The Ospreys will welcome some of the giants of the game to the Liberty Stadium in 2017/18 having been drawn to face Saracens, Clermont Auvergne and Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup.
The draw sees the Ospreys in Pool 2 up against the two Champions Cup finalists in the 2016/17 competition, Saracens defeating Clermont Auvergne 28-18 at Murrayfield last month to secure a second successive European crown for the English side.
Saracens also reached the domestic play-offs last season, losing 18-16 to eventual winners Exeter Chiefs as they looked to make it a hat-trick of Premiership titles.
Clermont Auvergne bounced back from Champions Cup heartbreak to secure the French T14 title, their first in seven years. They have finished runners-up in Europe’s top competition three times in the last five seasons.
The final team out of the hat was 1999/2000 European champions, Northampton Saints. Premiership winners as recently as 2014, the Saints have also won the Challenge Cup twice. They secured the 20th, and final, Champions Cup spot, when they defeated Stade Francais at Franklin’s Gardens two weeks ago in the play-off final.
Admission for all three home games in the Champions Cup is included in a 2017/18 season membership, with prices starting from just £150. You can buy yours now at www.ospreysrugby.com/2017membership
Challenge Cup key dates
Round 1: 12/13/14/15 October
Round 2: 19/20/21/22 October
Round 3: 7/8/9/10 December
Round 4: 14/15/16/17 December
Round 5: 11/12/13/14 January 2018
Round 6: 18/19/20/21 January 2018
Quarter-finals: 29/30/31 March - 1 April 2018
Semi-finals: 20/21/22 April 2018
Bilbao Final 2018
Champions Cup final: Saturday 12 May, San Mamés Stadium
Full details of the Champions Cup schedule will be confirmed by EPCR over the coming weeks. Please keep checking the website for updates.
