Champions Cup: Dates and kick-offs confirmed
NEWS: For the first time in history the Bulls will host a Champions Cup Round of 16 match at Loftus Versfeld.
The Bulls will be up against Lyon at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, April 6.
Last season, the Bulls travelled to France to take on Toulouse in the Round of 16.
However, this year’s Pretoria franchise finished second in Pool One, earning the right to host the last 16 fixtures.
On the same day, the Stormers will face Stade Rochelais again in Cape Town.
The Capetonians recorded a 21-20 win over the defending champions in the pool stages in December.
Leinster, the top-ranked club from the United Rugby Championship, are up against old foes, Leicester Tigers, at the Landsdowne Road Stadium.
Exeter Chiefs host Bath Rugby in an intriguing all-Premiership contest and Stade Chaban-Delmas will be the venue for the clash of Union Bordeaux-Bègles and Saracens.
Stade Toulousain, five-time tournament winners and this season’s No 1-ranked club, go head-to-head with their TOP 14 rivals, Racing 92, at Le Stadium on Sunday, April 7. The highest-ranked Premiership club, the in-form Northampton Saints, clash with Munster at Franklin’s Gardens also on Sunday, April 7.
The Round of 16 kicks off on the evening of Friday, April 5 when Harlequins meet Glasgow Warriors at the Twickenham Stoop.
EPCR Chairman, Dominic McKay, said: “Congratulations to all the clubs progressing into the Champions Cup Round of 16. The ‘back-to-pools’ format introduced this season was a great success with great sporting interest and jeopardy all the way through the rounds creating remarkable games.
“The growing strength of the Investec Champions Cup is also evident off the field. The level of engagement by fans supporting their teams, whether in stadia, online or on TV, has grown considerably. We have seen a 12 percent increase in attendances – a total of 709,000 at Investec Champions Cup matches across the four rounds – a 52 percent increase in social media engagement and a 33 percent increase in broadcast audiences across our multiple territories.
“These important milestones demonstrate that this competition continues to have a very important place in the global rugby and sports landscape for fans, clubs and partners alike.”
CHAMPIONS CUP – Round of 16
(Pool stage rankings in brackets / All kick-offs local times)
Friday, April 5
Match 5:Harlequins (5) v Glasgow Warriors (12)
(Twickenham Stoop – Kick-off: 20.00; 20.00 GMT)
Saturday 6 April
Match 6: Bulls (6) v Lyon (11)
(Loftus Versfeld, Kick-off: 13.30, 11.30 GMT, 12.30 French time)
Match 8: Exeter Chiefs (8) v Bath (9)
(Sandy Park, Kick-off: 15.00; 15.00 GMT)
Match 7: Stormers (7) v Stade Rochelais (10)
(Cape Town Stadium – Kick-off: 16.00, 14.00 GMT, 15.00 French time)
Match 4: Union Bordeaux-Bègles (4) v Saracens (13)
( Stade Chaban-Delmas – Kick-off: 18.30, 17.30 GMT; 17.30 UK time)
Match 2: Leinster (2) v Leicester Tigers (15)
(Landsdowne Road Stadium – Kick-off: 20.00, 20.00 GMT)
Sunday, April 7
Match 3: Northampton Saints (3) v Munster (14),
(Franklin’s Gardens – Kick-off: 12.30, 12.30 GMT)
Match 1: Stade Toulousain (1) v Racing 92 (16)
(Le Stadium – Kick-off: 16.00, 15.00 GMT)
Quarterfinals – April 12/13/14
QF 1: Winner R16 1 v Winner R16 8
QF 2: Winner R16 2 v Winner R16 7
QF 3: Winner R16 3 v Winner R16 6
QF 4: Winner R16 4 v Winner R16 5
NB: The highest-ranked teams from the pool stage will have home venue advantage.
Semifinals – May 3/4/5
SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4
SF 2: Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3
NB The matches will be played in Europe and where relevant the highest-ranked teams from the pool stage will have home country advantage.
