Champions Cup fixtures 2018/19: Leinster’s defence starts at home to Wasps

Munster’s clash with Gloucester in Limerick among fixtures broadcast free-to-air on TV3

Leinster celebrate their Champions Cup final victory over Racing 92 in Bilbao. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Leinster celebrate their Champions Cup final victory over Racing 92 in Bilbao. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Leinster will begin the defence of their Champions Cup title at home to Wasps on Friday October 12th (7.45pm ko) - the opening fixture of the 2018/19 competition.

Munster meanwhile face a round one trip to Sandy Park to play Exeter on Saturday October 13th (3.30pm), before Ulster face Leicester Tigers in Belfast later the same day (5.30pm).

Other opening-weekend highlights on the tournament’s fixture-list see Bath host Toulouse, with French champions Castres travelling to Gloucester and Premiership champions Saracens visiting Glasgow.

Ahead of their opening clash against Johann van Graan’s side, Exeter’s rugby director Rob Baxter said: “We know Munster have huge tradition within the competition, so to start off at home against them is fantastic.

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“If we can do well in those two games (against Munster and Castres), get ourselves a good start and a few points on the board, I think it will set us nicely for the double-header against Gloucester (in December).”

In round two Munster welcome Gloucester to Thomond Park on Saturday October 20th (1.0pm), before Ulster travel to play last year’s losing finalists Racing 92 (6.30pm).

Leinster are the last of the provinces in action on the Heineken Cup’s second weekend, as they travel to play fellow four-time winners Stade Toulousain on Sunday October 21st (4.15pm).

Leo Cullen’s side then face Bath at The Rec on December 8th before the return fixture at the Aviva Stadium on December 15th. They play Toulouse at the RDS on January 12th before their concluding pool game away to Wasps on January 20th.

Munster meanwhile face familiar foes Castres in their Christmas double -header, with the home leg on December 9th before a festive trip to France on December 15th. They then travel to Kingsholm to play Gloucester on Friday January 11th before Exeter are welcomed to Limerick on January 19th.

Ulster play in west Wales against the Scarlets on Friday December 7th, with the 2017 Pro 14 champions heading to Belfast on Friday December 14th. The province’s penultimate pool fixture is at home to Racing 92 on January 12th after which they take on Leicester at Welford Road (January 19th).

This season’s competition will see a number of games broadcast on terrestrial television via TV3 and Channel 4 - with Munster’s home clash against Gloucester and Toulouse’s trip to play Leinster among the free-to-air fixtures.

TV3 have announced they will be broadcasting nine fixtures in total - six pool games follwed by a quarter-final, semi-final and the final, which is to be held at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park on Saturday May 11th.

In the Challenge Cup, Connacht begin their campaign against Bordeaux-Begles at the Sportsground on October 13th. They travel to face the Top 14 outfit in the concluding pool fixture on the weekend of Friday January 18th.

Andy Friend’s side are joined in a competitive Pool Three by Sale Sharks and Paddy Jackson’s Perpignan.

They take on the French side in Galway on December 8th, before travelling for the return fixture on Friday 14th. The province travel to Manchester on Saturday October 20th, with the English Premiership outfit heading West for the penultimate pool fixture on January 12th.

2018/19 Champions Cup pool fixtures

Round One

Friday October 12th
Pool One: Leinster v Wasps, 7.45pm, RDS Arena (BT Sport)

Saturday October 13th
Pool One: Bath v Toulouse, 1.0pm, The Rec (Channel 4/TV3/ BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Two: Exeter Chiefs v Munster, 3.15pm, Sandy Park (BT Sport)
Pool Five: Montpellier v Edinburgh, 3.15pm, GGL Stadium (beIN,/T Sport)
Pool Four: Scarlets v Racing 92, 5.30pm, Parc y Scarlets (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Four: Ulster v Leicester Tigers, 5.30pm, Kingspan Stadium (BT Sport)

Sunday October 14th
Pool Two: Gloucester v Castres, 1.0pm, Kingsholm (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Three: Lyon v Cardiff Blues, 1.0pm, Stade de Gerland (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool Five: Toulon v Newcastle Falcons, 3.15pm, Stade Felix-Mayol (beIN/BT Sport) Pool Three: Glasgow Warriors v Saracens, 3.15pm, Scotstoun (BT Sport)

Round Two

Friday October 19th 2018
Pool Four: Leicester Tigers v Scarlets, 7.45pm, Welford Road (BT Sport)

Saturday October 20th
Pool Two: Munster v Gloucester, 1.0pm, Thomond Park (TV3 / Channel 4 / BT Sport)
Pool Two: Castres v Exeter, 1.0pm, Stade Pierre Fabre (beIN Sports/BT Sport) Pool One: Wasps v Bath, 3.15pm, Ricoh Arena (BT Sport)
Pool Five: Edinburgh v Toulon, 3.35pm, Murrayfield (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Four: Racing 92 v Ulster, 5.30pm, La Defense Arena (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool Three: Saracens v Lyon, 5.30pm, Allianz Park (BT Sport/beIN)

Sunday October 21st
Pool Five: Newcastle Falcons v Montpellier, 1.0pm, Kingston Park (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool One: Toulouse v Leinster, 3.15pm, Stade Ernest Wallon (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Three: Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors, 3.15pm, Arms Park (BT Sport)

Round Three

Friday December 7th
Pool Five: Edinburgh v Newcastle, 7.45pm, Murrayfield (BT Sport)
Pool Four: Scarlets v Ulster, 7.45pm, Parc y Scarlets (BT Sport)

Saturday December 8th

Pool Two: Exeter v Gloucester, 1.0pm, Sandy Park (Channel 4 /TV3/BT Sport)
Pool Three: Lyon v Glasgow Warriors, 1.0pm, Stade de Gerland (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool One: Bath v Leinster, 3.15pm, The Rec (BT Sport)
Pool Five: Toulon v Montpellier, 3.15pm, Stade Felix-Mayol (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool One: Wasps v Toulouse, 5.30pm, Ricoh Arena (BT Sport/beIN)

Sunday December 9th
Pool Three: Saracens v Cardiff, 1.0pm, Allianz Park (BT Sport)
Pool Two: Munster v Castres, 1.0pm, Thomond Park (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Four: Racing 92 v Leicester Tigers, 3.15pm, La Defense Arena (BT Sport/beIN)

Round Four

Friday December 14th
Pool Two: Gloucester v Exeter, 7.45pm, Kingsholm (BT Sport)
Pool Four: Ulster v Scarlets, 7.45pm, Kingspan Stadium (BT Sport)

Saturday December 15th
Pool Three: Cardiff v Saracens, 1.0pm, Arms Park (Channel 4 /TV3 /BT Sport)
Pool Three: Glasgow Warriors v Lyon, 1.0pm, Scotstoun (BT Sport)
Pool One: Toulouse v Wasps, 3.15pm, Stade Ernest Wallon (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool Two: Castres v Munster, 5.30pm, Stade Pierre Fabre (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool One: Leinster v Bath, 5.30pm, Aviva Stadium (BT Sport)

Sunday December 16th
Pool Four: Leicester Tigers v Racing 92, 1.0pm, Welford Road (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Five: Montpellier v Toulon, 3.15pm, GGL Stadium (beIN/BT Sports)
Pool Five: Newcastle v Edinburgh, 3.15pm, Kingston Park (BT Sport)

Round Five

Friday January 11th 2019
Pool Two: Gloucester v Munster, 7.45pm, Kingsholm (BT Sport)

Saturday January 12th
Pool Five: Montpellier v Newcastle, 1.0pm, GGL Stadium (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool One: Leinster v Toulouse, 1.0pm, RDS (TV3/ Channel 4/ BT Sport /beIN)
Pool One: Bath v Wasps, 3.15pm, The Rec (BT Sport)
Pool Four: Ulster v Racing 92, 3.15pm, Kingspan Stadium (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Five: Toulon v Edinburgh, 5.30pm, Stade Felix-Mayol (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool Four: Scarlets v Leicester Tigers, 5.30pm, Parc y Scarlets (BT Sport)

Sunday January 13th
Pool Two: Exeter v Castres, 1.0pm, Sandy Park (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Three: Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Blues, 3.15pm, Scotstoun (BT Sport)
Pool Three: Lyon v Saracens, 3.15pm, Stade de Gerland (BT Sport/beIN)

Round Six

Friday January 18th
Pool Five: Edinburgh v Montpellier, 7.45pm, Murrayfield (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Five: Newcastle v Toulon, 7.45pm. Kingston Park (BT Sport/beIN)

Saturday January 19th
Pool Three: Saracens v Glasgow Warriors, 1.0pm, Allianz Park (BT Sport)
Pool Three: Cardiff Blues v Lyon, 1.0pm, Arms Park (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Four: Racing 92 v Scarlets, 3.15pm, La Defense Arena (beIN/BT Sport)
Pool Four: Leicester Tigers v Ulster, 3.15pm, Welford Road (BT Sport)
Pool Two: Munster v Exeter, 5.30pm, Thomond Park (BT Sport)
Pool Two: Castres v Gloucester, 5.30pm, Stade Pierre Fabre (beIN/BT Sport)

Sunday January 20th
Pool One: Toulouse v Bath, 3.15pm, Stade Ernest Wallon (BT Sport/beIN)
Pool Two: Wasps v Leinster, 3.15pm, Ricoh Arena (BT Sport)