IN advance of the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals, it has been agreed that for this season only, the semi-finals will be played at the chosen venues of the highest-ranked clubs.
Previously, the higher ranking team had home country advantage in Champions Cup semi-finals.
A total of five venues in France, England and Ireland are in line to stage a semi-final match on the weekend of 14/15 May depending on the results of the quarter-finals.
If Munster win their quarter-final against Toulouse on Saturday, May 7, at 3pm , they will play either Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road or Leinster Rugby at the Aviva Stadium.
Thomond Park will be unavailable on the weekend of 14/15 May and no viable alternative venue is available within the province.
Over 24,000 tickets have already been purchased for Munster’s clash against Toulouse.
If Toulouse qualify, they will play either Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road or Leinster Rugby at the Aviva Stadium
Regarding Semi-final 1, if Racing 92 qualify, they will play either Stade Rochelais or Montpellier Hérault Rugby at the 38,000-capacity Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens as Paris La Défense will be unavailable on the Heineken Champions Cup semi-final weekend.
If Stade Rochelais come through to meet Sale Sharks, that match will be played at Stade Marcel-Deflandre, and if a semi-final happens to pit Sale Sharks against Montpellier Hérault Rugby, that match will go ahead at the AJ Bell Stadium.
HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP semi-finals – 14/15 May:
(Pool stage rankings in brackets)
Semi-final 1: if Racing 92 (A1) v Stade Rochelais (A3) – Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens
Semi-final 1: if Racing 92 (A1) v Montpellier Hérault Rugby (A7) – Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens
Semi-final 1: if Stade Rochelais (A3) v Sale Sharks (A5) – Stade Marcel-Deflandre
Semi-final 1: if Sale Sharks (A5) v Montpellier Hérault Rugby (A7) – AJ Bell Stadium
Semi-final 2: if Leicester Tigers (B1) v Munster Rugby (B3) – Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Semi-final 2: if Leicester Tigers (B1) v Stade Toulousain (B7) – Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Semi-final 2: if Munster Rugby (B3) v Leinster Rugby (A4) – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Semi-final 2: if Leinster Rugby (A4) v Stade Toulousain (B7) – Aviva Stadium, Dublin
2022 Heineken Champions Cup final: Saturday, 28 May; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille (17.45)
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