Leinster to face La Rochelle in Round 1 as European fixtures revealed

The European Champions Cup is going to get heavy fast next season, with defending champions Stade Rochelais facing last season's runners-up, Leinster, in the opening round.

The match, which will take place at Stade Marcel Deflandre on December 10, was revealed as the EPCR confirmed the pool stage fixture and dates this morning.

Leinster, the tournament runners-up for the past two seasons, will be hoping to secure a knockout stage berth. They will face Sale Sharks and Stade Francais Paris at home in Rounds 2 and 3, respectively.

Saracens, the winners of the Gallagher Premiership, will begin their campaign against the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria. You can view the full fixtures here.

Stade Toulousain open their Pool 2 campaign at Stade Ernest Wallon against Cardiff on Saturday 9 December before travelling to Harlequins in Round 2 and then to Ulster Rugby in Round 3. The five-time Champions Cup winners wrap up their pool stage schedule with a home tie against Bath in Round 4.

Munster will be at Thomond Park for their Round 1 and Round 4 fixtures against newcomers, Aviron Bayonnais, and Northampton Saints respectively. In Rounds 2 and 3 the men in red will be on the road to face Exeter Chiefs and the 2023 EPCR Challenge Cup winners, RC Toulon in Pool 3.

In the EPCR Challenge Cup, the Cell C Sharks, making their debut, will have home advantage in Rounds 1 and 3 against Section Paloise and Oyonnax. Black Lion, the first Georgian club to participate in EPCR's main professional competitions, will host Gloucester in their first Challenge Cup appearance.

Clermont’s schedule sees them up against Edinburgh at Stade Marcel-Michelin in Round 1 on Friday 8 December, followed by an away fixture at Gloucester, a home game against Scarlets before they travel to Tbilisi to face Black Lion in Round 4.

Previous Challenge Cup winners Montpellier Hérault Rugby, open their Pool 2 campaign against the Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park on Sunday 10 December before back-to-back home fixtures against the Ospreys and the Emirates Lions, and then in Round 4, Benetton.

The tournaments will commence on the weekend of December 8-10, and the EPCR Finals Weekend will be held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24-25, 2024.

"We are delighted to announce the details of EPCR’s 2023/24 tournament pool stage fixtures five months before the tournaments get under way again in December," said EPCR Chairman, Dominic McKay. "This has been a collaborative process and we thank the clubs, leagues and our broadcast partners for their assistance in finalising the schedule in such a short period of time. We know the fans will be hugely excited about the fixtures and they are now able to plan their weekends well in advance. There are some intriguing clashes in the pool stages with world-class rugby for all to see."

2023/24 weekends

Round 1 – 8/9/10 December 2023

Round 2 – 15/16/17 December 2023

Round 3 – 12/13/14 January 2024

Round 4 – 19/20/21 January 2024

Round of 16 – 5/6/7 April 2024

Quarter-finals – 12/13/14 April 2024

Semi-finals – 3/4/5 May 2024

EPCR Challenge Cup final – Friday 24 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Champions Cup final – Saturday 25 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium