Leinster will face Northampton Saints in the fourth round of the Heineken European cup at the Aviva Stadium in December as part of a mouthwatering double-header against the side they beat to claim the trophy in 2011.
Matt O’Connor’s side will travel to Franklin’s Gardens the week beforehand on December 7th, after opening Pool 4 with an away trip to Ospreys (october 12th) and the visit of Castres Olympique to the RDS a week later.
Ulster's Pool 5 campaign begins with the visit of O'Connor's former side, Aviva Premiership champions Leiecester, to Ravenhill on October 11th, the same night Connacht host Saracens at the Sportsground in Pool 3.
Munster begin Pool 6 with a tricky trip to Murrayfield to meet Edinburgh on October 12th before Gloucester arrive in Thomond Park on the 19th. Thomond will host the first game of their December double-header against Perpignan.
Connacht's credentials will be tested twice by Toulouse in December, but back-to-back games against Benetton Treviso are unlikely to overexcite Ulster fans.
Defending champions Toulon will open the defence of their title next season with a home game against Glasgow Warriors at Stade Félix Mayol on Sunday October 13th.
Heineken European Cup fixtures
Round 1
Friday, October 11th, 2013
Pool 3
: Connacht v Saracens, Sportsground, KO 20:00
Pool 5
: Ulster v Leicester, Ravenhill, KO 20:00
Pool 3
: Toulouse v Zebre, Stade Ernest Wallon, KO 21:00
Saturday, October 12th, 2013
Pool 6:
Edinburgh v Munster, Murrayfield, KO 13:35
Pool 5
: Treviso v Montpellier, Stadio Comunale di Monigo, KO 14:35
Pool 4:
Harlequins v Scarlets, Twickenham Stoop, 15:40
Pool 1:
Castres v Northampton, Stade Pierre Antoine, KO 16:40
Pool 1
: Ospreys v Leinster, Liberty Stadium, KO 19:00
Pool 6
: Gloucester v Perpignan, Kingsholm, KO 18:00
Sunday, October 13th, 2013
Pool 2
: Exeter v Cardiff Blues, Sandy Park, KO 12:45
Pool 2:
Toulon v Glasgow, Stade Felix Mayol, KO 16:00
Pool 4
: Racing Metro v Clermont Auvergne, Stade Yves du Manoir, KO 21:00
Round 2
Friday, October 18th
Pool 3:
Saracens v Toulouse, Wembley, KO 19:45
Pool 5
: Leicester v Treviso, Welford Road, KO 20:00
Saturday, October 19th
Pool 2:
Cardiff Blues v Toulon, Arms Park, KO 13:35
Pool 3
: Zebre v Connacht, Stadio XXV Aprile, KO 14:35
Pool 1:
Leinster v Castres, RDS, KO 15:40
Pool 5:
Montpellier v Ulster, Stade Yves du Manoir, KO 16:40
Pool 4:
Scarlets v Racing Metro, Parc Y Scarlets, KO 18:00
Pool 6
: Munster v Gloucester, Thomond Park, KO 18:00
Sunday, October 20th
Pool 1:
Northampton v Ospreys, Franklin's Gardens, KO 12:45
Pool 6:
Perpignan v Edinburgh, Stade Aime Giral, KO 13:45
Pool 2
: Glasgow v Exeter, Scotstoun Stadium, KO 14:00
Round 3
Friday, December 6th
Pool 2
: Cardiff Blues v Glasgow, Arms Park, KO 20:00
Pool 1
: Castres v Ospreys, Stade Pierre Antoine, KO 21:00
Saturday, December 7th
Pool 2
: Exeter v Toulon, Sandy Park, KO 13:35
Pool 3
: Zebre v Saracens, Stadium XXV Aprile, KO 14:35
Pool 4
: Clermont Auvergne v Scarlets, Stade Marcel Michelin, KO 14:35
Pool 1
: Northampton Saints v Leinster, Franklin's Gardens, KO 18:00
Pool 5:
Ulster v Treviso, Ravenhill, KO 18:00
Sunday, December 8th
Pool 6
: Munster v Perpignan, Thomond Park, KO 12:45
Pool 6
: Edinburgh v Gloucester, Murrayfield, KO 13:00
Pool 5:
Leicester v Montpellier, Welford Road, KO 15:00
Pool 3:
Toulouse v Connacht, Stade Ernest Wallon, KO 16:00
Round 4
Friday, December 13th
Pool 1:
Ospreys v Castres, Liberty Stadium, KO 20:00
Pool 2:
Glasgow v Cardiff Blues, Scotstoun Stadium,. KO 20:00
Saturday, December 14th
Pool 2:
Toulon v Exeter, Stade Felix Mayol, KO 14:35
Pool 5:
Treviso v Ulster, Stadio Comunale di Mongio, KO 14:35
Pool 3:
Saracens v Zebre, Allianz Park, KO 15:00
Pool 4
: Scarlets v Clermont Auvergne, KO Parc Y Scarlets
Pool 6:
Perpignan v Munster, Stade Aime Giral, KO 16:40
Pool 1:
Leinster v Northampton, Aviva Stadium, KO 18:00
Pool 3:
Connacht v Toulouse, The Sportsground, KO 18:00
Sunday, December 15th
Pool 4:
Harlequins v Racing Metro, Twickenham Stoop, KO 12:45
Pool 6:
Gloucester v Edinburgh, Kingsholm, KO 15:00
Pool 5:
Montpellier v Leicester, Stade Yves du Manoir, KO 16:00
Round 5 - 10th/11th/12th January
Pool 1:
Castres Olympique v Leinster Rugby, Stade Pierre Antoine
Pool 1:
Ospreys v Northampton Saints, Liberty Stadium
Pool 2
: Exeter Chiefs v Glasgow Warriors, Sandy Park Stadium
Pool 2
: Toulon v Cardiff Blues, TBA
Pool 3
: Connacht Rugby v Zebre, The Sportsground
Pool 3
: Toulouse v Saracens, Stade Ernest Wallon
Pool 4
: Harlequins v ASM Clermont Auvergne, The Twickenham Stoop
Pool 4
: Racing Métro 92 v Scarlets, Stade Yves du Manoir
Pool 5
: Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tiger, Stadio Comunale di Monigo
Pool 5
: Ulster Rugby v Montpellier, Ravenhill
Pool 6
: Edinburgh Rugby v Perpignan, Murrayfield
Pool 6:
Gloucester Rugby v Munster Rugby, Kingsholm
Round 6 - 17th/18th/19th January
Pool 1:
Leinster Rugby v Ospreys, RDS
Pool 1
: Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique, Franklin's Gardens
Pool 2:
Cardiff Bluee v Exeter Chiefs, Cardiff Arms Park
Pool 2
: Glasgow Warriors v Toulon, Scotstoun Stadium
Pool 3
: Saracens v Connacht Rugby, Allianz Park
Pool 3
: Zebre v Toulouse, Stadio XXV Aprile
Pool 4
: ASM Clermont Auvergne v Racing Métro 92, Stade Marcel Michelin
Pool 4
: Scarlets v Harlequins, Parc y Scarlets
Pool 5
: Leicester Tigers v Ulster Rugby, Welford Road
Pool 5
: Montpellier v Benetton Treviso, Stade Yves du Manoir
Pool 6
: Munster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Thomond Park
Pool 6
: Perpignan v Gloucester Rugby, Stade Aimé Giral
Finals - Cardiff 2014
Amlin Challenge Cup
- Cardiff Arms Park; Friday, May 23rd, 2014 (20.00)
Heineken Cup
- Millennium Stadium; Saturday, May 24th, 2014 (17.00)
