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It will be the first time the Grandstand programme has gone out of the UK for a Heineken Cup match and with RTE beaming the action into Irish homes, the fixture promises to pull in a massive armchair audience.
That audience will include some of those unlucky enough not to "be there" - the match is already a 13,400 sell-out.
The clash between high-flying Northampton Saints and French champions Biarritz Olympique will be the Grandstand match in Round 5 with France Televisions providing their viewers with the double dose of Perpignan against Munster and Newport's tough trip to Toulouse.
RTE, BBC Wales, BBC Northern Ireland, British Europsort and Tele + will all be screening action on a bumper weekend of European club rugby's premier tournament.
Pat Younge, BBC Head of Programmes and Planning, and the man in charge of rugby strategy, said: 'We're delighted to be showing both the Northampton and Munster games. This now means that Grandstand has covered five out of the six Heineken Cup pools this season, but we are particularly excited about the Munster game in Limerick as it will be the first time in this competition that we've broadcast from Ireland. The Heineken Cup gives fans a chance to see players from several countries in action, and I'm sure these matches will be great appetisers for the Six Nations in February.'
The confirmed fixture schedule for Rounds 5 and 6 of the Heineken Cup, released by ERC, the tournament organisers, is:
HEINEKEN CUP 2002 / 2003
ROUND 5
(All kick-offs LOCAL time)
Friday, 10 January, 2003
Pool 3: Sale Sharks v Glasgow Rugby 1945
Llanelli v Bourgoin 1930 BBC Wales / B Euro
Pool 4: Leinster Lions v Swansea 1935 RTE / B Euro
Pool 5: Edinburgh Rugby v London Irish 1930
Saturday, 11 January, 2003
Pool 1: Amatori & Calvisano v Leicester Tigers1430Tele +
Neath v Beziers1430
Pool 2: Perpignan v Munster 1500 FR3 / RTE
Gloucester v Viadana 1500
Pool 5: Toulouse v Newport 1500 FR2 / B Euro
Pool 6: Cardiff v Ulster 1445 BBC N Ireland
Northampton Saints v Biarritz Olympique 1445 BBC
Sunday, 12 January, 2003
Pool 4: Montferrand v Bristol Shoguns 1500
ROUND 6
(All kick-offs LOCAL time)
Pool 3: Glasgow Rugby v Llanelli 1930 BBC Wales
Pool 6: Ulster v Northampton Saints 1905BBC N Ireland / B Euro
Saturday, 18 January
Pool 1: Leicester Tigers v Neath 1500
Beziers v Amatori & Calvisano1500
Pool 2: Viadana v Perpignan 1500 Tele +
Munster v Gloucester 1445 RTE / BBC
Pool 3: Bourgoin v Sale Sharks 1500
Pool 4: Swansea v Montferrand1500
Pool 5: Newport v Edinburgh Rugby 1430
Pool 6: Biarritz Olympique v Cardiff 1500
Sunday, 19 January
Pool 4: Bristol Shoguns v Leinster Lions1345
Pool 5: London Irish v Toulouse1345
QUARTER-FINALS: 11/12/13 APRIL
SEMI-FINALS: 26/27 APRIL
HEINEKEN CUP FINAL: 24 MAY, 2003 - DUBLIN
