Euro cup playoff dates locked in

The dates and times of the round of 16 fixtures for the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions have been confirmed.

In the Challenge Cup, the Lions travel to Scotland to face fellow Vodacom URC outfit Edinburgh on Friday, 4 April, at Hive Stadium. Edinburgh topped Pool 3, while the Lions finished fourth in Pool 2, with the last clash between the two teams ending in a 55-21 victory for the Lions.

On Saturday, 5 April, the Vodacom Bulls face French club Bayonne at Stade Jean-Dauger. Bayonne, second in their pool, will look to defend their home turf against the Bulls, who aim to make a mark after being relegated from the Champions Cup.

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The Sharks, last season’s Challenge Cup winners, play Lyon on Sunday, 5 April at the Matmut Stadium de Gerland as John Plumtree’s charges look to keep their title ambitions alive.

In the Champions Cup, the round of 16 kicks off with Northampton Saints hosting Clermont on the opening weekend’s EPCR playoffs action. 

The following days feature heavyweight clashes, including Leinster against Harlequins and La Rochelle versus Munster. The final day wraps up with top-ranked Bordeaux-Begles hosting Ulster and Toulouse facing Sale Sharks.

The finals of both competitions will be hosted at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Friday, 23 May (Challenge Cup) and Saturday 24 May (Champions Cup), with the quarter-finals scheduled for the weekend of 11/12/13 April, and the semi-finals on the weekend of 2/3/4 May.

Challenge Cup round of 16:

Friday, 4 AprilEdinburgh vs Lions, Edinburgh, 8pmPau vs Bath, Pau, 9pmSaturday, 5 AprilBayonne vs Bulls, Bayonne, 1:30pmMontpellier vs Gloucester, Montpellier, 6:30pmConnacht vs Cardiff, Galway, 8pmPerpignan vs Racing 92, Perpignan, 9pmSunday, 6 AprilOspreys vs Scarlets, Swansea, 5:30pmLyon vs Sharks, Lyon, 6:30pm

Champions Cup round of 16:

Friday, 4 AprilNorthampton Saints vs Clermont, Northampton, 8pmSaturday, 5 AprilToulon vs Saracens, Toulon, 1:30pmLeinster vs Harlequins, Dublin, 3pmCastres vs Benetton, Castres, 4pmLa Rochelle vs Munster, La Rochelle, 6:30pmGlasgow Warriors vs Leicester Tigers, Glasgow, 8pmSunday, 6 AprilBordeaux-Begles vs Ulster, Bordeaux, 1:30pmToulouse vs Sale Sharks, Toulouse, 4pm

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