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This weekend's Heineken Champions Cup includes a free-to-air live match
Heineken Champions Cup action returns this weekend with a leading clash available on free-to-air TV.
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Rugby authorities faced widespread criticism when the recent Autumn International Series was almost completely shown on subscription channel Amazon Prime.
Opponents pointed to reported participation issues faced by cricket in England since international action went almost entirely behind a paywall in 2005.
But while the majority of this weekend’s opening round ties will be covered by BT Sport in the UK and Ireland, and beIN SPORTS in France, both Channel Four and Virgin Media are committed to providing free-to-air coverage in the UK and Ireland while France Télévisions offers the same option for viewers across the channel.
After Northampton Saints host Paris-based Racing 92 in the competition’s opening salvo on Friday evening on BT Sport and beIN SPORTS terrestrial viewers get their first opportunity on Saturday afternoon.
And organisers have opted to give free-to-air fans the opportunity to see defending champions Toulouse in action at Cardiff in a contest which is also a repeat of the competition’s inaugural 1996 final when Christophe Deylaud won kicked a trophy-clinching penalty goal in the final seconds of extra-time.
Round One Schedule:
Friday 10th
8pm Northampton Saints v Racing 92 – BT Sport/beIN SPORTS
Saturday 11th
1pm Cardiff v Toulouse – Channel Four/Virgin Media/BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
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1.15pm Leinster v Bath – BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
4.15pm Bordeaux v Leicester Tigers – beIN SPORTS/FR 2/BT Sports
5.30pm Bristol v Scarlets – BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
6.30pm Clermont v Ulster – BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
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8.00pm Montpellier v Exeter Chiefs – BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
Sunday 12th
1.00pm Connacht v Stade Francais Paris – BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
1.00pm Ospreys v Sale Sharks – BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
3.15pm Wasps v Munster – BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
4.15pm La Rochelle v Glasgow Warriors – FR2/BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
6.30pm Castres v Harlequins – BT Sports/beIN SPORTS
2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup
Round 1 – 10/11/12 December 2021
Round 2 – 17/18/19 December 2021
Round 3 – 14/15/16 January 2022
Round 4 – 21/22/23 January 2022
Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 (1st leg) – 8/9/10 April 2022
Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 (2nd leg) – 15/16/17 April 2022
Quarter-finals – 6/7/8 May 2022
Semi-finals – 13/14/15 May 2022
Final – Saturday 28 May 2022
Comments on RugbyPass
The best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
2 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
114 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
2 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
114 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
4 Go to comments