Cardiff Blues will begin their LV= Cup campaign 2010/11 away at Bath on the weekend of 6th November.
Cardiff Blues will begin their LV= Cup campaign 2010/11 away at Bath on the weekend of 6th November.
David Young's team will also face newly promoted Exeter Chiefs and the Ospreys at home, before completing the group phase away at the Stoop against Harlequins on the weekend of 5th February 2011, the same weekend Wales entertain England at the Millennium Stadium.
The Blues last visit to the Rec was in 2007/8, when they won 14-6 ending Bath's long winning home record on a rain sodden pitch. The last visit to the Stoop was also a successful one, as Cardiff Blues claimed a bonus point win in the Heineken Cup 45-20. It will be the first competitive game against Exeter and will act as a return fixture following the forthcoming pre-season friendly at Sandy Park in August.
The full draw
Pool 1
Leicester Tigers
London Wasps
Newcastle Falcons
Cardiff Blues
Pool 2
Saracens
London Irish
Leeds Carnegie
Dragons
Pool 3
Northampton Saints
Gloucester Rugby
Sale Sharks
Scarlets
Pool 4
Bath Rugby
Harlequins
Exeter Chiefs
Ospreys
The competition format is the same as last year, with four pools of four teams, playing fixtures in a matrix format against teams from their paired pool. Each team plays four pool matches - two home and two away - with the top team from each pool qualifying for the semi finals. The Blues, in a very competitive Pool 1, will play the teams in Pool 4. English clubs have been allocated to the pools depending on their finish in last season's Guinness Premiership and Welsh regions have been allocated to the pools to avoid repeating fixtures from the Heineken Cup where possible. If an English team repeats Northampton's feat of lifting the trophy last season they will qualify for the Heineken Cup in 2011/12.
Terry Burwell, LV= Cup Director, said: “Last season’s tournament produced some great rugby and in the final one of the stand out games of the season.
“We are very much looking forward to the second year of a competition that not only helps players, coaches and officials develop but also provides more revenue potential for the English Premiership clubs and the Welsh regions.
"We have a committed broadcaster in Sky Sports for the next five years and would like to thank LV= for supporting the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and the teams themselves in the delivery of elite knockout rugby.”
Fixture Schedule:
Round 1 (weekend of November 6, 2010)
Bath Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Exeter Chiefs v London Wasps
Newcastle Falcons v Ospreys
Leicester Tigers v Harlequins
Sale Sharks v London Irish
Saracens v Northampton Saints
Dragons v Gloucester Rugby
Scarlets v Leeds Carnegie
Round 2 (weekend of November 13, 2010)
Harlequins v Newcastle Falcons
London Wasps v Bath Rugby
Cardiff Blues v Exeter Chiefs
Ospreys v Leicester Tigers
Gloucester Rugby v Saracens
Leeds Carnegie v Sale Sharks
Northampton Saints v Dragons
London Irish v Scarlets
Round 3 (weekend of January 29, 2011)
Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers
London Wasps v Harlequins
Bath Rugby v Newcastle Falcons
Cardiff Blues v Ospreys
Leeds Carnegie v Gloucester Rugby
Sale Sharks v Dragons
London Irish v Northampton Saints
Scarlets v Saracens
Round 4 (weekend of February 5, 2011)
Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby
Newcastle Falcons v Exeter Chiefs
Ospreys v London Wasps
Harlequins v Cardiff Blues
Gloucester Rugby v London Irish
Saracens v Sale Sharks
Northampton Saints v Leeds Carnegie
Dragons v Scarlets
Semi finals (weekend of March 12, 2011, venue TBC)
Final (weekend of March 19, 2011, venue TBC)