Fans cannot wait for the return of the Heineken Cup - and Leicester Tigers are heading for their seventh successive tournament Pool stage sell-out match at Welford Road.
And the former double champions are set to welcome their 400,000th fan through the ground's turnstiles for tournament group stage action in the process when they take on Celtic League champions the Ospreys in Round 3 on Sunday, 11 December.
The last six Heineken Cup matches at the home of the 2001 and 2002 champions of Europe have attracted capacity crowds of 16,815 with 392,494 supporters watching their 30 Pool matches so far.
The Heineken Cup returns for back-to-back matches on the weekends of 9 / 10 /11 and 16 / 17 / 18 December after the Autumn international series with club supporters set to pack the 12 grounds as Europe's top 24 sides from six nations bid to qualify for the prestigious knock-out stages en route to the 11th final, being played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, 20 May, 2006.
Ulster Rugby - the 1999 champions - are already approaching a full house for their Friday night showdown with Saracens for what will be an all-ticket occasion at Ravenhill.
Around 11,500 tickets have already been snapped up with just 800 terrace tickets remaining as Ulster look poised for a capacity crowd.
And Stephen Jones, the British and Irish Lions and Wales outside half, is set to celebrate his 50th Heineken Cup appearance in front of a five-figure crowd when ASM Clermont Auvergne clash with Stade Français Paris at Marcel-Michelin on the Saturday.
Jones will become the 18th player to receive an ERC Elite Award for making 50 tournament appearances and his club are eyeing a crowd of up to 12,000 for the visit of last May's Heineken Cup and French championship finalists.
Bath Rugby are one of only four teams can still boast 100 per cent records after just two rounds and they also predict a bumper crowd for the visit of Glasgow Warriors while Leinster pre-sold 9,000 tickets for their match against Bourgoin at their temporary home at the 13,500 capacity Royal Dublin Society.
Over 2,000 Munster fans have bought tickets for the match against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade - where all the seat tickets have been sold - and the Welsh region expect around 3,000 Irish supporters to be at the game. The quick-fire return at Thomond Park seven days later is already a sell-out.
And with over a week to go and a home Anglo-Welsh Cup tie still to come, Llanelli Scarlets have already sold around 6,000 tickets for their crucial Sunday showdown with London Wasps.
