The 2011 / 2012 Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup tournaments will kick-off in November 2011, less than three weeks after the Rugby World Cup reaches its climax with the final in Auckland, New Zealand, on 23 October.
Due to the staging of the World Cup, the two European club rugby tournaments will start later than usual. Once the opening two rounds are completed in November, the tournaments will revert to their customary format with Rounds 3 and 4 scheduled for December, and Rounds 5 and 6 taking place in January, 2012.
ERC have confirmed the season structure for the 2011 / 2012 competitions with the 17th Heineken Cup final being staged at Twickenham on the weekend of 19 / 20 May 2012 and the 16th Amlin Challenge Cup final being played over the same weekend.
2011 / 2012 HEINEKEN CUP AND AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP DATES
ROUND 1 – 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 November, 2011
ROUND 2 – 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 November, 2011
ROUND 3 – 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 December, 2011
ROUND 4 – 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 December, 2011
ROUND 5 – 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 January, 2012
ROUND 6 – 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 January, 2012
QUARTER-FINALS – 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 April, 2012
SEMI-FINALS – 27 / 28 / 29 April, 2012
FINALS – 18 / 19 / 20 May, 2012