Leinster will launch the defence of their Heineken Cup crown with an away trip to Montpellier in Round 1 on Saturday, 12 November, with the French tournament debutants taking the match to Stade de la Mosson, the 32,900-capacity home of League 1 football club Montpellier HSC.
Leinster will also play a fourth tournament match at the Aviva Stadium when they meet Bath Rugby in Round 4 on Saturday, 17 December. The champions have won all three previous games staged at the home of Irish rugby beating ASM Clermont Auvergne in a Pool match and Leicester Tigers and Toulouse in the knock-out stages last season on the way to their second Heineken Cup crown in three seasons.
ERC, the tournament organisers, today (Wednesday, 20 July) announced the fixtures, dates, kick-off times and host broadcasters for the opening four rounds of the 2011/2012 tournament.
English champions Saracens – who will welcome South Africa’s 2007 World Cup winning captain John Smit to the club in the autumn – will take their Round 3 clash with the Ospreys on Saturday, 10 December to London’s Wembley Stadium.
Connacht Rugby, who join Montpellier in making their Heineken Cup debut this season, will meet Amlin Challenge Cup holders Harlequins in Pool 6 on Friday, 11 November – the opening night of the 17th season of elite European club rugby action – before welcoming four-time champions Toulouse to Galway in Round 2 on Saturday, 19 November.
Harlequins face a tough away trip in Round 4 when they take on Toulouse at Le Stadium on Sunday, 18 December.
Northampton Saints, the 2011 finalists, will also be on the road in Round 1 as they travel to Thomond Park to meet the 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup winners, Munster in Pool 1.
Aironi Rugby, the Italian franchise set for their second season in the competition, will have home advantage when they host former double champions Leicester Tigers at Stadio Luigi Zaffanella on the opening Saturday.
POOLS
POOL 1: Munster, Northampton Saints, Scarlets, Castres Olympique
POOL 2: Cardiff Blues, London Irish, Edinburgh, Racing Metro 92
POOL 3: Leinster, Bath Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, Montpellier
POOL 4: Leicester Tigers, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Ulster Rugby, Aironi Rugby
POOL 5: Biarritz Olympique, Ospreys, Saracens, Benetton Treviso
POOL 6: Toulouse, Harlequins, Gloucester Rugby, Connacht Rugby
FIXTURES
(All kick-offs LOCAL time with host broadcaster where relevant)
ROUND 1
FRIDAY, 11 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 Racing Metro 92 v Cardiff Blues 21.00 Canal+
Pool 6 Harlequins v Connacht Rugby 20.00 Sky Sports
SATURDAY, 12 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Scarlets v Castres Olympique 15.00
Pool 1 Munster v Northampton Saints 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 2 London Irish v Edinburgh 13.30 Sky Sports
Pool 3 Montpellier v Leinster (Stade de la Mosson) 14.30 Canal+
Pool 4 Aironi Rugby v Leicester Tigers 14.30 Sky Italia
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v ASM Clermont Auvergne 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Ospreys v Biarritz Olympique 15.40 S4C
SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 3 Glasgow Warriors v Bath Rugby 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Saracens v Benetton Treviso 15.00
Pool 6 Toulouse v Gloucester Rugby 16.00 FR2
ROUND 2
FRIDAY, 18 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Northampton Saints v Scarlets 20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v London Irish 20.00 S4C
Pool 2 Edinburgh v Racing Metro 92 20.00
Pool 4 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Aironi Rugby 21.00 Canal+
SATURDAY, 19 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Munster 16.40 FR2
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v Ulster Rugby 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Biarritz Olympique v Saracens 14.30 Canal+
Pool 5 Benetton Treviso v Ospreys 14.30 Sky Italia
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Harlequins 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Connacht Rugby v Toulouse 18.00 Sky Sports
SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 3 Leinster v Glasgow Warriors 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 3 Bath Rugby v Montpellier 15.00 Sky Sports
ROUND 3
FRIDAY, 9 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh 20.00 S4C
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Aironi Rugby 19.30
Pool 6 Harlequins v Toulouse 20.00 Sky Sports
SATURDAY, 10 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Scarlets v Munster 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Northampton Saints 14.30 Canal+
Pool 2 Racing Metro 92 v London Irish 16.40 FR2
Pool 5 Benetton Treviso v Biarritz Olympique 14.30 Sky Italia
Pool 5 Saracens v Ospreys (Wembley Stadium) 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Connacht Rugby v Gloucester Rugby 13.30 Sky Sports
SUNDAY, 11 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 3 Glasgow Warriors v Montpellier 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 3 Bath Rugby v Leinster 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 4 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers 16.00 FR2
ROUND 4
FRIDAY, 16 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues 20.00 S4C
Pool 5 Ospreys v Saracens 20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Biarritz Olympique v Benetton Treviso 21.00 Canal+
SATURDAY, 17 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 London Irish v Racing Metro 92 15.00
Pool 3 Montpellier v Glasgow Warriors 16.40 FR2
Pool 3 Leinster v Bath Rugby (Aviva Stadium) 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v ASM Clermont Auvergne 13.30 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Aironi Rugby v Ulster Rugby 14.30 Sky Italia
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Connacht Rugby 15.40 Sky Sports
SUNDAY, 18 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Munster v Scarlets 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 1 Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Toulouse v Harlequins (Le Stadium) 16.00 FR2
ROUND 5
13 / 14 / 15 JANUARY, 2012
Pool 1 Munster v Castres Olympique
Pool 1 Scarlets v Northampton Saints
Pool 2 London Irish v Cardiff Blues
Pool 2 Racing Metro 92 v Edinburgh
Pool 3 Montpellier v Bath Rugby
Pool 3 Glasgow Warriors v Leinster
Pool 4 Aironi Rugby v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Leicester Tigers
Pool 5 Ospreys v Benetton Treviso
Pool 5 Saracens v Biarritz Olympique
Pool 6 Toulouse v Connacht Rugby
Pool 6 Harlequins v Gloucester Rugby
ROUND 6
20 / 21 / 22 JANUARY, 2012
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Scarlets
Pool 1 Northampton Saints v Munster
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v Racing Metro 92
Pool 2 Edinburgh v London Irish
Pool 3 Bath Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 3 Leinster v Montpellier
Pool 4 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Ulster Rugby
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v Aironi Rugby
Pool 5 Benetton Treviso v Saracens
Pool 5 Biarritz Olympique v Ospreys
Pool 6 Connacht Rugby v Harlequins
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Toulouse
QUARTER-FINALS – 6 / 7 / 8 APRIL, 2012
SEMI-FINALS – 27 / 28 / 29 APRIL, 2012
17th HEINEKEN CUP FINAL – TWICKENHAM STADIUM – 19 / 20 MAY, 2012
ENDS