2020-21 Champions Cup: The contenders, TV details, kick-off times and more Gerry Thornley explains the tournament’s new format on the eve of the first round
Thu, Dec 10, 2020, 18:00
Against the most disconcerting backdrop the sport has ever known, the Heineken Champions Cup is back with a new, one-off, complex format which is both shortened and expanded at the same time.
The first of four rounds kicks off this weekend, with the second next weekend followed by the last two in January. And that’s it for the group stages, with 24 teams whittled down to eight.
On the positive side, reverting to an expanded cast of 24, as opposed to 20 or even the oft-mooted 16, adds plenty of variety. There will be no match-ups between teams from the same leagues and two-legged, home and away quarter-finals should be very interesting as well as novel.