Wilkinson returns to his roots

England's 2003 World Cup winning out half - who scored 2,005 points in 180 appearances for the Falcons in a 12-year stint in the north-east of England - will spearhead the cosmopolitan French club's hunt for a European title, starting at home to Italian champions Petrarca Rugby in Round 1 on the opening night of a new season of European club rugby on Thursday, 10 November.
London Wasps, the 2003 Amlin Challenge Cup champions who will have former Cardiff Blues head coach and 2010 tournament winning coach Dai Young in charge, will launch their bid for a second tournament title on the road at Bordeaux-Begles while Newport Gwent Dragons will kick-off their campaign at I Cavalieri Prato.
ERC, the tournament organisers, today (Monday, 25 July) announced the fixtures, dates, kick-off times and host broadcasters for the opening four rounds of the 2011/2012 tournament.
Sergio Parisse and his Stade Français Paris team, the 2011 Amlin Challenge Cup finalists, will launch their challenge at Worcester Warriors while Perpignan host Exeter Chiefs in another Round 1 tie.
Newcomers and Spanish champions, CR La Vila, will make their tournament debut at home to Agen.

POOLS

POOL 1: Stade Français Paris, Worcester Warriors, Crociati Rugby, Bucharest Wolves
POOL 2: Toulon, Newcastle Falcons, Petrarca Rugby, Lyon Rugby
POOL 3: London Wasps, Bayonne, Femi-CZ Rovigo, Bordeaux-Begles
POOL 4: Perpignan, Newport Gwent Dragons, Exeter Chiefs, I Cavalieri Prato
POOL 5: Sale Sharks, Brive, Agen, CR La Vila

FIXTURES
(All kick-offs LOCAL times with host broadcasters where relevant)

ROUND 1

THURSDAY, 10 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Worcester Warriors v Stade Français Paris 19.45 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Toulon v Petrarca Rugby 20.30 Eurosport France

FRIDAY, 11 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 4 Perpignan v Exeter Chiefs 19.00 Eurosport France

SATURDAY, 12 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 Newcastle Falcons v Lyon Rugby 15.00
Pool 3 Femi-CZ Rovigo v Bayonne 15.00
Pool 3 Bordeaux-Begles v London Wasps 20.55 FR4
Pool 4 I Cavalieri Prato v Newport Gwent Dragons 14.30
Pool 5 CR La Vila v Agen 16.00
Pool 5 Brive v Sale Sharks 18.30

SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Bucharest Wolves v Crociati Rugby 15.00

ROUND 2

THURSDAY, 17 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 3 Bayonne v Bordeaux-Begles 20.30 Eurosport France
Pool 4 Newport Gwent Dragons v Perpignan 19.45 S4C

FRIDAY, 18 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Stade Français Paris v Bucharest Wolves 19.00 Eurosport France
Pool 5 Sale Sharks v CR La Vila 19.45

SATURDAY, 19 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Crociati Rugby v Worcester Warriors 20.30
Pool 2 Petrarca Rugby v Newcastle Falcons 15.00
Pool 2 Lyon Rugby v Toulon 20.55 FR4
Pool 4 Exeter Chiefs v I Cavalieri Prato 15.00

SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 5 Agen v Brive 18.00 Eurosport France
Pool 3 London Wasps v Femi-CZ Rovigo 15.00

ROUND 3

THURSDAY, 8 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 Newcastle Falcons v Toulon 19.45 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Agen v Sale Sharks 20.30 Eurosport France

FRIDAY, 9 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 4 Perpignan v I Cavalieri Prato 19.00

SATURDAY, 10 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Crociati Rugby v Stade Français Paris 20.30
Pool 2 Lyon Rugby v Petrarca Rugby 17.00
Pool 3 Femi-CZ Rovigo v Bordeaux-Begles 15.00
Pool 3 Bayonne v London Wasps 20.55 FR4
Pool 5 CR La Vila v Brive 16.00

SUNDAY, 11 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Bucharest Wolves v Worcester Warriors 15.00
Pool 4 Exeter Chiefs v Newport Gwent Dragons 17.45 S4C

ROUND 4

THURSDAY, 15 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Stade Français Paris v Crociati Rugby 20.30 Eurosport France
Pool 3 London Wasps v Bayonne 19.45 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Brive v CR La Vila 20.00

FRIDAY, 16 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 3 Bordeaux-Begles v Femi-CZ Rovigo 19.00

SATURDAY, 17 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Worcester Warriors v Bucharest Wolves 15.00
Pool 2 Petrarca Rugby v Lyon Rugby 15.00
Pool 2 Toulon v Newcastle Falcons 20.55 FR4
Pool 4 I Cavalieri Prato v Perpignan 14.30

SUNDAY, 18 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 4 Newport Gwent Dragons v Exeter Chiefs 17.45 S4C
Pool 5 Sale Sharks v Agen 15.00

ROUND 5

12 / 13 / 14 15 JANUARY, 2012
Pool 1 Worcester Warriors v Crociati Rugby
Pool 1 Bucharest Wolves v Stade Français Paris
Pool 2 Toulon v Lyon Rugby
Pool 2 Newcastle Falcons v Petrarca Rugby
Pool 3 Bordeaux-Begles v Bayonne
Pool 3 Femi-CZ Rovigo v London Wasps
Pool 4 I Cavalieri Prato v Exeter Chiefs
Pool 4 Perpignan v Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 5 Brive v Agen
Pool 5 CR La Vila v Sale Sharks

ROUND 6

19 / 20 / 21 / 22 JANUARY, 2012
Pool 1 Crociati Rugby v Bucharest Wolves
Pool 1 Stade Français Paris v Worcester Warriors
Pool 2 Lyon Rugby v Newcastle Falcons
Pool 2 Petrarca Rugby v Toulon
Pool 3 Bayonne v Femi-CZ Rovigo
Pool 3 London Wasps v Begles-Bordeaux
Pool 4 Exeter Chiefs v Perpignan
Pool 4 Newport Gwent Dragons v I Cavalieri Prato
Pool 5 Agen v CR La Vila
Pool 5 Sale Sharks v Brive

QUARTER-FINALS - 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 APRIL, 2012
SEMI-FINALS - 27/ 28 / 29 APRIL, 2012
AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL - 18 / 19 / 20 MAY, 2012