Heineken Champions Cup 20/21: Exeter Chiefs begin defence against Glasgow

Exeter will begin their European Cup title defence at home to Glasgow Warriors

Exeter Chiefs will begin their Champions Cup title defence with a home fixture against Glasgow Warriors on Sunday December 13, while the 2020/21 season will open with Northampton Saints vs Bordeaux.

Other standout fixtures from the opening week see Challenge Cup holders Bristol Bears host European powerhouses Clermont Auvergne, Toulon host Sale Sharks and four-time winners Leinster travel to Montpellier.

Round 2, during the weekend of December 18/19/20, sees Exeter travel to face Toulouse in a match-up of last season’s semi-finalists, before the Chiefs host Toulouse in Round 3 (January 16) and then complete their pool stage schedule away against Glasgow in Round 4 (January 24).

The Chiefs clinched a historic European and domestic double in 2019/10

Organisers announced in September that the Heineken Champions Cup would be expanded to 24 teams in the 2020/21 season to offset the impact of Covid-19.

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) agreed to add four teams to the competition and alter the format for one season to cut one match from the campaign.

The new-look Champions Cup will be split into four pool-stage matches, a two-legged quarter-final, a one-off semi-final and the final in Marseille on May 22, 2021.

The Champions Cup format for 2020/21 has been altered for one season only, due to Covid-19

The 24 clubs have been split into two pools of 12, and teams from the same country will not face each other in the group stage.

The Premiership, France’s Top 14 and the PRO14 will each provide eight teams to the tournament.

Heineken Champions Cup fixture dates 2020/21

Round 1

Friday, December 11

Northampton Saints vs Bordeaux Begles, 5.30pm

Ulster vs Toulouse, 8pm

Saturday, December 12

Bristol Bears vs Clermont Auvergne, 1pm

RC Toulon vs Sale Sharks, 3.15pm

Bath Rugby vs Scarlets, 3.15pm

Dragons vs Wasps, 5.30pm

Montpellier vs Leinster, 5.30pm

Edinburgh Rugby vs La Rochelle, 8pm

Sunday, December 13

Lyon vs Gloucester Rugby, 1pm

Racing 92 vs Connacht Rugby, 3.15pm

Exeter Chiefs vs Glasgow Warriors, 3.15pm

Munster vs Harlequins, 5.30pm

Round 2

Friday, December 18

Scarlets vs RC Toulon, 5.30pm

Wasps vs Montpellier, 8pm

Saturday, December 19

Leinster vs Northampton Saints, 1pm

Glasgow Warriors vs Lyon, 1pm

La Rochelle vs Bath, 3.15pm

Gloucester vs Ulster, 3.15pm

Clermont Auvergne vs Munster, 5.30pm

Sale Sharks vs…