The Rugby Union equivalent to the Champions League is the Heineken Champions Cup. This competition has been changed a lot this season due to COVID-19 and the group stage in particular is very short, but intense. Unfortunately for 18-20 December 2020, two matches had to be cancelled, after a COVID-19 cluster was detected in the camp of the defending champions, Exeter Chiefs. They should have played in Toulouse. The other match to be cancelled was between Glasgow Warriors and Lyon Olympique Universitaire.
Friday 18 December 2020
Scarlets vs. Toulon
Winners over Sale Sharks in the first round, Toulon travel to West Wales to face Scarlets. They will do so with Trade Air, a well-known charter outfit, also in Rugby circles:
TDR317 TLN 1500-1605 CWL F100 9A-BTE (17/12/20)
TDR318 CWL 2330-xxxx(+1) TLN F100 9A-BTE (18/12/20)
Wasps vs. Montpellier (in Coventry)
What ever RX as a code would mean is yet unclear - but it looks like this is the charter that will take Montpellier Rugby to Birmingham, from where they will travel to Coventry on the road for the Friday night game away at Wasps (formerly of London) at the Ricoh Arena.
AEH011 MPL 1330-1430 BHX E145 F-HRAV (17/12/20)
AEH012 BHX 0030-0335 MPL E145 F-HRAV (19/12/20)
Saturday 19 December 2020
Leinster vs. Northampton Saints
The quick trip across the Irish Sea is always good for a charter flight. In these circumstances, it is rather unusual to see a TUI Boeing 737-800 being used for that trip though, as the usual preference is with smaller aircraft. Surely, Saints will take whatever will take them to Dublin though, as the Aviva is a difficult enough place to go and win a game:
BY8040 BHX xxxx-1155 DUB B738 (18/12/20)
Gloucester Rugby vs. Ulster
Ulster will travel to Gloucester to meet a side that has been beaten badly last week in Lyon. Having lost their opening game at home against Toulouse though, the visiting team will have to make up for something.
WX9364 BFS 1430-1535 BRS CRJ9 (18/12/20)
ASM Clermont Auvergne vs. Munster
Clashes between "les Jaunards" and the Munster men have high tradition in the Heineken Champions Cup. They are always hard-fought and provide very tight results. Clermont may not count on its vibrant home support at the Stade Marcel-Michelin at the moment, but at the same time, this also means that Munster's fine-singing away support is not coming along either. Interesting enough, Munster will be traveling from Shannon with Ryanair:
FR8663 SNN xxxx-1405 CFE B738 (18/12/20)
FR8664 CFE 2300-0030(+1) SNN B738 (19/12/20)
