Heineken Cup fixtures announced

European Rugby Cup ltd (ERC) have unveiled the fixtures for the pool stages of the 2002/03 Heineken Cup.

European Rugby Cup ltd (ERC) have unveiled the fixtures for the pool stages of the 2002/03 Heineken Cup, with champions Leicester Tigers travelling to Welsh side Neath in the opening weekend, the action getting underway in the second week of October.

Munster will begin their Heineken European Cup campaign with a visit Kingsholm, Gloucester’s home ground on the week ending 12th October. The following week they will be at home to French side Perpignan. They will meet Italian champions Viadana at home on week ending 7th December and the return game will be the following week in Italy. They finish their group games with a trip to Perpignan on week ending 11th January and complete their program with a home tie against Gloucester on week ending 18th January. Kick off times and exact dates will be confirmed later.

ROUND 1 – 11/12/13 October

Pool 1: Amatori & Calvisano v Beziers Neath v Leicester Tigers Pool 2: Gloucester v Munster Perpignan v Viadana Pool 3: Llanelli v Glasgow Rugby Sale Sharks v Bourgoin Pool 4: Montferrand v Swansea Leinster v  Bristol Shoguns Pool 5: Toulouse v London Irish Edinburgh Rugby v Newport Pool 6: Cardiff v Biarritz Olympique Northampton Saints v Ulster

ROUND 2 – 18/19/20 October

Pool 1: Leicester Tigers v Amatori & Calvisano Beziers v Neath Pool 2: Viadana v Gloucester Munster v Perpignan Pool 3: Glasgow Rugby v Sale Sharks Bourgoin v Llanelli Pool 4: Bristol Shoguns v Montferrand Swansea v Leinster Pool 5: London Irish v Edinburgh Rugby Newport v Toulouse Pool 6: Ulster v Cardiff Biarritz Olympique v Northampton Saints

ROUND 3 – 06/07/08 December

Pool 1: Beziers v Leicester Tigers Amatori & Calvisano v Neath Pool 2: Munster v Viadana Gloucester v Perpignan Pool 3: Sale Sharks v Llanelli Bourgoin v Glasgow Rugby Pool 4: Montferrand v Leinster Swansea v Bristol Shoguns Pool 5: Edinburgh Rugby v Toulouse Newport v London Irish Pool 6: Ulster v Biarritz Olympique Northampton Saints v Cardiff

ROUND 4 – 13/14/15 December

Pool 1: Leicester Tigers v Beziers Neath v Amatori & Calvisano Pool 2: Viadana v Munster Perpignan v Gloucester Pool 3: Llanelli v Sale Sharks Glasgow Rugby v Bourgoin Pool 4: Bristol Shoguns v Swansea Leinster v Montferrand Pool 5: Toulouse v Edinburgh Rugby London Irish v Newport Pool 6: Cardiff  v Northampton Saints Biarritz Olympique v Ulster

ROUND 5 – 10/11/12 January, 2003

Pool 1: Neath v Beziers Amatori & Calvisano v Leicester Tigers Pool 2: Perpignan v Munster Gloucester v Viadana Pool 3: Llanelli v Bourgoin Sale Sharks v Glasgow Rugby Pool 4: Leinster v Swansea Montferrand v Bristol Shoguns Pool 5: Toulouse v Newport Edinburgh Rugby v London Irish Pool 6: Cardiff v Ulster Northampton Saints v Biarritz Olympique

ROUND 6 – 17/18/19 January

Pool 1: Leicester Tigers v Neath Beziers v Amatori & Calvisano Pool 2: Viadana v Perpignan Munster v Gloucester Pool 3: Bourgoin v Sale Sharks Glasgow Rugby v Llanelli Pool 4: Bristol Shoguns v Leinster Swansea v Montferrand Pool 5: Newport v Edinburgh Rugby London Irish v Toulouse Pool 6: Biarritz Olympique v Cardiff Ulster v Northampton Saints

Quarter-finals: 11 / 12 / 13 April Semi-finals: 26 / 27 April Final: 24 May