Munster will take on Gloucester in an historic Champions Cup clash at Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Munster have played at the famous Cork GAA venue on two previous occasions selling out both times with an record crowd attendance of 41,400 in November 2022 when they took on South Africa A in a thrilling encounter.
Munster will be on the road for their opening clash when they head to The Rec to take on Bath, fresh from their historic treble, on Saturday December 6 (8pm).
The competition kicks off on Friday December 5 with Sale Sharks hosting Glasgow Warriors at Salford Community Stadium (8pm) while Bayonne take on the Stormers at Stade Jean-Dauger (9pm local time).
On Saturday December 6, Leinster welcome Premiership side Harlequins with the venue yet to be decided due to continued works on the redevelopment of the RDS. They are on the road for round two when they head to Welford Road to take on Leicester Tigers on Friday December 12 (8pm).
Last year's champions Bordeaux Bègles kick off their campaign when they travel to South Africa to take on the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld (5.15pm local time).
Six times champions Toulouse are at home for their first round when they take on Sharks at the Stade Ernest Wallon on Sunday December 7 (5.30pm local time) in what is a round one blockbuster clash.
Pau make a return to the top-tier competition for the first time in 25 years and they have a home fixture against Northampton Saints (2pm local time).
In the EPCR Challenge Cup, Ulster will kick of their campaign when they welcome Racing 92 to the Affidea Stadium on Friday December 5 (8pm). Connacht will be the last off the Irish sides to kick off their European fixture when they travel to Ospreys on Sunday December 7 (3.15pm).
Investec Champions Cup fixtures 2025/26 (all times local times)
Round 1
Friday December 5: Sale Sharks v Glasgow Warriors, Salford Community Stadium, 8pm; Bayonne v Stormers, Stade Jean Dauger, 8pm.
Saturday December 6: Saracens v Clermont Auvergne, StoneX Stadium, 1pm; Bulls v Bordeaux Bègles, Loftus Versfeld, 3.15pm (local time); La Rochelle v Leicester Tigers, Stade Marcel Deflandre, 5.30pm; Leinster v Harlequins, TBD, 5.30pm; Scarlets v Bristol Bears, Parc y Scarlets, 8pm; Bath v Munster, The Rec, 8pm.
Sunday December 7: Pau v Northampton Saints, Stade du Hameau, 1pm; Toulouse v Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon, 3.15pm; Gloucester v Castres, Kingsholm, 3.15pm; Edinburgh v RC Toulon, TBD, 5.30pm.
Round 2
Friday December 12: Leciester Tigers v Leinster, Welford Road, 8pm.
Saturday December 13: Stormers v La Rochelle, TBD, 1pm; Sharks v Saracens, Kings Park, 3.15pm; Clermont Auvergne v Sale Sharks, Stade Marcel-Michelin, 3.15pm; Bordeaux Bègles v Scarlets, Stade Chaban-Delmas, 5.30pm; Munster v Gloucester, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 5.30pm; Glasgow Warriors v Toulouse, Scotstoun Stadium, 8pm.
Sunday December 14: Harlequins v Bayonne, Twickenham Stoop, 1pm; Castres v Edinburgh, Stade Pierre-Fabre, 1pm; Toulon v Bath, Stade Felix Mayol, 3.15pm; Northampton Saints v Bulls, Franklin's Gardens, 3.15pm; Bristol Bears v Pau, Ashton Gate, 5.30pm.
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Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sean Gannon's incredible Euro record as Shels prepare for showdown with Linfield
On one hand, it's a relatively inexperienced Shelbourne dressing room when it comes to big nights in Europe. On the other hand, Sean Gannon is back from suspension and is ready to add a fresh chapter to a most remarkable Irish footballing tale. The 33-year-old is expected to get the nod in tonight's Champions League second-leg against Linfield, and make his 58th appearance in continental competition. And 16 of those have come in the group stages - a level that Shels are desperate to reach this year. Victory over Linfield would inch that dream closer to reality, as it would earn them a second qualifying round spot in the Champions League, and shots at both the Europa League and Conference League. Defeat and they would be dumped straight into the Conference League second round - a much steeper climb to the league phase. From his European debut in the Europa League against Luxembourg side Jeunesse Esch 11 years ago, Gannon has come a long way. There have been 15 wins, 14 draws and 28 defeats, and those three cracks at the coveted group stages. Famous victories have come with Dundalk away to Hajduk Split (2014), BATE Borisov (2016), and that historic first ever group stage win against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Tallaght. Dundalk pulled off another first in that famous 2016 campaign when they picked up a point away from AZ Alkmaar in their opening group game. Prior to that, they went to Legia Warsaw and, for much of the game, were just a goal away from the Champions League group stages. There was honour in the defeats to Zenit St Petersburg (1-2 home and away) and to Arsenal in the 2020 group stages, when they played at an empty Emirates (0-3) and Aviva Stadium (2-4) during Covid. Gannon has yet to find the net in his 57 appearances so far, of which 48 were as a starter. Wouldn't tonight be the perfect night for the versatile defender to finally get off the mark? Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . Prior to his red card away to Gibraltar side St Joseph's last year, which earned him the three-game ban that forced him to sit out last week's game, he had been booked just twice in Europe. Ironically, he was joined in the Tolka Park stand by his former Dundalk teammate Chris Shields, who was serving a ban for Linfield. The pair will go toe-to-toe tonight in a battle of two of Irish football's most experienced European campaigners. 'I actually shared a lot of good times with Chris,' he said last night, sitting alongside manager Joey O'Brien at the pre-match press conference. 'I played with him for many years, he's a great character, he was a big loss for the league. 'But he is flying up here and we know the value he is going to add to the game for Linfield, he has got huge European experience. 'He is a good friend of mine, it was good to see him last week, it was mad the two of us being suspended for the same game, but he can still chat, he burnt the ears off me last week in Tolka! 'He's a great lad and a huge asset for them.' Gannon's return gives O'Brien a fully-fit squad for the game tonight. 'It's been surreal, to be honest, the longest suspension ever,' he said of the three-game ban, handed down for his part in a melee deep into injury-time in the second-leg against St Joseph's. 'Obviously it's great to be back involved, it was hard watching on. I don't know how supporters do it every week, my nerves would be gone. 'It's good to be back involved. There's a great buzz around the group and I'm delighted to be back and available.' A man of his European experience will be vital in the Shels dressing room tonight. He has echoed his manager's sentiments regarding pressure - or the lack of - surrounding such a crucial game. 'I think pressure is probably not a word we'd be using, I think it's motivation,' said the former Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers man. 'The rewards for getting through as a player are huge and obviously these are the games you want to be playing in. 'Every player in the league wants to be playing here in the Champions League, and we are representatives of our league. 'It's not a pressure, it's motivation for us. I have been lucky enough to be a part of games like this and I know how valuable they are to your career and to look back on in many years to come. 'But it wouldn't be a pressure for us, it's a motivation. There are big rewards and a chance to showcase your talent.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Scheffler's press conference answer goes viral and leaves rivals facing deep and difficult questions
IT WAS JUST past 11am when we gathered at the feet of Scottie Scheffler for another sermon on the mount. (The mount in this case being a mounted table in front of rows of seated hacks beneath a canvas roof rippling and wobbling in the wind.) During the course of a magnetic press conference, Scheffler was asked about the books he read, and revealed he really only leafs through the Bible. That a professional golfer would speak openly about their belief in God is not unusual, but it's still a rarity when compared to the number of golfers who take an interest solely in whether God believes in them. Scheffler's faith is often cited by pundits trying to explain his astonishing consistency: yes, Scottie has the talent, but his belief imbues him with a serenity that forestalls the kind of mental frazzling that compounds errors and ruins scorecards. Whatever the truth in that – like all religion-based philosophies, nobody will be around to verify or rebuke it when they find out whether it was true all along – it has given Scheffler an interesting perspective away from the course, which he shared with us in a fascinating, five-minute disquisition in response to a fairly banal question asking him for how long he typically celebrates success. (Similar questions this week went to Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry – Xander hinted he didn't drink as much as the Irish would, while Lowry gave the impression of being highly irked by this Stateside stereotyping of him as some kind of pint-swilling, ballad-belting craic merchant.) Scottie Scheffler just gave one of the best (and deepest) press conference answers ever heard. — Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) July 15, 2025 Scottie somehow took things in an altogether different direction. First he mentioned the The CJ Cup Byron Nelson title he won in Texas in May, a tournament frankly everyone in the room forgot he had won. 'To win the Byron Nelson Championship at home, I literally worked my entire life to become good at golf to have an opportunity to win that tournament', he said. 'You win it, you celebrate, get to hug my family, my sister's there, it's such an amazing moment. Then it's like, okay, what are we going to eat for dinner? Life goes on.' Advertisement Scottie went on too. 'Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about because I've literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport. 'To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I'm not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I'm not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what's the point?' This was a delightful antidote to the LIV Tour defectors who dressed up their greed beneath the thin veneer of horseshit that was their scripted claim that they were motivated to Grow The Game. But stick with us – we're not even at the best part. 'This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart. 'There's a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they're like what's the point?' Scheffler went on to say he finds true fulfillment in fatherhood and family, and yet golf still has an oppressive hold on his emotions. 'That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. It's like showing up at the Masters every year; it's like why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win The Open Championship so badly? I don't know because, if I win, it's going to be awesome for two minutes.' A few observations. Firstly, Scheffler has been on the island of Samuel Beckett for all of five minutes and already he's wrangling with grand existentialism. We're not talking about any inward crisis of identity, by the way. Scottie might be aware that golf delivers nothing but a terrifyingly fleeting joy, but the fact he can say this out loud while talking about the importance of family means, really, he has it all sussed. No, Scheffler's comments implicated and tangled everyone else into these deep and terrifying questions. The sportswriters sitting in front of him, for one, given we spend ing our working days carving great arcs of failure and redemption, adjusting their angles, slopes and contours for whomever is sitting in front of us. 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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Reward on offer provides necessary motivation, not pressure, for Shels veteran Gannon
An hour up the road hosts an All-Ireland clash between Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry but Windsor Park stages the gateway to European riches for Linfield and Shelbourne. Only at full-time will Shels know if their glut of squandered chances at Tolka Park costs them the guarantee of three more rounds within UEFA's competition structures. Linfield boss David Healy seemed relieved coming away from the first leg hunting a single-goal deficit. The former Northern Ireland striker refused to countenance the phrase chase in the context of being at home for the second half of the Champions League tie. Both sides were probably glad when the draw pitted the respective title holders of the two leagues in the island of Ireland together but the evidence of the first leg posits the Reds as overwhelming favourites. That wasn't reflected on the scoreboard but with a carpet of a pitch for their attackers to gorge on and the 18,500-capacity venue, these days entitled the Clearer Twist National Stadium, expected to be no more than half full, they've reason to be confident. Whoever emerges through the tie – which allows for extra-time and penalties if needed – will be within one game of ensuring participation in the league phase of the Conference League. Neither club has passed that threshold but they each have a player returning from suspension who has. Chris Shields was part of the Dundalk team which made the 2011 Europa League group and his return will bolster the hosts' prospects. He was immersed in conversation at Tolka with his former Lilywhites teammate Seán Gannon. Both veterans were put up for pre-match media duties by their clubs and it's likely Gannon will sample his 58th European game, lurking to within five of Ronan Finn's record for a League of Ireland player. 'The rewards to players for getting through the tie are huge,' noted Gannon, who turned 34 last week. 'That's not pressure for us, only motivation. I've been lucky enough to have played in these games previously and every player wants to be part of the Champions League games. 'We're representing our league so it's a chance to showcase your talent and something to look back on.' Shelbourne's superior conditioning last week from being in-season won't be so decisive as Linfield are another week into their preparations for the traditional campaign kicking off next month. 'To be honest we could have played better,' said Shels boss Joey O'Brien, just three games into his permanent residency having stepped up to succeed his boss, Damien Duff. 'We were wasteful in possession, our touch in the final third wasn't as sharp and clean as what I'd have expected from the players. We've to tidy up on that but this is a completely different game. We were overall happy with the win but it's all to play for.' The prize awaiting them is a second-round tie next week against Azerbaijani champions Qarabağ and a spiking of their minimum €1m in earnings. Elimination of the supreme competition doesn't mean the end of their European adventure, only cascades them into a Conference League clash against the loser of Lithuanians Zalgiris or Hamrun Spartans of Malta. Healy has spoken calmly and confidently approaching the midway juncture of this tie, adamant his team can mark his milestone of 500 games at the helm with its high point. 'I've had the privilege of enjoying success,' he observed. 'We have won the league six times in nine seasons and I am coming up to 10 years here. "A second goal for Shels in the first leg would have made it really difficult but with the performance levels, the attitude, and most importantly speaking to the players after the game, and over the last few days, there is huge belief that we can build on that performance. "It would be brilliant if we did score in the first 10, 15 minutes and the tie is level but we don't need to. The most important thing is we build into the game. "I have no doubt, if and when we do take the lead, then the electricity and energy around this place becomes important as the players will be fuelled by the belief they can win the tie." No Claret Jug at stake but the rewards in this sport are about more than silverware.
