Champions Cup pool stage fixtures released

The 2023/24 Champions Cup pool stage fixtures have been confirmed and there are a multitude of mouth-watering contests across the four rounds of games.

24 of the best club sides on the planet will go head-to-head across four pools of six, with the action getting underway on the weekend of December 8/9/10.

The Bulls open their Champions Cup campaign against Saracens at Loftus Versveld on 9 December, while last season's finalists, the Stormers, face Leicester Tigers at Welford Road that Sunday.

One of seven superb match-ups on Saturday 16 December sees reigning champions La Rochelle play a competitive game in South Africa for the first time as they head to Cape Town for an all-star tussle with the Stormers in Pool 4. Meanwhile, the Bulls travel to State de Gerland to front up against Lyon.

Saturday 13 January provides a whopping eight matches. Munster renew their rivalry with Toulon on the French Riviera in Pool 3, Bristol Bears are at home to the Bulls for the first time in Pool 1 and Ulster Rugby will look to avenge their gut-wrenching 2022 Round of 16 defeat when they host Toulouse in Pool 2. The Stormers play host to the Sale Sharks in Cape Town.

The Round of 16 takes place on 5/6/7 April before the quarter-finals on 12/13/14 April and the semi-finals on 3/4/5 May. The Champions Cup final takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday 25 May, with the EPCR Challenge Cup final taking palce at the same venue on the 24th.

Meanwhile, in the second-tier Challenge Cup, the Sharks open their account against French club Pau at Kings Park on 9 December, while the Cheetahs are away to Italian outfit Zebre Parma on the same day. The Lions will play their first game away at French side Perpignan on Sunday.

2023/24 Champions Cup pools:

Pool 1: Saracens, Union Bordeaux-Begles, Bulls, Bristol Bears, Connacht Rugby, Lyon

Pool 2: Stade Toulousain, Cardiff Rugby, Bath Rugby, Racing 92, Harlequins, Ulster Rugby

Pool 3: Munster Rugby, Aviron Bayonnais, Glasgow Warriors, Exeter Chiefs, RC Toulon, Northampton Saints

Pool 4: Stade Rochelais, Stade Français Paris, Leicester Tigers, Stormers, Leinster Rugby, Sale Sharks