The five South African teams taking part in the Heineken Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup next season found out on Thursday who their pool opponents will be when they enter two of the toughest competitions in world rugby.
The DHL Stormers, who were crowned champions of the inaugural Vodacom United Rugby Championship 10 days ago, will face London Irish from the English Premiership and ASM Clermont Auvergne from the French Top 14 home and away in their Heineken Champions Cup Pool B fixtures.
The Vodacom Bulls, runners up in the Vodacom URC, and the Cell C Sharks, who reached the quarter-finals, are in Pool A of the Heineken Champions Cup.
The side from Pretoria have been drawn to face the Premiership’s Exeter Chiefs and Lyon from the Top 14 in their pool matches, while the KwaZulu-Natalians will face Union Bordeaux-Begles from France and England’s Harlequins in their pool encounters.
The Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs will play in the EPCR Challenge Cup and were both drawn in Pool B.
The team from Johannesburg will face French giants Stade Francais Paris and Worcester Warriors from the English Premiership (home and away), while the Free Staters will play against Welsh Vodacom URC side Scarlets and Section Paloise, also known as Pau, from France.
The fixture dates, venues and kick-off times will be confirmed in due course. The format was announced a few weeks ago.
2022/23 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP
POOL A (with opponents in brackets)
Castres Olympique (Exeter Chiefs, Edinburgh Rugby)
Saracens (Lyon, Edinburgh Rugby)
Vodacom Bulls (Exeter Chiefs, Lyon)
Union Bordeaux-Bègles (Gloucester Rugby, Cell C Sharks)
Harlequins (Racing 92, Cell C Sharks)
Leinster Rugby (Racing 92, Gloucester Rugby)
Racing 92 (Harlequins, Leinster Rugby)
Gloucester Rugby (Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Leinster Rugby)
Cell C Sharks (Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Harlequins)
Lyon (Saracens, Vodacom Bulls)
Exeter Chiefs (Castres Olympique, Vodacom Bulls)
Edinburgh Rugby (Castres Olympique, Saracens)
POOL B (with opponents in brackets)
Montpellier Hérault Rugby (London Irish, Ospreys)
Leicester Tigers (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Ospreys)
DHL Stormers (ASM Clermont Auvergne, London Irish)
Stade Toulousain (Sale Sharks, Munster Rugby)
Northampton Saints (Stade Rochelais, Munster Rugby)
Ulster Rugby (Stade Rochelais, Sale Sharks)
Stade Rochelais (Northampton Saints, Ulster Rugby)
Sale Sharks (Stade Toulousain, Ulster Rugby)
Munster Rugby (Stade Toulousain, Northampton Saints)
ASM Clermont Auvergne (Leicester Tigers, DHL Stormers)
London Irish (Montpellier Hérault Rugby, DHL Stormers)
Ospreys (Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Leicester Tigers)
2022/23 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP
POOL A (with opponents in brackets)
Glasgow Warriors (USAP, Bath Rugby)
RC Toulon (Zebre Parma, Bath Rugby)
Bristol Bears (Zebre Parma, USAP)
Connacht Rugby (CA Brive, Newcastle Falcons)
Cardiff Rugby (CA Brive, Newcastle Falcons)
CA Brive (Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby)
Newcastle Falcons (Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby)
Zebre Parma (Bristol Bears, RC Toulon)
USAP (Glasgow Warriors, Bristol Bears)
Bath Rugby (Glasgow Warriors, RC Toulon)
POOL B (with opponents in brackets)
Scarlets (Aviron Bayonnais, Toyota Cheetahs)
Section Paloise (Dragons, Toyota Cheetahs)
Wasps (Aviron Bayonnais, Dragons)
Emirates Lions (Stade Français Paris, Worcester Warriors)
Benetton Rugby (Stade Français Paris, Worcester Warriors)
Stade Français Paris (Emirates Lions, Benetton Rugby)
Worcester Warriors (Emirates Lions, Benetton Rugby)
Dragons (Section Paloise, Wasps)
Aviron Bayonnais (Scarlets, Wasps)
Toyota Cheetahs (Scarlets, Section Paloise)