Rugby

Two-legged ties scrapped for next season’s Champions Cup

Start of next season’s tournament to begin on December 9th

A view of the Heineken Champions Cup trophy. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Tue May 10 2022 - 13:02

The EPCR have decided to scrap two-legged Round of 16 in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup.

Played over eight weekends, the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup will kick off in December with two consecutive weekends of pool stage action, and the next pool stage rounds will take place over consecutive weekends in mid-January 2023.

The knockout stages will start on the weekend of March 31st to April 2nd with the Round of 16 matches followed swiftly by the quarter-finals on April 7th to 9th.

The semi-finals will get under way on the last weekend of April with the finals taking place on Friday and Saturday May 19-20, 2023.

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EPCR Chief Executive, Anthony Lepage, said: “We are coming to the climax of what has been a challenging season for European club rugby, and have been able to welcome fans back to stadia from the recommencement of our competitions at the beginning of April.

“We have seen the very best EPCR competitions have to offer and are building towards what will no doubt be a sensational weekend of rugby for our finals later this month.

The formats of both competitions are currently being finalised and an announcement is expected ahead of this season’s showpiece matches in Marseille on May 27-28.

2022/23 weekends
Round 1 – December 9-11, 2022
Round 2 – December 16-18, 2022
Round 3 – January 13-15, 2023
Round 4 – January 20-22, 2023

Round of 16 – March 31st, April 1st, 2nd, 2023
Quarter-finals – April 7-9, 2023
Semi-finals – April 28-30, 2023

EPCR Challenge Cup final – Friday, May 19th, 2023
Heineken Champions Cup final – Saturday, May 20th, 2023

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