bath rugby
BATH HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP DRAW
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Bath Rugby have been handed a tough draw in the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup.
ath Rugby will take on last season’s European finalists La Rochelle and four-time European champions Leinster in the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup pool stage.
Bath will play Leinster and last year’s losing finalists La Rochelle in the Champions Cup
The Blue, Black and White qualified for the tournament by securing a top eight finish in the Gallagher Premiership with a thrilling victory over Northampton Saints on the final day of the season. Losing out to Toulouse in last year’s final, La Rochelle finished runnersup in TOP 14 last term while Leinster were victorious for the eighth time in the Guinness PRO14. Director of Rugby Stuart Hooper says: “There is always an air of excitement when it comes to the Heineken Champions Cup draw and we’re thoroughly looking forward to the 2021/22 campaign. We were really pleased with our performance on the final day of last season to secure our place in the Champions Taulupe Faletau
“La Rochelle finished runners-up in TOP 14 last term while Leinster were victorious for the eighth time in the Guinness PRO14.” Cup, and there is no doubt our supporters helped cheer us on to victory that day. “Not much comes close to the roar of a packed-out Rec and having fans at our European matches will add to that special feeling of facing opponents with recent history in the competition.” The Heineken Champions Cup will be competed for by 24 clubs with eight representatives from the Gallagher Premiership, the Guinness PRO14 and the TOP 14 having secured their places. The clubs have been divided into two pools of 12 – Pool A and Pool B - by means of a draw and the tournament will be played over
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nine weekends with four rounds of matches in the pool stage starting in December when Toulouse begin the defence of their title. The eight highest-ranked clubs from each pool will qualify for the knockout stage which will consist of a Round of 16 on a home and away basis, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final in Marseille on Saturday 28 May 2022. Rounds 1 and 2 of the Heineken Champions Cup will take place in December (weekend of the 10/11/12 and 17/18/19) while Rounds 3 and 4 will be played in January (weekend of the 14/15/16 and 21/22/23). • bathrugby.com
