Ulster Rugby vs Bath

WELCOME FROMEPCR

2019 will take some beating for entertaining rugby and

Firstly, I would like to congratulate four- time winners Leinster Rugby on becoming the first club to confirm their presence in the quarter-finals – delivering in 2019 even before Santa - and their impressive record of four victories from as many rounds at the start of the Pool Stage is matched by joint record title-holders Toulouse as well as Ulster Rugby and Exeter Chiefs. Eighteen of the twenty participating clubs have registered Heineken Champions Cup victories before even entering the January rounds, underlining the competitive nature of the tournament. Furthermore, that success is diverse with pool supremacy after four weekends being shared between clubs from the Top 14, Guinness PRO14 (leading two sections each) and the Gallagher Premiership (heading one pool). In 2019, the popularity, reach and engagement of European club rugby tournaments was undeniable. More than 1.5million spectators packed into the stadiums to witness matches in the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, with matches broadcast in 150 countries and a significant increase in free-to-air visibility in the United Kingdom, in the new year, I can already say that the continental scene promises much in 2020. developments both on and off the field but as I have the pleasure of welcoming you to the first tranche of Heineken Champions Cup action

Ireland and France as well as exposure on network television in the USA for Saracens’ final win over Leinster Rugby in Newcastle. Ticket sales to date for Finals Weekend this season in Marseille shows that the ‘destination’ finals concept is going from strength-to-strength and the sales period for the 2020/2021 showpiece at the state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will open later this year. We extend our best wishes for this new rugby year to our partners, who support us considerably as we forge the Road to Marseille. We thank title partners Heineken, Official Partner Tissot and Official Supporters Financial Times, Gilbert and Kappa as well as BT Sport, who take the tournament to homes across the United Kingdom and Ireland along with Channel 4 and Virgin Media. Whoever you support, we hope that you enjoy the defining January rounds of the Heineken Champions Cup.

Yours in rugby, Simon Halliday EPCR Chairman