Toulouse will launch the defence of their Heineken Cup title at home against Llanelli Scarlets in Pool 6 in a reverse of last season's fixture schedule.
The two teams met in Pool 3 last year with the Frenchmen winning 9-6 at Stradey Park and 53-36 at Stade Ernest Wallon.
It will be the first time Toulouse have had the luxury of a home game in the opening round after winning the title. In 1996 they had to travel to Milan to launch their defence and in 2003 they were beaten in Edinburgh in their opening game.
English champions London Wasps will tread new ground when they meet Edinburgh Rugby in the other opening round fixture in Pool 6 at Murrayfield.
Celtic League winners the Ospreys will have last season's runners-up Stade Francais Paris as their first European guests in what could well be a sell-out, 20,000 crowd at their new all-seater stadium at Morfa, Swansea in Pool 3, while Leicester Tigers eight Lions will meet up with their fellow New Zealand tourist Stephen Jones when Clermont Auvergne return to the tournament at Welford Road in the same Pool.
Former Welsh international Phil Davies will take his Powergen Cup holders Leeds Tykes to the Welsh capital in the first round to meet Cardiff Blues, while newly crowned Italian champions Calvisano will meet Perpignan for the fifth time when they host them on the opening day in Pool 2.
European Challenge Cup winners Sale Sharks will have home advantage over Celtic Cup holders Munster in Pool 1, while Newport Gwent Dragons will travel to France to face Castres Olympique.
The French champions Biarritz Olympique travel in the first round for the fourth successive season with an away day in London against Saracens. They kicked off with a defeat at London Wasps last season and will be looking for a better start to their Pool 4 campaign this season. Ulster will host Benetton Treviso in the other game in round one in that Pool.
Leinster will get the chance to make it a quick-fire hat-trick of European victories over Bath in Pool 5 when they entertain the 1998 champions at Lansdowne Road. They were convincing 30-11 victors in Dublin in Pool 2 last season and followed up that triumph with a 27-23 win at the Recreation Ground.
French championship semi-finalists Bourgoin will meet Glasgow Warriors at Stade Pierre Rajon in the other opening round fixture in Pool 5.
The precise dates and kick-off times for all the Pool matches in the early rounds will be confirmed as soon as possible with the broadcaster partners in the UK, Ireland, France and Italy.
HEINEKEN CUP POOL FIXTURES 2005/06
ROUND 1 - October 21/22/23
Pool 1 Sale Sharks Munster
Castres Olympique Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues Leeds Tykes
Rugby Calvisano Perpignan
Pool 3 Ospreys Stade Francais Paris
Leicester Tigers ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby Benetton Treviso
Saracens Biarritz Olympique
Pool 5 Bourgoin Glasgow Warriors
Leinster Bath Rugby
Pool 6 Toulouse Llanelli Scarlets
Edinburgh Rugby London Wasps
ROUND 2 - October 28/29/30
Pool 1 Munster Castres Olympique
Newport Gwent Dragons Sale Sharks
Pool 2 Leeds Tykes Rugby Calvisano
Perpignan Cardiff Blues
Pool 3 Stade Francais Paris Leicester Tigers
ASM Clermont Auvergne Ospreys
Pool 4 Benetton Treviso Saracens
Biarritz Olympique Ulster Rugby
Pool 5 Glasgow Warriors Leinster
Bath Rugby Bourgoin
Pool 6 Llanelli Scarlets Edinburgh Rugby
London Wasps Toulouse
ROUND 3 - December 9/10/11
Pool 1 Castres Olympique Sale Sharks
Newport Gwent Dragons Munster
Pool 2 Rugby Calvisano Cardiff Blues
Leeds Tykes Perpignan
Pool 3 Leicester Tigers Ospreys
ASM Clermont Auvergne Stade Francais Paris
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby Saracens
Biarritz Olympique Benetton Treviso
Pool 5 Leinster Bourgoin
Bath Rugby Glasgow Warriors
Pool 6 Edinburgh Rugby Toulouse
Llanelli Scarlets London Wasps
ROUND 4 - December 16/17/18
Pool 1 Sale Sharks Castres Olympique
Munster Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues Rugby Calvisano
Perpignan Leeds Tykes
Pool 3 Ospreys Leicester Tigers
Stade Francais Paris ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 4 Saracens Ulster Rugby
Benetton Treviso Biarritz Olympique
Pool 5 Bourgoin Leinster
Glasgow Warriors Bath Rugby
Pool 6 Toulouse Edinburgh Rugby
London Wasps Llanelli Scarlets
ROUND 5 - January 13/14/15
Pool 1 Sale Sharks Newport Gwent Dragons
Castres Olympique Munster
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues Perpignan
Rugby Calvisano Leeds Tykes
Pool 3 Ospreys ASM Clermont Auvergne
Leicester Tigers Stade Francais Paris
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby Biarritz Olympique
Saracens Benetton Treviso
Pool 5 Bourgoin Bath Rugby
Leinster Glasgow Warriors
Pool 6 Toulouse London Wasps
Edinburgh Rugby Llanelli Scarlets
ROUND 6 - January 20/21/21
Pool 1 Newport Gwent Dragons Castres Olympique
Munster Sale Sharks
Pool 2 Perpignan Rugby Calvisano
Leeds Tykes Cardiff Blues
Pool 3 ASM Clermont Auvergne Leicester Tigers
Stade Francais Paris Ospreys
Pool 4 Biarritz Olympique Saracens
Benetton Treviso Ulster Rugby
Pool 5 Bath Rugby Leinster
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Glasgow Warriors Bourgoin
Pool 6 London Wasps Edinburgh Rugby
Llanelli Scarlets Toulouse
Quarter-finals 1 / 2 April
Semi-finals 22/23 April
Final 20/21 May (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
