Jan P1
Ulster Rugby v Oyonnax
Kingspan Stadium
22/23/24 Jan P2
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Bordeaux-Begles
Stade Marcel-Michelin
22/23/24 Jan P2
Exeter Chiefs v Ospreys
Sandy Park Stadium
22/23/24 Jan P3
Glasgow Warriors v Racing 92
Scotstoun Stadium
22/23/24 Jan P3
Scarlets v Northampton Saints
Parc y Scarlets
22/23/24 Jan P4
Benetton Treviso v Munster Rugby
Stadio Comunale di Monigo
22/23/24 Jan P4
Stade Francais Paris v Leicester Tigers
Stade Jean Bouin
22/23/24 Jan P5
Bath Rugby v RC Toulon
Recreation Ground
22/23/24 Jan P5
Wasps v Leinster Rugby
Ricoh Arena
