The draw for the 2016/17 European Rugby Challenge took place in Neuchatel, Switzerland, on Wednesday afternoon, and the Ospreys were drawn to face English and French opposition.
- Rugby legends Dimitri Yachvili and Ieuan Evans made the draw at the home of EPCR on Wednesday afternoon
- French T14 sides Grenoble and Lyon, and Aviva Premiership club Newcastle Falcons drawn alongside the Ospreys in Pool 2
- This year's European campaign kicks off on the weekend of 13/14/15/16 October
Having been pulled out of the hat in the seeding pre-draw to take a Tier 1 spot, the draw then saw the Ospreys placed in Pool Two, before the names of Grenoble, Newcastle Falcons and Lyon joined them.
The Ospreys have never faced any of the three teams in European action previously, although they have played Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park in the LV= Cup back in the 2010/11 season, losing 18-17. and they faced Lyon in a pre-season fixture in Switzerland the following summer, losing 38-10 It will be the first time that the region has played Grenoble - although the French side played both Bridgend and Neath in European competition in the pre-regional era.
European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 2
Ospreys
Grenoble
Newcastle Falcons
Lyon
EPCR weekends – 2016/17 season
Round 1: 13/14/15/16 October
Round 2: 20/21/22/23 October
Round 3: 8/9/10/11 December
Round 4: 15/16/17/18 December
Round 5: 12/13/14/15 January 2017
Round 6: 19/20/21/22 January 2017
Quarter-finals: 30/31 March - 1/2 April 2017
Semi-finals: 21/22/23 April 2017
Finals Edinburgh 2017
Challenge Cup final: Friday 12 May, BT Murrayfield
Full draw
Pool 1: La Rochelle, Gloucester, Treviso, Bayonne
Pool 2: Ospreys, Grenoble, Newcastle, Lyon
Pool 3: Brive, Worcester, Newport Gwent Dragons, Enisei-STM
Pool 4: Cardiff Blues, Bath, Pau, Bristol
Pool 5: Harlequins, Edinburgh, Stade Francais, Timisoara
The five group winners and three best runners-up will progress through to the quarter-finals.
Admission for all home games in the Challenge Cup is covered by an Ospreys season membership, which is on sale now.
Renewals start at just £109, when purchased before the Earlybird deadline on Saturday 9th July, with new memberships costing from £149. For more information or to buy your 2016/17 season membership please visit ospreysrugby.com/2016membership
Full details of the fixture list will be confirmed by EPCR over the coming weeks, keep checking the website for updates.