The Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions, who have qualified from the United Rugby Championship (URC), will join Europe’s top clubs in the competition.

In addition to the four qualifiers from the URC, the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs have been invited to participate in the 2022/23 EPCR Challenge Cup.

Leinster Rugby, Ulster Rugby, Munster Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby, the Ospreys, the Cape Town-based Stormers, the Bulls from Pretoria and the Durban-based Sharks will compete in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup following impressive campaigns in the URC.

The Lions from Johannesburg and the Cheetahs will represent South Africa in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

The formats for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup will be announced shortly, in conjunction with details of the Pool Draws for both tournaments which will be staged towards the end of the month.

SARU Chief Executive, Jurie Roux, said:

“Our five franchise teams will now play in two new territories against opponents we’ve never played before. We’ve already experienced the intensity of the URC, and now we’ll also face the top clubs from England and France. We would like to thank all stakeholders who have been involved in the negotiation process – the Board and staff of EPCR, the URC, Premiership Rugby and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby.

During the 2022/23 season, EPCR will continue to be supported by Heineken as the title partner of the Heineken Champions Cup, as well as by EPCR’s Official Logistics Partner DHL and Official Hotels Partner IHG Hotels & Resorts amongst others, with future exciting partner announcements expected in the near future.

The 2023 Finals weekend is scheduled for Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 May.

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Leinster go into this game fresh from their Pro14 Final win over Ulster, who also feature in the quarter-finals. Last weekend, they won 27-5 against their northern rivals in the Aviva. Cullen had such faith in his team that he rested key players for this one.

For example, the trustworthy Ross Byrne stepped in at out-half. Johnny Sexton was saved for this weekend and only played the final twenty minutes against Ulster. Likewise, Jamison Gibson-Park replaced Luke McGrath at scrum-half. McGrath also played the last quarter but was saved for the Saracens fixture.

In addition, Leo Cullen’s squad depth was boosted by the return of James Ryan. In his first game back from injury, Ryan managed sixty-two minutes. His presence will be major in the coming cup run. Dan Leavy and Tadgh Furlong will also be available for selection.

Leo Cullen has given an update on the squad today ahead of Saturday's #ChampionsCup quarter-final against Saracens.

Read more: https://t.co/nuFYVuAYjm#LeinsterRugby pic.twitter.com/7lqUFEhuB1

— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) September 14, 2020

Wounded Saracens

Earlier in the season, the Premiership sentenced Saracens to relegation for breaching the salary cap. This makes the Heineken Cup the last chance of a successful season for last year’s double-winners.

However, Saracens suffered a major loss recently against the Wasps. The referee showed Owen Farrell a straight red card for a high tackle of Charlie Atkinson. As a result, the England captain is serving a five-game ban.

Saracens won the final last year against Leinster by 20 points to 10. In spite of this, this year’s fixture looks much tougher, especially with the loss of their talisman.

On the other hand, Leinster will recall McGrath and Sexton to get even stronger. Meanwhile, competition among the pack makes for a guaranteed strong selection.

Leinster have won their last four quarter-finals in a row and will aim to continue this streak on Saturday. Getting revenge for last year’s final would make it all the more sweeter.

Heineken Cup Quarter-Final: Leinster vs Saracens (Aviva Stadium), Saturday 19th September 15:00 (BT Sport 3). 

https://3.249.64.60/rugby/rugby_irish/tv-rights-for-8-nations-cup-go-to-amazon/

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/status/1305484054339481600

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