News

Key 2021/22 EPCR dates announced: Ulster confirmed in Heineken Champions Cup

16th June 2021
Tournament organisers, EPCR have today confirmed key dates for next season's Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments. Read the EPCR statement below... As professional rugby in Europe begins to emerge from a hugely challenging period for clubs and fans alike, EPCR is currently finalising details of a new shareholder agreement including new and improved tournament formats for the 2022/23 season and beyond. Ahead of the announcement of that agreement at a future date, 2021/22 will see some modifications to the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup formats, and in order to assist with its stakeholders’ forward planning, EPCR is pleased to announce the key dates for next season’s tournaments. Played over nine weekends, the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will kick off next December with the last of four pool stage rounds scheduled for the weekend of 21/22/23 January 2022. The knockout stages will start on the weekend of 8/9/10 April 2022 with a Round of 16 which will be played over two legs on a home and away basis, followed by quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the Marseille finals going ahead on the weekend of 27/28 May 2022. “As we put the finishing touches to a brand new shareholder agreement which promises to be positive for everyone involved in our tournaments, we are continuing to refine and develop the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, and next season will see a return to a full series of massively exciting and competitive matches across Europe,” said EPCR Chief Executive, Vincent Gaillard. As previously referenced, 24 clubs – including eight representatives from each of the Gallagher Premiership, TOP 14 and Guinness PRO14 - will compete in the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup. All qualified clubs and their rankings will be officially confirmed once this season’s domestic competitions are concluded. Discussions to finalise all details of the formats for next season, and future seasons, within the framework of the new shareholder agreement, are ongoing, and these discussions include the future participation of South African clubs in EPCR’s tournaments as referenced in United Rugby Championship’s announcement. 2021/22 EPCR weekends Round 1 – 10/11/12 December Round 2 – 17/18/19 December Round 3 – 14/15/16 January 2022 Round 4 – 21/22/23 January 2022 Round of 16 (1st leg) – 8/9/10 April 2022 Round of 16 (2nd leg) – 15/16/17 April 2022 Quarter-finals – 6/7/8 May 2022 Semi-finals – 13/14/15 May 2022 Challenge Cup final – Friday 27 May 2022; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille Heineken Champions Cup final – Saturday 28 May 2022; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
EPCR rankings for URC teams confirmed
The United Rugby Championship can confirm its eight representatives for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup and their rankings. Ulster have been ranked third after winning 64 points in Conference A of the Guinness PRO14 in 2020-21. Qualification for the 2021/22 Champions Cup competition was based upon the 16 rounds of the Guinness PRO14 campaign (2020/21) and the outcome of the final where Leinster defeated Munster on March 27. As Finalists, Leinster (1) and Munster (2) are automatically ranked as the top two clubs, with the remaining six ranked by merging the two Conference tables. In the event, where clubs were level on match points, games won followed by points difference was then used as the criteria to separate them. 1. Leinster 71 match points (league champions) 2. Munster 64 match points (won 14, points difference +163) Finalists always ranked 1 & 2 regardless of final standing in tables 3. Ulster 64 points (won 14, +206) 4. Connacht 45 points 5. Scarlets 39 points 6. Ospreys 36 points (won 8, -17) 7. Cardiff Rugby 36 points (won 8, -19) 8. Glasgow Warriors 30 points