Montpellier date and kick-off confirmed

By Mark Stevens
26/1/23

Following a tension-packed, number-crunching conclusion to the pool stage, EPCR have today announced the dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage of the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 matches.

The elite clubs which have qualified for this season’s knockout stage have 26 EPCR titles between them, and eight former Heineken Champions Cup winners - including Exeter Chiefs - are in contention to lift the trophy again.

Also included are all three South African representatives with the Cell C Sharks, the DHL Stormers and the Vodacom Bulls booking their places in the business end of the tournament in impressive style.

For the Chiefs, they will have home advantage in the last 16, entertaining French Top 14 outfit, Montpellier, at Sandy Park on Sunday, April 2 at 12:30pm.

Tickets for this fixture are now on sale and for Season Ticket holders, they will be FREE as part of your seasonal package.

Every minute of the eight winner-takes-all matches will be broadcast live by BT Sport, SuperSport and beIN SPORTS with the additional bonus of free-to-air coverage by RTE in Ireland for the showdown between Leinster Rugby and Ulster Rugby on Saturday 1 April, by ITV in the UK and Ireland when the Exeter Chiefs and Montpellier, and by S4C in Wales for the Ospreys’ visit to Saracens also on Sunday, April 2.

The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage have secured home advantage for the Round of 16 and this rule will remain in place for the quarter-finals. The semi-finals will be played in Europe at EPCR-designated venues with the showpiece final staged at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 20 May, and over 66,000 tickets have already been sold for the Dublin Finals weekend.

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP – Round of 16

(Pool stage rankings in brackets / All kick-offs local times)

Friday 31 March

Match 5: Leicester Tigers (B4) v Edinburgh Rugby (A5), Mattioli Woods Welford Road (20.00)

BT Sport / beIN SPORTS / SuperSport

Saturday 1 April

Match 3: Cell C Sharks (A3) v Munster Rugby (B6), Hollywoodbets Kings Park (13.30)

SuperSport / BT Sport / beIN SPORTS

Match 6: DHL Stormers (B3) v Harlequins (A6), DHL Stadium (16.00)

SuperSport / BT Sport / beIN SPORTS

Match 1: Leinster Rugby (A1) v Ulster Rugby (B8), Aviva Stadium (17.30)

RTE / BT Sport / beIN SPORTS / SuperSport

Match 8: Stade Rochelais (B1) v Gloucester Rugby (A8), Stade Marcel Deflandre (18.30)

beIN SPORTS / France TV / BT Sport / SuperSport

Sunday 2 April

Match 2: Exeter Chiefs (A2) v Montpellier Hérault Rugby (B7), Sandy Park (12.30)

ITV / BT Sport / beIN SPORTS / SuperSport

Match 4: Saracens (A4) v Ospreys (B5), StoneX Stadium (15.00)

BT Sport / S4C / beIN SPORTS / SuperSport

Match 7: Stade Toulousain (B2) v Vodacom Bulls (A7), Le Stadium (16.00)

France TV / beIN SPORTS / SuperSport / BT Sport

Quarter-finals – 7/8/9 April

QF 1: Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 5

QF 2: Winner Match 7 v Winner Match 3

QF 3: Winner Match 2 v Winner Match 6

QF 4: Winner Match 8 v Winner Match 4

NB The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home advantage

Semi-finals – 28/29/30 April

SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2

SF 2: Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4

NB The matches will be played in Europe and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home country advantage

2023 Heineken Champions Cup final: Saturday 20 May; Aviva Stadium, Dublin