London Wasps - former winners of both the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup - will open their challenge for more European glory with home advantage against tournament newcomers Racing-Metro 92 in Round 1 of the 2009/10 European Challenge Cup on Sunday, 11 October.
That contest indicates the quality of players who could be parading their talents in the European tournament - the likes of current French captain Lionel Nallett and Sebastien Chabal for Metro and Simon Shaw, Phil Vickery and Danny Cipriani with Wasps.
Meanwhile Toulon, who have also been active in the summer transfer market and have signed quality international players like Jonny Wilkinson, Felipe Contepomi and Jamie Robinson, go head-to-head with Top 14 Orange rivals Castres Olympique before hosting Steve Borthwick's Saracens - who can also call on Justin Marshall and Michael Owen - in Round 2.
Worcester Warriors will have the honour of opening another season of top flight European club rugby when they face Montpellier under the Sixways floodlights on Thursday, 8 October.
Meanwhile Bourgoin, the first winners of the tournament in 1997, start their 2009/10 campaign at home, taking on Leeds Carnegie, before going to Romania in Round 2 to tackle Bucuresti Oaks.
Tournament regulars Connacht Rugby will be playing their 85th match in the competition when they host Spanish invitation team Olympus Rugby XV Madrid in Round 1, the Spaniards making their home debut at Campo Central in Madrid in Round 2 when Worcester Warriors will be the visitors.
And there will be new initiatives from this season's competition onwards with the knock-out stages now including three teams who will qualify through the Heineken Cup.
The introduction of a trio of teams who have finished as Pool runners-up in that seasons' Heineken Cup (the third, fourth and fifth ranked Heineken Cup Pool runners-up), to meet the five European Challenge Cup Pool winners, will enhance both the quality and profile of the European Challenge Cup knock-out matches.
The top four European Challenge Cup Pool winners will enjoy home advantage in the quarter-finals with the top Pool winner playing the 5th, while the other three Pool winners will welcome the Heineken Cup sides.
And the ERC European Ranking Points available for teams in European Challenge Cup knock-out stages have also been revised with the maximum points now available for the winner increased from five points to six.
Full broadcast schedules will be announced shortly.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP 2009/10 FIXTURES
(All kick-offs LOCAL time)
ROUND 1
THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Montpellier 19.45
FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Leeds Carnegie 19.30
POOL 2 Connacht v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid 19.00
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Toulon 19.00
POOL 4 Bayonne v Roma 19.30
POOL 5 Albi v Montauban 20.00
SATURDAY 10 COTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Rugby Parma 13.00
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Newcastle Falcons 15.00
SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 3 Saracens v Rugby Rovigo 15.00
POOL 4 London Wasps v Racing-Metro 92 15.00
ROUND 2
THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 3 Toulon v Saracens 20.45
FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 2 Montpellier v Connacht Rugby 20.00
POOL 5 Montauban v Petrarca Rugby 20.30
SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Bourgoin 13.00
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Worcester 16.30
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Castres Olympique 15.00
POOL 4 Roma v London Wasps 15.00
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v Bayonne 20.45
SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Overmach Rugby Parma 15.00
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Albi 15.00
ROUND 3
THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Montauban 19.45
FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Montpellier v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid 20.00
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Saracens 19.00
POOL 3 Toulon v Rugby Rovigo 19.30
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Bourgoin 14.00
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Leeds Carnegie 13.00
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Connacht Rugby 15.00
POOL 4 London Wasps v Bayonne 17.00
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v Roma 20.45
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Albi 15.00
ROUND 4
THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Overmach Rugby Parma 19.30
POOL 4 Bayonne v London Wasps 20.45
FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Connacht Rugby v Worcester Warriors 19.00
POOL 5 Montauban v Newcastle Falcons 20.30
SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Montpellier 16.00
POOL 3 Saracens v Castres Olympique 19.45
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Toulon 15.00
POOL 4 Roma v Racing-Metro 92 14.30
POOL 5 Albi v Petrarca Rugby 19.00
SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Bucuresti Oaks 15.00
ROUND 5
14 / 15 / 16 / 17 JANUARY, 2010
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Bucuresti Oaks
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Leeds Carnegie
POOL 2 Connacht Rugby v Montpellier
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid
POOL 3 Saracens v Toulon
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Rugby Rovigo
POOL 4 Bayonne v Racing-Metro 92
POOL 4 London Wasps v Roma
POOL 5 Albi v Newcastle Falcons
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Montauban
ROUND 6
21 / 22 / 23 / 24 JANUARY, 2010
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Bucuresti Oaks
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Bourgoin
POOL 2 Montpellier v Worcester Warriors
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Connacht Rugby
POOL 3 Toulon v Castres Olympique
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Saracens
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v London Wasps
POOL 4 Roma v Bayonne
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Petrarca Rugby
POOL 5 Montauban v Albi
QUARTER-FINALS
8 / 9 / 10 / 11 APRIL, 2010
SEMI-FINALS
30 APRIL 1 / 2 MAY, 2010
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
21 / 22 / 23 MAY, 2010
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