Details locked in for Champions Cup and Challenge Cup playoffs

The match at Loftus Versfeld will commence at 13h30, while the DHL Stadium encounter will kick off at 16h00.

The Sharks will host Zebre Parma in Durban on Sunday, 7 April, at 16h00 in the other home game for SA’s teams in the European competitions, while the two away matches – both on Saturday, 6 April – will see the Toyota Cheetahs take on Clermont Auvergne in France (13h30), and the Emirates Lions will meet Benetton in Italy (18h30).

The match dates, venues and times were confirmed for the opening playoff rounds by the competition organisers on Thursday.

The DHL Stormers’ playoff match will mark their second consecutive Round of 16 home match in the Mother City – the same venue where they defeated Harlequins 32-28 last season to progress to the quarter-finals.

The Vodacom Bulls will also feature in the playoff round for the second successive season, but this time they will have the luxury of home ground advantage after travelling to France to face Toulouse last season where their hopes of advancing to the top eight were dashed.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks, in turn, will make their first appearance in the EPCR Challenge Cup playoffs after participating in the Investec Champions Cup last season, while the Toyota Cheetahs and Emirates Lions will both have their second run in the first playoff round.

The Finals of both competitions will be hosted at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Friday 24 May (EPCR Challenge Cup) and Saturday 25 May (Investec Champions Cup), with the quarter-finals scheduled for the weekend of 12/13/14 April, and the semi-finals on the weekend of 3/4/5 May.

Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 fixtures (SA Time):

Friday, 5 April
21h00: Harlequins v Glasgow Warriors - Twickenham Stoop, London

Saturday, 6 April
13h30: Vodacom Bulls v Lyon - Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
16h00: Exeter Chiefs v Bath Rugby- Sandy Park, Exeter
16h00: DHL Stormers v Stade Rochelais - DHL Stadium, Cape Town
18h30: Bordeaux-Bègles v Saracens - Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
21h00: Leinster v Leicester Tigers - Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Sunday, 7 April
13h30: Northampton Saints v Munster - Cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
16h00: Stade Toulousain v Racing 92 - Le Stadium, Toulouse

EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16 fixtures:

Friday 5 April
21h00: Gloucester Rugby v Castres Olympique – Kingsholm, Gloucester

Saturday 6 April
13h30: Clermont Auvergne v Toyota Cheetahs - Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand
18h30: Benetton v Emirates Lions - Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso
21h00: Ospreys v Sale Sharks - Brewery Field, Bridgend
21h00: Edinburgh Rugby v Aviron Bayonnais - Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Sunday 7 April
13h30: Montpellier Hérault v Ulster - GGL Stadium, Montpellier
16h00: Hollywoodbets Sharks v Zebre Parma - Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
18h30: Section Paloise v Connacht Rugby - Stade du Hameau, Pau