Champions Cup and Challenge Cup fixture dates for Cardiff, Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys
- Published
Cardiff qualified for the Heineken Cup as the best placed Welsh side in the United Rugby Championship
Cardiff will open their Heineken Champions Cup campaign with a trip to face French champions Toulouse on Saturday, 9 December.
Seven days later Cardiff host Bath before entertaining Harlequins on 13 January.
Cardiff complete their pool campaign with a trip to Racing 92 on 20 January.
The European Rugby Champions and Challenge Cup competitions is returning to a multi-pool format for the 2023-24 season.
The Champions Cup will have 24 teams split into four pools of six, with the 18-team Challenge Cup being divided into three pools of six.
Cardiff are Wales' sole representative in Europe's premier club competition after finishing as the highest Welsh side in the United Rugby Championship, despite being 10th overall in the standings.
Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys will compete in the second tier Challenge Cup tournament.
Scarlets came within 80 minutes of a first European final last season when they reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, where they lost to Glasgow Warriors.
They face two trips to France in the pool stage next season, kicking off against Castres Olympique on 9 December and returning to face Clermont on 13 January.
Dwayne Peel's side host new Georgia entrants Black Lion between those ties on 15 December before concluding the pool campaign against Edinburgh at Parc y Scarlets on 19 January.
Ospreys start their campaign at home to Benetton on 9 December and eight days later travel to Montpellier, who they defeated both home and away in the Champions Cup last season.
Toby Booth's side entertain Perpignan on 12 January before heading to face Lions in Johannesburg nine days later.
Dragons play Oyonnax on 9 December at Rodney Parade before travelling to Pau a week later.
Dai Flanagan's team travel to Parma to play Zebre on 13 January before hosting South African side Sharks on Sunday, 21 January in Newport.
The fixture schedules were determined by using an algorithm which took into consideration the new tournament formats, outcome of the pool draws, league calendar and individual club calendar restrictions and broadcast requirements, organisers said.
The round of 16 for the two tournaments will be staged in early April, with both finals staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 24 and 25 May, 2024.