Leinster, Munster and Ulster have learned their European Cup itinerary for the forthcoming season after the dates and kick-off times were announced this afternoon.
Leinster kick off their campaign at home to Biarritz Olympique on Saturday, December 6th, re-match of last season's quarter-final, in a match to be screened live on RTE. The match will be staged at Lansdowne Road with large attendances anticipated for all Leinster's home fixtures.
Munster get their challenge underway in Bourgoin later that evening while Ulster face the Gwent Dragons in Wales the following afternoon.
Toulouse begin their Heineken Cup defence on the Sunday in front of the Sky Sports cameras at Meadowbank Stadium where they take on Edinburgh Rugby.
"There are some mouth watering games for fans to savour on the first weekend of this season's Heineken Cup and we are delighted with the high level of live coverage we will be offering in conjunction with our broadcast partners, Sky Sports, France Televisions and RTE," said ERC chief executive Derek McGrath.
"There are a lot of fixtures that have significant Heineken Cup history invested in them which is bound to make them even more appealing to the fans. There is also the prospect of the club's seeing their World Cup heroes returning en masse for the first time since their exploits in Australia."
"With 21 of the 48 games in the opening four rounds of Pool matches set to be broadcast by our partners, we feel we will be offering as large a slice of live action as ever before. There is a great season ahead of us and the Heineken Cup is set to dominate the rugby agenda in the northern hemisphere in December and January as the six rounds of Pool matches are played out in six countries."
Pool 1: Stade Francais, Leicester Tigers, Gwent Dragons, Ulster
Pool 2: Leeds Tykes, Neath-Swansea Ospreys, Edinburgh Rugby, Toulouse
Pool 3: Sale Sharks, Cardiff Blues, Leinster Lions, Biarritz Olympique
Pool 4: Agen, The Borders, Llanelli Scarlets, Northampton Saints
Pool 5: Bourgoin, Munster, Benetton Treviso, Gloucester
Pool 6: Celtic Warriors, Calvisano, London Wasps, Perpignan
Round 1
Friday 5 December
Pool 4 Llanelli Scarlets V Northampton Saints 19.45 Sky
Pool 6 Celtic Warriors V Calvisano 19.15
Saturday 6 December
Pool 1Stade Francais V Leicester Tigers16.00FR2 / Sky
Pool 3Sale Sharks V Cardiff Blues17.00Sky
Leinster Lions V Biarritz Olympique15.00RTE / Sky
Pool 4Agen V The Borders19.30
Pool 5Bourgoin V Munster19.30
Benetton Treviso V Gloucester14.30
Sunday 7 December
Pool 1Gwent Dragons V Ulster14.30
Pool 2Leeds Tykes V Neath-Swansea Ospreys14.30
Edinburgh Rugby V Toulouse13.00Sky / FR3
Pool 6London Wasps V Perpignan15.00 Sky
Round 2
Friday 12 December
Pool 1Ulster V Stade Francais19.30
Pool 2Neath-Swansea Ospreys V Edinburgh Rugby19.30
Toulouse V Leeds Tykes19.30
Pool 3Cardiff Blues V Leinster Lions19.45Sky
Saturday 13 December
Pool 3Biarritz Olympique V Sale Sharks18.30
Pool 4Northampton Saints V Agen15.00
Pool 5Munster V Benetton Treviso17.00RTE / Sky
Gloucester V Bourgoin15.00
Pool 6Calvisano V London Wasps14.30
Perpignan V Celtic Warriors16.00FR2 / Sky
Sunday 14 December
Pool 1Leicester Tigers V Gwent Dragons15.00Sky
Pool 4The Borders V Llanelli Scarlets13.00Sky
Round 3
Friday 9 January, 2004
Pool 2Edinburgh Rugby V Leeds Tykes19.30
Pool 3Leinster Lions V Sale Sharks19.45RTE / Sky
Pool 4Llanelli Scarlets V Agen19.30
Saturday 10 January
Pool 2Toulouse V Neath-Swansea Ospreys16.00 FR2 / Sky
Pool 3Biarritz Olympique V Cardiff Blues18.30
Pool 4Northampton Saints V The Borders15.00
Pool 5Benetton Treviso V Bourgoin14.30
Gloucester V Munster17.00Sky
Pool 6Perpignan V Calvisano19.00
Sunday 11 January
Pool 1Gwent Dragons V Stade Francais14.30
Ulster V Leicester Tigers13.00Sky
Pool 6London Wasps V Celtic Warriors15.00Sky
Round 4
Friday 16 January
Pool 2Neath-Swansea Ospreys V Toulouse19.45Sky
Pool 4The Borders V Northampton Saints19.30
Pool 6Celtic Warriors V London Wasps19.15
Saturday 17 January
Pool 1Leicester Tigers V Ulster15.00
Pool 3Cardiff Blues V Biarritz Olympique14.30
Pool 4Agen V Llanelli Scarlets16.00FR2 / Sky
Pool 5Munster V Gloucester17.00RTE / Sky
Pool 6Calvisano V Perpignan14.30
Sunday 18 January
Pool 1Stade Francais V Gwent Dragons15.00
Pool 2Leeds Tykes V Edinburgh Rugby13.00Sky
Pool 3Sale Sharks V Leinster Lions15.00Sky
Pool 5Bourgoin V Benetton Treviso15.00
Round 5
23 / 24 / 25 January
Pool 1Stade Francais V Ulster
Gwent Dragons V Leicester Tigers
Pool 2Leeds Tykes V Toulouse
Edinburgh Rugby V Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Pool 3Sale Sharks V Biarritz Olympique
Leinster Lions V Cardiff Blues
Pool 4Agen V Northampton Saints
Llanelli Scarlets V The Borders
Pool 5Bourgoin V Gloucester
Benetton Treviso V Munster
Pool 6Celtic Warriors V Perpignan
London Wasps V Calvisano
Round 6
30 / 31 January, 1 February
Pool 1Ulster V Gwent Dragons
Leicester Tigers V Stade Francais
Pool 2Toulouse V Edinburgh Rugby
Neath-Swansea Ospreys V Leeds Tykes
Pool 3Biarritz Olympique V Leinster Lions
Cardiff Blues V Sale Sharks
Pool 4Northampton Saints V Llanelli Scarlets
The Borders V Agen
Pool 5Gloucester V Benetton Treviso
Munster V Bourgoin
Pool 6Perpignan V London Wasps
Calvisano V Celtic Warriors
Heineken Cup Quarter-Finals: 9 / 10 / 11 April
Heineken Cup Semi-Finals: 24 / 25 April
Heineken Cup Final: 22 / 23 May