The lucky season ticket holders who received complimentary tickets for Friday’s Amlin Challenge Cup Final on Friday between Stade Francais and Harlequins had a sneak preview of what could be in store for the Men of Gwent this season.
This coming season the Dragons will be competing in the Amlin Challenge Cup, a tournament that saw the region reach their first ever semi-final when they lost to eventual winners Clermont back in 2007.
The format of the tournament has evolved since that year with 20 teams battling it out in 5 pools of 4 with only the pool winners going through to the knockout stages.
The lucky 5 will be joined by the third, fourth and fifth ranked Heineken Cup Pool runners up (which last season included double Heineken champions, Munster)
Following previous seasons, this season will see teams from 6 countries compete in the pool stages. Although the teams from Spain and Romania are unconfirmed, the likely participants for this season are:
England: Exeter Chiefs, London Wasps, Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks, Worcester Warriors
France: Agen, Bayonne, Bordeaux-Begles, Brive, Lyon, Stade Français Paris, Perpignan, Toulon.
Italy : Crociati Rugby, I Cavalieri, Petrarca Rugby, Rovigo,
Wales : Newport Gwent Dragons
Romania : Bucharesti (TBC)
Spain (Team TBC)
The fixtures mirror those of the Heineken Cup.
The European weekends for the 2011/12 season are as follows:
Round 1: 11/12/13 November 2011
Round 2: 18/19/20 November 2011
Round 3: 9/10/11 December 2011
Round 4: 16/17/18 December 2011
Round 5: 10/11/12 January 2012
Round 6: 20/21/22 January 2012
Quarter Finals: 6/7/8 April 2012
Semi Finals: 27/28/29 April 2012
Final: 18/19/20 May 2012
This coming season the Dragons will be competing in the Amlin Challenge Cup, a tournament that saw the region reach their first ever semi-final when they lost to eventual winners Clermont back in 2007.
The format of the tournament has evolved since that year with 20 teams battling it out in 5 pools of 4 with only the pool winners going through to the knockout stages.
The lucky 5 will be joined by the third, fourth and fifth ranked Heineken Cup Pool runners up (which last season included double Heineken champions, Munster)
Following previous seasons, this season will see teams from 6 countries compete in the pool stages. Although the teams from Spain and Romania are unconfirmed, the likely participants for this season are:
England: Exeter Chiefs, London Wasps, Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks, Worcester Warriors
France: Agen, Bayonne, Bordeaux-Begles, Brive, Lyon, Stade Français Paris, Perpignan, Toulon.
Italy : Crociati Rugby, I Cavalieri, Petrarca Rugby, Rovigo,
Wales : Newport Gwent Dragons
Romania : Bucharesti (TBC)
Spain (Team TBC)
The fixtures mirror those of the Heineken Cup.
The European weekends for the 2011/12 season are as follows:
Round 1: 11/12/13 November 2011
Round 2: 18/19/20 November 2011
Round 3: 9/10/11 December 2011
Round 4: 16/17/18 December 2011
Round 5: 10/11/12 January 2012
Round 6: 20/21/22 January 2012
Quarter Finals: 6/7/8 April 2012
Semi Finals: 27/28/29 April 2012
Final: 18/19/20 May 2012
