Sky Sports and BT Sport reveal their live rugby coverage
Sky Sports will kick off its European Rugby Champions Cup coverage with the winners of last season’s Heineken Cup, Amlin Challenge Cup, Aviva Premiership, Top 14 and PRO12 all live during the first two rounds.
Sale v Munster opens Sky’s coverage on Saturday 18 October with ten live matches across the first two weekends including Toulon – reigning European rugby champions - opening their campaign at home to Scarlets, before an away trip the following week to Ulster.
Premiership champions Northampton Saints also feature live twice on Sky; a trip to Paris for an opening weekend clash with Racing Métro, before a home match against Ospreys.
Sky says this season will be its biggest ever for rugby union season with more than 360 live matches from the international, European and domestic game. There will be 35 live matches from the new European competition, including the final from Twickenham in May.
The broadcaster’s European Rugby Challenge Cup coverage begins on Thursday 16 October with Gloucester Rugby at home to CA Brive.
BT Sport
On BT Sport there will be a roster of live matches from the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
In the Champions Cup, BT Sport will show at least five live matches from each of the opening rounds of the tournament, plus two quarter-finals and a semi-final. The final, which will be shown live on BT Sport, will be shared with Sky Sports.
The broadcaster will show Saracens, Leicester, Wasps, Harlequins and Bath in the opening weekend. It will launch its coverage with a Round One line-up (which spans 16 October to 19) that features a replay of last year’s semi-final between Saracens and Clermont Auvergne, which the London club won 46-6. Other live matches from the opening weekend include Leicester taking on Ulster at Welford Road, a match in which the home side will hope to gain revenge, after the Irish club ended their 25 match unbeaten home run in the Heineken Cup last January.
There will be another Anglo-Irish clash when Wasps return to the top tier of European rugby with a visit to Leinster. BT Sport will also show Bath’s visit to Glasgow Warriors, whilst the fifth match to be shown will be Harlequins vs Castres.
The second round of the tournament – from 23 October to 26 - will feature the London derby, Wasps vs Harlequins, as well as a difficult away trip for Saracens to Munster. Leicester will also feature when they visit the Scarlets whilst Bath will be at home to Toulouse.
In the Challenge Cup, BT Sport 2 will broadcast London Welsh v Bordeaux in Round Two, which kicks off at 7.45pm on Thursday 23 October.
BT SPORT SCHEDULE
Round 1 – Champions Cup
Harlequins v Castres Friday October 17 BT Sport 2, 7.45pm ko
Saracens v Clermont Saturday October 18 BT Sport 1, 3.15pm ko
Glasgow v Bath Saturday October 18 BT Sport 2, 3.15pm ko
Leicester v Ulster Saturday October 18 BT Sport 2, 7.45pm ko
Leinster v Wasps Sunday October 19 BT Sport 2, 5.15pm ko
Round 2 – Champions Cup
Munster v Saracens Friday October 24 BT Sport 2, 7.45pm ko
Bath v Toulouse Saturday October 25 BT Sport 1, 3.15pm ko
Scarlets v Leicester Saturday October 25 BT Sport 2, 7.45pm ko
Wasps v Harlequins Sunday October 26 BT Sport 2, 5.15pm ko
Treviso v Racing Sunday October 26 (details tbc), 5.15pm ko
SKY SPORTS SCHEDULE
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP
Sat 18 Oct Round 1 European Champions Cup Sale v Munster 13:00
Sat 18 Oct Round 1 European Champions Cup Racing Métro v Northampton 17:15
Sun 19 Oct Round 1 European Champions Cup Ospreys v Benetton Treviso 13:00
Sun 19 Oct Round 1 European Champions Cup Toulouse v Montpellier 13:00
Sun 19 Oct Round 1 European Champions Cup Toulon v Scarlets 15:15
Sat 25 Oct Round 2 European Champions Cup Ulster v Toulon 13:00
Sat 25 Oct Round 2 European Champions Cup Northampton v Ospreys 17:15
Sat 25 Oct Round 2 European Champions Cup Montpellier v Glasgow 17:15
Sun 26 Oct Round 2 European Champions Cup Castres v Leinster 13:00
Sun 26 Oct Round 2 European Champions Cup Clermont v Sale 15:15
EUROPEAN RUGBY CHALLENGE CUP FIXTURE
Thurs 16 Oct Round 1 European Challenge Cup Gloucester Rugby v CA Brive 19:45
TOP 14 FIXTURES
Fri 15 Aug TOP 14 Bayonne v Toulon 19.45
Sat 16 Aug TOP 14 Montpellier v Racing Métro 19.45
Fri 22 Aug TOP 14 Toulouse v Castres 19.45
Sat 23 Aug TOP 14 Brive v Clermont 13.45
Sat 30 Aug TOP 14 Racing Métro v Toulon 19.45
Fri 5 Sept TOP 14 Montpellier v Castres 19.45
Sat 6 Sept TOP 14 Toulon v Bordeaux Bègles 19.45
GUINNESS PRO 12 FIXTURES
Sat 6 Sep PRO 12 Scarlets v Ulster 14:40
Sat 6 Sep PRO 12 Glasgow Warriors v Leinster 17:15
Sat 13 Sep PRO 12 Leinster v Scarlets 14:40
Sat 20 Sep PRO 12 Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors 14:40
Sat 27 Sep PRO 12 Munster v Ospreys 18:30
Sat 4 Oct PRO 12 Leinster v Munster 18:30
Sat 11 Oct PRO 12 Edinburgh Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons 14:40
Sat 11 Oct PRO 12 Ulster v Glasgow Warriors 17:05
Sat 1 Nov PRO 12 Cardiff Blues v Munster 17:15
Sat 29 Nov PRO 12 Connacht v Scarlets 19:30
Sat 29 Nov PRO 12 Leinster v Ospreys 17:15
Sat 20 Dec PRO 12 Glasgow Warriors v Munster 14:40
Sat 20 Dec PRO 12 Ospreys v Ulster 17:15
Sat 27 Dec PRO 12 Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby 14:40
Sat 27 Dec PRO 12 Ospreys v Scarlets 17:15
Sat 3 Jan PRO 12 Leinster v Ulster 14:40
Sat 3 Jan PRO 12 Scarlets v Ospreys 17:05
Sat 10 Jan PRO 12 Cardiff Blues v Leinster 14:40
THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
Sat 16 Aug Rugby Championship Australia v New Zealand 11:05
Sat 16 Aug Rugby Championship South Africa v Argentina 16:00
Sat 23 Aug Rugby Championship New Zealand v Australia 08:35
Sat 23 Aug Rugby Championship Argentina v South Africa 20:40
Sat 6 Sep Rugby Championship New Zealand v Argentina 08:35
Sat 6 Sept Rugby Championship Australia v South Africa 11:05
Sat 13 Sep Rugby Championship New Zealand v South Africa 08:35
Sat 13 Sep Rugby Championship Australia v Argentina 11:05
Sat 27 Sep Rugby Championship South Africa v Australia 16:00
Sat 27 Sep Rugby Championship Argentina v New Zealand 23:10
Sat 4 Oct Rugby Championship South Africa v New Zealand 16:00
Sat 4 Oct Rugby Championship Argentina v Australia 23:40
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE FIXTURES
Fri 15 Aug Currie Cup Sharks v Pumas 18:10i
Sat 16 Aug ITM Cup Canterbury v Auckland 05:30
Sat 16 Aug ITM Cup Wellington v Waikato 07:35
Sat 16 Aug Currie Cup Western Province v Blue Bulls 13:00i
Fri 22 Aug ITM Cup Waikato v Canterbury 07:05
Fri 22 Aug ITM Cup Hawke's Bay v Taranaki 09:05
Fri 22 Aug Currie Cup Pumas v Q1 18:10
Sat 23 Aug Currie Cup Blue Bulls v E.P. Kings 14:00i
Sat 23 Aug Currie Cup Western Province v Golden Lions 16:05
Sat 23 Aug Currie Cup Sharks v Free State 18:10
Fri 29 Aug ITM Cup Wellington v Manawatu 08:35
Fri 29 Aug Currie Cup Pumas v Sharks 18:10i
Sat 30 Aug ITM Cup Southland v Otago 06:35
Sat 30 Aug ITM Cup North Harbour v Waikato 08:35
Sat 30 Aug Currie Cup Q1 v Free State 14:00i
Sat 30 Aug Currie Cup Blue Bulls v Western Province 16:05i
Sat 30 Aug Currie Cup E.P. Kings v Golden Lions 18:10i
Thurs 4 Sep ITM Cup Otago V Canterbury 08:35
Fri 5 Sep ITM Cup Tasman v Waikato 07:05
Fri 5 Sep ITM Cup Northland v Hawke's Bay 09:05
Fri 5 Sep Currie Cup Western Province v E.P. Kings 18:10i
Sat 6 Sep Currie Cup Free State v Pumas 14:00i
Sat 6 Sep Currie Cup Sharks v Q1 16:05
Sat 6 Sep Currie Cup Blue Bulls v Golden Lions 18:10i
Fri 12 Sep ITM Cup North Harbour v Manawatu 07:05
Fri 12 Sep ITM Cup Canterbury v Wellington 09:05
Fri 12 Sep Currie Cup E.P. Kings v Blue Bulls 18:10
Fri 19 Sep ITM Cup Counties Manakau v Canterbury 08:35
Fri 19 Sep Currie Cup Golden Lions v Pumas 18:10
Sat 20 Sep ITM Cup Auckland v North Harbour 06:35
Sat 20 Sep ITM Cup Manawatu v Southland 08:35
Sat 20 Sep Currie Cup Western Province v Q1 14:00
