London Welsh will begin their Amlin Challenge Cup campaign with a high-profile home game against star-studded Stade Francais Paris at the Kassam Stadium.
The Exiles, promoted to the Aviva Premiership on appeal last month and handed an invite into Europe's second tier competition, will tackle the beaten finalists from two seasons ago on Saturday, October 13, in one of a number of intriguing match-ups confirmed by tournament organisers, ERC.
The revised fixtures, dates and kick-off times along with the confirmed live TV coverage for the opening four rounds of the competition promise to serve up a feast of intense action. Gloucester, the 2006 champions, will have the honour of getting the European club rugby season underway when they travel to newly-promoted Top 14 side Mont-de-Marsan on Thursday, October 11, while in the same highly-competitive Pool 1, London Irish will also be in France for a demanding kick-off against Bordeaux-Bègles two days later.
Stade Francais will move to a new Amlin Challenge Cup venue when they take on Grenoble in an all-French Round 2 clash at Stade Océane in Le Havre on Saturday, October 20.
London Wasps, who triumphed back in 2003, will begin their quest for another coveted European ***le with an Anglo-Welsh tie against Newport Gwent Dragons at Adams Park, while 2008 champions Bath will face an away trip to Bucharest Wolves in Pool 4.
Worcester Warriors, who were defeated by Bath in that 2008 final, will break new ground when they travel to Spain to take on Bizkaia Gernika RT in Pool 2 also on October 13.
Twenty clubs from six countries will compete in the 2012-13 tournament with three clubs - London Welsh, Rugby Mogliano from Italy, and Spain's Bizkaia Gernika RT - making their first appearances in Europe.
Amlin Challenge Cup 2012/13 Fixtures
POOLS
Pool 1: Gloucester Rugby, London Irish, Bordeaux-Bègles, Mont-de-Marsan Pool 2: Perpignan, Worcester Warriors, VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo, Bizkaia Gernika RT Pool 3: London Wasps, Newport Gwent Dragons, Bayonne, Rugby Mogliano Pool 4: Bath Rugby, Cammi Rugby Calvisano, Agen, Bucharest Wolves Pool 5: Stade Francais Paris, London Welsh, I Cavalieri Prato, Grenoble
FIXTURES (All kick-offs local time with live TV coverage where relevant)
ROUND 1
THURSDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2012
Pool 1 Mont-de-Marsan v Gloucester Rugby, Stade Guy Boniface 20.30 Eurosport France/Sky Sports
FRIDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2012
Pool 5 Grenoble v I Cavalieri Prato, Stade Lesdiguieres 19.30 Pool 3 Bayonne v Rugby Mogliano, Stade Jean Dauger 20.00
SATURDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2012
Pool 2 VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo v Perpignan, Stade Mario Battaglini 15.00 Pool 4 Bucharest Wolves v Bath Rugby, Arcul de Triumf 15.00 Pool 5 London Welsh v Stade Francais Paris, Kassam Stadium 15.00 Pool 2 Bizkaia Gernika RT v Worcester Warriors, Urbieta Rugby Sport Centre 16.00 Pool 4 Cammi Rugby Calvisano v Agen, Peroni Stadium 19.00 Pool 3 London Wasps v Newport Gwent Dragons, Adams Park 20.10 Sky Sports Pool 1 Bordeaux-Begles v London Irish, Stade Andre Moga 21.00 FR4
ROUND 2
THURSDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2012
Pool 1 Gloucester Rugby v Bordeaux-Begles, Kingsholm 19.45 Sky Sports Pool 4 Agen v Bath Rugby, Stade Armandie 20.45 Eurosport France
SATURDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2012
Pool 5 I Cavalieri Prato v London Welsh, Stadio Enrico Chersoni 14.00
Pool 1 London Irish v Mont-de-Marsan, Madejski Stadium 15.00
Pool 2 Worcester Warriors v VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo, Sixways Stadium 15.00 Pool 4 Bucharest Wolves v Cammi Rugby Calvisano, Arcul de Triumf 15.00 Pool 2 Perpignan v Bizkaia Gernika RT, Stade Aime Giral 19.00 Pool 3 Newport Gwent Dragons v Bayonne, Rodney Parade 20.10 S4C/Sky Sports Pool 5 Stade Francais Paris v Grenoble, Stade Océane (Le Havre) 21.00 FR4
SUNDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2012
Pool 3 Rugby Mogliano v London Wasps, Stadio Comunale 14.30
ROUND 3
THURSDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 2 Worcester Warriors v Perpignan, Sixways Stadium 19.45 Sky Sports/Eurosport France Pool 1 Bordeaux-Begles v Mont-de-Marsan, Stade André Moga 20.30
FRIDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 5 Grenoble v London Welsh, Stade Lesdiguieres 19.30
SATURDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 3 Rugby Mogliano v Newport Gwent Dragons, Stadio Comunale 14.00 Pool 5 I Cavalieri Prato v Stade Francais Paris, Stadio Enrico Chersoni 14.00 Pool 4 Bath Rugby v Cammi Rugby Calvisano, Recreation Ground 14.15 Pool 1 London Irish v Gloucester Rugby, Madejski Stadium 15.00 Pool 4 Bucharest Wolves v Agen, Arcul de Triumf 15.00 Pool 2 Bizkaia Gernika RT v VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo, Urbieta Rugby Sport Centre 16.00 Pool 3 Bayonne v London Wasps, Stade Jean Dauger 21.00 FR4
ROUND 4
THURSDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 3 London Wasps v Bayonne, Adams Park 19.45 Sky Sports Pool 5 Stade Francais Paris v I Cavalieri Prato, Stade Charléty 20.45 Eurosport France
FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 1 Mont-de-Marsan v Bordeaux-Begles, Stade Guy Boniface 19.00 Pool 4 Agen v Bucharest Wolves, Stade Armandie 19.00
SATURDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 5 London Welsh v Grenoble, Old Deer Park 14.00 Pool 4 Cammi Rugby Calvisano v Bath Rugby, Peroni Stadium 14.30 Pool 1 Gloucester Rugby v London Irish, Kingsholm 15.00 Pool 2 VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo v Bizkiaia Gernika RT, Stadio Mario Battaglini 15.00 Pool 2 Perpignan v Worcester Warriors, Stade Aime Giral 21.00 FR4
SUNDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 3 Newport Gwent Dragons v Rugby Mogliano, Rodney Parade 17.35 S4C
ROUND 5
10/11/12/13 JANUARY 2013
Pool 1 Mont-de-Marsan v London Irish Pool 1 Bordeaux-Begles v Gloucester Rugby Pool 2 VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo v Worcester Warriors Pool 2 Bizkaia Gernika RT v Perpignan Pool 3 Bayonne v Newport Gwent Dragons Pool 3 London Wasps v Rugby Mogliano Pool 4 Cammi Rugby Calvisano v Bucharest Wolves Pool 4 Bath Rugby v Agen Pool 5 London Welsh v I Cavalieri Prato Pool 5 Grenoble v Stade Francais Paris
ROUND 6
17/18/19/20 JANUARY 2013
Pool 1 London Irish v Bordeaux-Begles Pool 1 Gloucester Rugby v Mont-de-Marsan Pool 2 Worcester Warriors v Bizkaia Gernika RT Pool 2 Perpignan v VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo Pool 3 Rugby Mogliano v Bayonne Pool 3 Newport Gwent Dragons v London Wasps Pool 4 Bath Rugby v Bucharest Wolves Pool 4 Agen v Cammi Rugby Calvisano Pool 5 I Cavalieri Prato v Grenoble Pool 5 Stade Francais Paris v London Welsh
QUARTER-FINALS: 4/5/6/7 April 2013
SEMI-FINALS: 26/27/28 April 2013
DUBLIN 2013 EUROPEAN CLUB RUGBY FINALS
Amlin Challenge Cup final - RDS, Friday, 17 May 2013 (20.00)
Heineken Cup final - Aviva Stadium, 18 May 2013 (17.00)
