Big European fixtures weekends announced

HEINEKEN CUP and CHALLENGE CUP 2010: THE WEEKENDS for next season’s European fixtures have been announced, with the final, at…

HEINEKEN CUP and CHALLENGE CUP 2010:THE WEEKENDS for next season's European fixtures have been announced, with the final, at the Stade de France in Paris, scheduled for May 22nd, 2010.

Tickets for the final go on sale on Monday, May 25th. This, the 15th season of European club rugby, starts on October 9th and ERC confirmed Challenge Cup matches will take place again on Thursdays.

The fixtures are the first year of a confirmed three-year schedule for European weekends agreed by all European rugby stakeholders.

The Pool stages will again be played in three blocks of two rounds with the knock-out stages starting after the Easter weekend.

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(Please note that the dates are the Saturday of the relevant weekend)

2009

ROUND ONE – 9th/10th/11th October

ROUND TWO – 16th/17th/18th October

ROUND THREE – 11th/12th/13th December

ROUND FOUR – 18th/19th/20th December 2010

ROUND FIVE – 15th/16th/17th January

ROUND SIX – 22nd/23rd/24th January

QUARTER-FINALS – 9th/10th/11th April SEMI-FINALS – 1st/2nd May, Paris

2010 Heineken Cup Final – May 22nd

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL – 21st/22nd/23rd May

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent