Saracens begin Euro defence in Paris
FIXTURES: Saracens, who last season became the first Premiership club to win Europe’s blue-riband club tournament for a third time, will begin the defence of their title with a mouthwatering Champions Cup clash against Racing 92 at Paris La Défense Arena on Sunday, November 17.
Click HERE for the 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup fixtures
Click HERE for the 2019/20 Challenge Cup fixtures
Leinster, the reigning Pro14 champions, take on Benetton, who last season became the first Italian club to qualify by right for Europe’s top tier, at the RDS in Pool One on Saturday, November 16 and the Irish province will then come up against a resurgent Northampton Saints in the key December back-to-back matches.
ASM Clermont Auvergne, who won the 2019 Challenge Cup in such impressive style, will once again pack out the Stade Marcel-Michelin for their opening Pool Three game against Harlequins also on Saturday, November 16.
📣 2019/20 FIXTURES ARE HERE 📣
Reigning champions @Saracens kick off against French giants @racing92 in a tasty Round 1 clash ⚔️
Which #Heineken #ChampionsCup match-up are you most excited for?? 🎉
*All kick offs local time
ADVERTISEMENTAll fixtures 👇https://t.co/4seumyxMhz pic.twitter.com/TkVXVSfMNT
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) August 23, 2019
Other highlights of the crucial back-to-back fixtures in Rounds Three and Four include the meetings of Munster and Premiership title holders, Saracens, as well as the head-to-heads between Bath and Clermont, Glasgow Warriors and La Rochelle, and Harlequins and Ulster.
This season, the Challenge Cup has seven former European title winners – Brive, Cardiff Blues, Leicester Tigers, Pau, RC Toulon, Stade Francais Paris and Wasps – in its ranks and the tournament kicks off on Friday, November 15 with the Pool One meeting of Enisei-STM and Worcester Warriors in Krasnodar, the clash of Agen and Edinburgh Rugby at Stade Armandie, as well as the all-French match-ups between Bayonne and RC Toulon, and Stade Francais Paris and Brive.
Also in Round One on Saturday, November 16, Leicester take on Pau at Welford Road, the Scarlets and the Dragons are at home against London Irish and Castres Olympique respectively, Wasps are at Bordeaux-Bègles, Bristol Bears host Zebre Rugby Club, and the Cardiff Blues make the journey to Rugby Calvisano.
In addition, EPCR can confirm that for at least the 2019/20 season, a player who is a UK citizen will be regarded as a European player for the purposes of its tournaments.
