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EPCR statement: Champions Cup semi-final venue plans confirmed
By Kim Ekin
EPCR have confirmed that five venues have been lined up to potentially stage the upcoming Heineken Champions Cup semi-final next month, depending on which teams progress from the four quarter-finals. La Rochelle, Munster, Leicester and Racing will all respectively host Montpellier, Toulouse, Leinster and Sale in the quarter-finals and the tournament organisers have outlined the likely semi-final venues.
An EPCR statement read: "In advance of the remaining fixtures in the knockout stage of the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup, it has been agreed that for this season only, the semi-finals will be played at the chosen venues of the highest-ranked clubs.
"A total of five venues in France, England and Ireland are in line to stage a semi-final match on the weekend of May 14/15 depending on the results of the quarter-finals.
"Regarding semi-final 1, if Racing 92 qualify, they will play either La Rochelle or Montpellier at the 38,000-capacity Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens as Paris La Défense will be unavailable on the Heineken Champions Cup semi-final weekend.
"If La Rochelle come through to meet Sale, that match will be played at Stade Marcel-Deflandre, and if a semi-final happens to pit Sale against Montpellier, that match will go ahead at the AJ Bell Stadium.
"For semi-final 2, if Leicester win through from the quarter-finals, they will play either Munster or Toulouse at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, and if Leinster earn a last-four place against Toulouse, that match will be scheduled for the 51,000-capacity Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Similarly, if Munster qualify to meet Leinster in a semi-final, then that match will also be staged at the Aviva Stadium as Thomond Park will be unavailable on the weekend of May 14/15."
HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP semi-finals - May 14/15
(Pool stage rankings in brackets)
Semi-final 1: if Racing 92 (A1) v Stade Rochelais (A3) – Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens
Semi-final 1: if Racing 92 (A1) v Montpellier Hérault Rugby (A7) – Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens
Semi-final 1: if Stade Rochelais (A3) v Sale Sharks (A5) - Stade Marcel-Deflandre
Semi-final 1: if Sale Sharks (A5) v Montpellier Hérault Rugby (A7) – AJ Bell Stadium
Semi-final 2: if Leicester Tigers (B1) v Munster Rugby (B3) – Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Semi-final 2: if Leicester Tigers (B1) v Stade Toulousain (B7) – Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Semi-final 2: if Munster Rugby (B3) v Leinster Rugby (A4) – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Semi-final 2: if Leinster Rugby (A4) v Stade Toulousain (B7) – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
2022 Heineken Champions Cup final: Saturday, May 28; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille (17.45)
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It’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
Go to commentsDon’t pay a blind bit of notice to Lukie… he likes the sound of his own voice and is always looking for something controversial to say. He has been banging on about Leinster's defensive system all season like he knows something Jacques Nienebar doesn’t. Which is the reason why he didn’t apply for the job obviously
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