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The 2019/20 Challenge Cup pool draw in Lausanne has pitted Premiership strugglers Leicester against Cardiff, Pau and Calvisano.
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The Tigers suffered their worst season in the English league in 2018/19, finishing 11th on the table and failing to qualify for the Champions Cup for the first time.
That left Geordan Murphy’s side dropping into the European tier two event for the first time and they will find themselves facing opposition from Wales, France and Italy as they battle to reach the Challenge Cup final in Marseille next May.
Ten years ago, Tigers and Blues created Champions Cup history as their semi-final tie was decided by a penalty shoot-out following a draw after extra-time at the Millennium Stadium.
Fellow English strugglers Wasps have the challenge of two trips to France next season as Bordeaux and Agen were included in their pool along with Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh.
We are now live! Watch the story of the draw unfold as next season’s Heineken Champions Cup pools are revealed. Who will face-off for European glory? #rugby #europeanrugby #glory #RugbyValues #Champions2020 #Heineken #ChampionsCup https://t.co/0gsupUYx4v
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) June 19, 2019
Meanwhile, newly-promoted Premiership outfit London Irish will mark their return to European competition in a pool featuring Scarlets, former Champions Cup giants Toulon and Bayonne.
Pool One: Castres, Worcester, Dragons, Enisei;
Pool Two: Scarlets, Toulon, London Irish, Bayonne;
Pool Three: Wasps, Edinburgh, Bordeaux, Agen;
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Pool Four: Stade Francais, Bristol, Zebre, Brive;
Pool Five: Cardiff Blues, Leicester, Pau, Calvisano.
Prior to the draw in Switzerland, which was conducted by Bryan Habana and Dimitri Yachvili, the 20 participating teams were divided into four tiers of five teams.
Tier one: Castres, Wasps, Scarlets, Stade Francais, Cardiff Blues;
Tier two: Toulon, Worcester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Leicester;
Tier three: Pau, London Irish, Zebre, Bordeaux, Dragons;
Tier four: Agen, Bayonne, Brive, Enisei, Calvisano.
EPCR WEEKENDS – 2019/20 season
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Round 1: 15/16/17 November 2019
Round 2: 22/23/24 November 2019
Round 3: 6/7/8 December 2019
Round 4: 13/14/15 December 2019
Round 5: 10/11/12 January 2020
Round 6: 17/18/19 January 2020
Quarter-finals: 3/4/5 April 2020
Semi-finals: 1/2/3 May 2020
Challenge Cup final (Stade de Marseille) Friday, 22 May, 2020
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