Cup draw sends Europe’s best to South Africa

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European giants will travel to South Africa to battle the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, Lions and Cheetahs after the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup draws were completed on Tuesday.

The Champions Cup begins with each team playing home and away ties against two pool rivals over eight weekends starting in December, followed by a knockout stage consisting of a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals for each competition at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 19 and 2o May, 2023.

Vodacom United Rugby Championship winners the Stormers have been drawn in Pool B and will play home and away ties against French side Clermont Auvergne and English outfit London Irish.

The Vodacom Bulls, runners-up in the URC, were drawn in Pool A and they will play against French club Lyon and English side Exeter Chiefs.

The Sharks are also in Pool A and will face home and away ties against French side Bordeaux-Begles and English club Harlequins.

Meanwhile, in the second-tier Challenge Cup, the Cheetahs and Lions were both drawn in Pool B.

The Cheetahs will play home and away ties against Welsh side Scarlets and French team Section Paloise, while the Lions will duel French glamour club Stade Francais and English outfit Worcester Warriors.

Champions Cup draw:
Pool A: Castres, Saracens, Bulls, Lyon, Exeter Chiefs, Edinburgh, Bordeaux, Harlequins, Leinster, Ulster, Racing 92, Gloucester, Sharks.
Pool B: Montpellier, Leicester Tigers, Stormers, Clermont, London Irish, Ospreys, Toulouse, Northampton Saints, La Rochelle, Sale Sharks, Munster.

Schedule:
Round 1 – 9/10/11 December 2022
Round 2 – 16/17/18 December 2022
Round 3 – 13/14/15 January 2023
Round 4 – 20/21/22 January 2023
Round of 16 – 31 March/ 1/2 April 2023
Quarter-finals – 7/8/9 April 2023
Semi-finals – 28/29/30 April 2023
Champions Cup final – Saturday, 20 May 2023 at Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Challenge Cup draw:

European Challenge Cup
Pool A: Glasgow Warriors, Toulon, Bristol Bears, Zebre, Perpignan, Bath, Connacht, Cardiff, Brive, Newcastle Falcons.
Pool B: Scarlets, Pau, Wasps, Dragons, Bayonne, Cheetahs, Lions, Benetton, Stade Francais, Worcester Warriors.

Schedule:
Round 1 – 9/10/11 December 2022
Round 2 – 16/17/18 December 2022
Round 3 – 13/14/15 January 2023
Round 4 – 20/21/22 January 2023
Round of 16 – 31 March/ 1/2 April 2023
Quarter-finals – 7/8/9 April 2023
Semi-finals – 28/29/30 April 2023
Challenge Cup final – Friday 19 May 2023 at Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

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Devin Hermanus