Wednesday 27 August 2014 13:04, UK
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.
Viewers can enjoy 10 live matches across the first two weekends on Sky Sports, including Toulon – the 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 Sports; a trip to Paris for an opening weekend clash with Racing Métro, before a home match against Ospreys.
The matches form part of our biggest ever season, which will for the first time include coverage of Top 14, Guinness PRO12 and Ireland’s Autumn Internationals. Add to our existing schedule of matches from here and abroad and rugby union fans with Sky Sports have never had it so good.
Sky Sports will show 16 teams from all six countries across the first two rounds, with Sale v Munster opening the coverage on Saturday 18th October. Sky Sports’ European Rugby Challenge Cup coverage begins with Gloucester Rugby at home to CA Brive on Thursday 16th October.
The European Rugby Champions Cup forms part of Sky Sports’ biggest ever rugby union season, offering viewers more than 360 live matches from the international, European and domestic game. Sky Sports will show 35 live matches from the new European competition, including the final from Twickenham in May.
Gus Williamson, executive producer of Sky Sports rugby union, said: “Our European schedule offers Sky Sports viewers many of the best players and best teams over the first two rounds. The matches form part of our biggest ever season, which will for the first time include coverage of Top 14, Guinness PRO12 and Ireland’s Autumn Internationals. Add to our existing schedule of matches from here and abroad and rugby union fans with Sky Sports have never had it so good. We can’t wait.”
Sky Sports will this season show more rugby union than ever before. Coverage kicks off this weekend with eight live matches from four competitions, including the opening fixtures from the Top 14 and Australia v All Blacks in the Rugby Championship.
The schedule comprises over 360 live matches from the international, European and domestic game, including England, Ireland, France and Italy home Autumn Internationals, Top 14, Guinness PRO12 plus international and domestic fixtures from the southern hemisphere. Sky’s commitment to women’s rugby includes live coverage of the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup.
The line-up of Sky Sports commentators and analysts includes some of the biggest names in rugby union with over 550 caps between them. Expert analysis is provided by Will Greenwood, Dewi Morris, Ieuan Evans, Scott Quinnell, Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Lynagh, Shane Horgan and Paul Wallace. Coverage is presented by Alex Payne and James Gemmell with commentary from Stuart Barnes, Miles Harrison, Mark Robson and Johnnie Hammond. Additional faces will also appear in the Sky Sports rugby union studio throughout the season.
All of Sky Sports’ live matches will be available to watch in HD, on demand and on the go through Sky Go, the leading sports mobile TV service in the UK. To support the live match experience, Sky Sports customers can also benefit from the innovative Sky Sports smartphone and iPad apps, which offer additional viewing options and analysis.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP RUGBY FIXTURES
Round 1
Sat 18 Oct Sale v Munster 13:00
Sat 18 Oct Racing Métro v Northampton, 17:15
Sun 19 Oct Ospreys v Benetton Treviso 13:00
Sun 19 Oct Toulouse v Montpellier 13:00
Sun 19 Oct Toulon v Scarlets 15:15
Round 2
Sat 25 Oct Ulster v Toulon 13:00
Sat 25 Oct Northampton v Ospreys 17:15
Sat 25 Oct Montpellier v Glasgow 17:15
Sun 26 Oct Castres v Leinster 13:00
Sun 26 Oct Clermont v Sale 15:15
EUROPEAN RUGBY CHALLENGE CUP FIXTURE
Round 1
Thurs 16 Oct Gloucester Rugby v CA Brive 19:45
TOP 14 FIXTURES
Fri 15 Aug Bayonne v Toulon 19.45
Sat 16 Aug Montpellier v Racing Métro 19.45
Fri 22 Aug Toulouse v Castres 19.45
Sat 23 Aug Brive v Clermont 13.45
Sat 30 Aug Racing Métro v Toulon 19.45
Fri 5 Sept Montpellier v Castres 19.45
Sat 6 Sept Toulon v Bordeaux Bègles 19.45
GUINNESS PRO 12 FIXTURES
Sat 6 Sep Scarlets v Ulster 14:40
Sat 6 Sep Glasgow Warriors v Leinster 17:15
Sat 13 Sep Leinster v Scarlets 14:40
Sat 20 Sep Newport Gwent Dragons v Glasgow Warriors 14:40
Sat 27 Sep Munster v Ospreys 18:30
Sat 4 Oct Leinster v Munster 18:30
Sat 11 Oct Edinburgh Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons 14:40
Sat 11 Oct Ulster v Glasgow Warriors 17:05
Sat 1 Nov Cardiff Blues v Munster 17:15
Sat 29 Nov Connacht v Scarlets 19:30
Sat 29 Nov Leinster v Ospreys 17:15
Sat 20 Dec Glasgow Warriors v Munster 14:40
Sat 20 Dec Ospreys v Ulster 17:15
Sat 27 Dec Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby 14:40
Sat 27 Dec Ospreys v Scarlets 17:15
Sat 3 Jan Leinster v Ulster 14:40
Sat 3 Jan Scarlets v Ospreys 17:05
Sat 10 Jan Cardiff Blues v Leinster 14:40
THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
Sat 16 Aug Australia v New Zealand 11:05
Sat 16 Aug South Africa v Argentina 16:00
Sat 23 Aug New Zealand v Australia 08:35
Sat 23 Aug Argentina v South Africa 20:40
Sat 6 Sep New Zealand v Argentina 08:35
Sat 6 Sept Australia v South Africa 11:05
Sat 13 Sep New Zealand v South Africa 08:35
Sat 13 Sep Australia v Argentina 11:05
Sat 27 Sep South Africa v Australia 16:00
Sat 27 Sep Argentina v New Zealand 23:10
Sat 4 Oct South Africa v New Zealand 16:00
Sat 4 Oct Argentina v Australia 23:40
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE FIXTURES
Fri 15 Aug Currie Cup Sharks v Pumas 8:10i
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
i = live match choice on interactive, activated by pressing the red button
Live fixtures available throughout the season at www.skysports.com/rugbyunion
Schedules will change according to fixtures.
