The Lions in New Zealand and Irish teams in the USA and Georgia may be where the Rugby focus is at present, and there is the Women’s Rugby World Cup coming to these shores in August but the professional game at club level never likes to be long on the sidelines.

Yesterdays’ draw for the pool stages of the Champions’ Cup and the Challenge Cup will have thoughts turning to the second weekend in October when the opening games of the tournament that was revived last year in Irish affections gets under way again.

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Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht Rugby as well as Irish Rugby’s main sponsor Vodafone and Champions’ Cup and Rugby World Cup Partner Heineken are all full members of Sport for Business.  Here is a look at what we do.

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Leinster will face Montpellier, Exeter and Glasgow in their group and were quick off the mark in publishing travel information on how to get to each of the venues within an hour of the draw being made in Switzerland yesterday.

They list all of the flight options and have a pre0-registration link for their Official travel Partner Joe Walsh Tours who will ‘likely be operating charters for each of the away matches.

Munster were also quick to reveal details of the opposition to their fan base and were quickly able to cut a short promo video featuring each of the three teams they will gace in Pool 4.  These include Racing 92 whom they beat home and away en route to this year’s knockout stages.

Ulster Rugby highlighted the added spice that the pre-season game against Wasps will have now that they have been drawn together in Pool 1.

Connacht fans will have no more taxing a travel schedule than France this year in the Challenge Cup with a draw against Brive, Oyonnax and Worcester Warriors.

All four of the provinces were highlighting the guarantee of a place at the biggest home games of the season through purchase of their season tickets.

EPRC, the organisers of the two tournaments have not yet given a date on which the full fixture details will be released. Discussions need to take place first with teams, venues and broadcasters. With games taking place across a spread of a three day weekend that is a challenge for the teams and fans.

 

 

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