Would be very interested in heading out to the Biarritz game but it's a bit of a nightmare to get to now that Ryanair don't fly there in Dec.
Any other ideas of cost efficient ways to get to Biarritz?
What's the likelihood of Connacht or the Clan putting on a charter?

When people start booking for the away games can they share their details here to give us all an idea?

When people start to book match tickets, make sure you come on here, and let everyone know, where your seat is. The more fans we can pile into one section, the better.

I cant talk for the Toulouse or Gloucester games last season, but having everyone together in The Stoop was really impressive

Bologna about an hour away..

GTTC wrote: anyone recommend the best way to get to Zebre?

Via Stanstead into Parma. Think Milan is about 100km away.

Verona and Bologna also optoins from Dublin I think.

Anyone got any ideas for Biarritz - Aer Lingus to Bordeaux no good as only arrives 1530 bit tight to Biarritz

anyone recommend the best way to get to Zebre?

Via Stanstead into Parma. Think Milan is about 100km away.

Any chance the clan is organising a trip to Biarritz? Since stupid ryanair don't fly there in the winter!

Ah swift4prez :evil: :evil:

South of France for the weekend, 2 weeks before christmas, out on Friday morning back Sunday afternoon.

If we put on a good show in Galway the weekend before, we will be properly looked after when we get out there.

Start planning lads, party in Galway on Fri 7th.

In a totally selfish manner, I'm happy with the draw. I'll be in New Zealand for the Zebre (A) game, and the Quins (H) game. If I could pick any two matches to miss, it would have been those.
Dont think I'll make the trip to Biarritz, but I'll head back to London for the Quins game

thanks for that.

bloody french and there friday night games. hope they wont be any exams around that date 14 december

HEC fixtures out:

Zebre away, Quins home, Biarritz double header

ROUND 1

FRIDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 2 Ospreys v Benetton Treviso, Liberty Stadium 20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Castres Olympique, Ravenhill 20.00 Sky Sports/Sport+

SATURDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Saracens, Murrayfield 13.35 Sky Sports
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Munster Rugby, Stade de France 14.35 Canal+/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Zebre v Connacht Rugby, Stadio XXV Aprile (Parma) 14.35 Sky Italia
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v Exeter Chiefs , RDS 15.40 Sky Sports/Canal+Sport
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Scarlets, Stade Marcel Michelin 16.40 FR2/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Harlequins v Biarritz Olympique, Twickenham Stoop 18.00 Sky Sports/Sport+

SUNDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Glasgow Warriors, Franklin's Gardens 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Cardiff Blues, Salford City Stadium 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Toulouse v Leicester Tigers, Le Stadium 16.00 FR2/Sky Sports
Pool 6 Toulon v Montpellier, Stade Felix Mayol 21.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

ROUND 2

FRIDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Ulster Rugby, Scotstoun Stadium 20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Northampton Saints, Stade Pierre Antoine 21.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

SATURDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 5 Scarlets v Leinster Rugby, Parc y Scarlets 13.35 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Toulouse, Stadio Comunale di Monigo 14.35 Sky Italia/Canal+/Sky Sports
Pool 1 Saracens v Racing Metro 92, King Baudouin Stadium (Brussels) 16.40 FR2/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Harlequins, The Sportsground 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Sandy Park 18.00 Sky Sports/Sport+
Pool 3 Biarritz Olympique v Zebre, Parc des Sports Aguilera 19.00 Canal+

SUNDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Thomond Park 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Toulon, Cardiff Arms Park 12.45 Sky Sports/Sport+
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Ospreys, Welford Road 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Montpellier v Sale Sharks, Stade Yves du Manoir 16.00 FR2/Sky Sports

ROUND 3

FRIDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Castres Olympique, Scotstoun Stadium 19.35
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Biarritz Olympique, The Sportsground 20.00 Sky Sports/Canal+Sport
Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Ulster Rugby, Franklin's Gardens 20.00 Sky Sports

SATURDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 5 Scarlets v Exeter Chiefs, Parc y Scarlets 13.35 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Toulouse v Ospreys, Stade Ernest Wallon 14.35 Canal+/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Zebre v Harlequins, Stadio XXV Aprile 14.35 Sky Italia
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Benetton Treviso, Welford Road 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Toulon, Salford City Stadium 15.40 Sky Sports/FR2
Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Saracens, Thomond Park 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Yves du Manoir 19.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

SUNDAY, 9 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Montpellier, Cardiff Arms Park 12.45 Sky Sports/Sport+
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leinster Rugby, St Marcel Michelin 16.00 FR2/Sky Sports

ROUND 4

FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Racing Metro 92, Murrayfield 20.00 Sky Sports/Canal+Sport
Pool 3 Biarritz Olympique v Connacht Rugby, Parc des Sports Aguilera 21.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

SATURDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 2 Ospreys v Toulouse, Liberty Stadium 13.35 Sky Sports/Canal+
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers, Stadio di Monigo 14.35 Sky Italia/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Harlequins v Zebre, Twickenham Stoop 15.00
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Aviva Stadium 15.40 Sky Sports/FR2
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v Scarlets, Sandy Park 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Northampton Saints, Ravenhill 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Montpellier v Cardiff Blues, Stade Yves du Manoir 19.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

SUNDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Glasgow Warriors, Stade Pierre Antoine 13.45 Canal+/Sky Sports
Pool 1 Saracens v Munster Rugby, London venue (TBC) 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Toulon v Sale Sharks, Stade Felix Mayol 16.00 FR2/Sky Sports

ROUND 5

11/12/13 JANUARY 2013

Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Rugby
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Saracens
Pool 2 Ospreys v Leicester Tigers
Pool 2 Toulouse v Benetton Treviso
Pool 3 Harlequins v Connacht Rugby
Pool 3 Zebre v Biarritz Olympique
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v Scarlets
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Exeter Chiefs
Pool 6 Toulon v Cardiff Blues
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Montpellier

ROUND 6

18/19/20 JANUARY 2013

Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Racing Metro 92
Pool 1 Saracens v Edinburgh Rugby
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Toulouse
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Ospreys
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Zebre
Pool 3 Biarritz v Harlequins
Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Northampton Saints
Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Ulster Rugby
Pool 5 Scarlets v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v Leinster Rugby
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Sale Sharks
Pool 6 Montpellier v Toulon

I can literally see Thomond Park from my bedroom window.. Proper miffed about this decision.

But still, why not fix a decent foreign team with it. For lads travelling over from Scotland or Wales an extra two hours on a bus from Shannon to Cork isn't going to make a big difference with regards to number of travelling supporters. With us, you'd be guaranteed to get a lot less Connacht lads travelling.

Ah I don't see this as a major issue. First of all the game is about 8 months away which is a long time in whats going to be a long season.

Its not like its on in the Antartic. Cork is a bit further but its not a huge journey.

If we're going well there'll be a decent travelling support, if we're not people will watch it on the telly.

The only objection I'd have is if the game got fixed for Friday.

Its not up to us how Munster run their business. Munster have to throw the odd bone to their main population centre and justify the expense in upgrading Musgrave Park.

The Cork lads are hard to deal with and don't need any encouragement to go throwing all the toys out of the pram so I'd say Munster have made the right move here.

rossie wrote: In munster branches defence they were under huge pressure to up the quality of the games on offer in cork.

Attendances were poor there last season in a venue they should fill.

I suppose its a compliment in some ways and i knows the cork fans are happy to have you on their fixtures.

Absolute horsesh1t, if you'll excuse my French:

Last season's 4 games averaged 7896, up from 7116 the previous year.

The 2 seasons before that had only 3 games each year and no reliable attendance figures (capacity crowd of 8685 reported for all 6).

The year before that (07/08), when all 9 league games were staged there - including all interpros - they got a paltry 6757 through the gates on average.

So I'm afraid last years best ever attendance in Musgrave gives the lie to the idea that we're some sort of big draw they need to placate the Cork crowd.

rossie wrote: In munster branches defence they were under huge pressure to up the quality of the games on offer in cork.

Attendances were poor there last season in a venue they should fill.

I suppose its a compliment in some ways and i knows the cork fans are happy to have you on their fixtures.

Sorry Rossie but from a travelling supporters point of view that's a feeble excuse if true, Munster has plain and simple shafted us again doubling the journey at least for any Connacht supporters travelling (in a bloody recession), the only difference this time is that the fixture is not falling on Stephens Day/New Years Day....

This dual venue nonsense needs to be knocked on the head sooner rather than later anyway, it only seems to makes sense to Munster folk. If anything it is denying Munster much needed revenue for squad strengthening. Pandering to one faction or another is ridiculous anyway for a professional sports club. If Cork was a sustainable venue for Pro Rugby then the New Thomond would never have been built so the Reb's just need to suck it up and get on with it.