World Cup stars flood Europe
New Zealand's Dan Carter and Ma'a Nonu, who have joined Racing 92 and RC Toulon respectively, will be in action in the European Champions Cup – while their teammates, Conrad Smith (Pau) and Ben Franks (London Irish), are set to compete in the Challenge Cup.
Adam Ashley-Cooper, who scored a memorable hat-trick in the World Cup semifinal victory over Argentina, and fellow Australian, Sekope Kepu, are both moving to Champions Cup qualifiers, Bordeaux-Begles, and scrumhalf, Will Genia, has signed for reigning Top 14 champions, Stade Francais Paris.
Champions Cup winners with Toulon, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell, will be doing their level best to prize the Webb Ellis Cup away from New Zealand on Saturday before returning to the south of France.
Wallaby World Cup squad member, Quade Cooper, will also be joining Giteau and Mitchell at the Top 14 club who made history last season by winning Europe's elite club title for the third time in a row.
South Africans, Duane Vermeulen (Toulon), Victor Matfield (Northampton Saints) and Willem Alberts (Stade Francais Paris), as well as Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis (both Montpellier), are among other high-profile World Cup players who will make their debuts in European competitions this season.
The Challenge Cup kicks off on Thursday, November 12 with the Pool Three meeting of Harlequins and Montpellier at the Twickenham Stoop, and the Champions Cup gets under way the following day (Friday, 13 November) when Leicester Tigers and Stade Francais Paris clash at Welford Road.
Both EPCR finals will be staged at the 59,000-capacity Grand Stade de Lyon.
The Challenge Cup Final will be played on Friday, May 13 and the Champions Cup decider is scheduled for Saturday, May 14.
