Cardiff face defending champions on opening European weekend

25 years after the inaugural Heineken Cup final, Cardiff and Toulouse will once again lock horns in the Welsh capital on the opening weekend of the Heineken Champions Cup.

The French outfit, who lifted the trophy 1996 after a 21-18 victory over the Blue and Blacks, will once again visit Cardiff Arms Park to kick off the defence of their fifth title on the weekend of December 10 / 11 / 12.

The clash is followed a week later by a trip to London to face English champions, Harlequins, in a repeat of last week's pre-season thriller.

The reverse fixtures will take place in the New Year, with Cardiff hosting Harlequins on January 14 / 15 / 16 before the pool stage comes to a close against Toulouse in the south of France.