Bulls, Lions, Sharks turn attention to Challenge Cup: All the fixtures

The United Rugby Championship takes a break again over the next fortnight for the Europe-based Champions and Challenge Cup competitions to be played.

It is the round of 16 this weekend and quarter-finals the following weekend. Three South African teams will be in action in the second tier Challenge Cup — namely the Bulls, Lions and Sharks, who’re the defending champions.

The Stormers are not involved in any of the competitions, having failed to make it to this point. The Cheetahs are also out of the mix.

No South African teams remain in the top tier Champions Cup.

The Bulls and Sharks qualified for the Challenge Cup knockouts by finishing fifth in their Champions Cup pools respectively (one win from four) and dropping down to the second tier.

The Lions advanced to the last-16 by finishing fourth of six teams in their Challenge Cup pool (two wins from four), while the Cheetahs finished fifth in their pool (one win from four) to be eliminated.

The Stormers finished sixth and last in their pool in the Champions Cup and were eliminated from all the competitions.

Here then are all the fixtures in the two competitions this weekend.

Challenge Cup

Edinburgh v Lions in Edinburgh at 9pm Friday
Bayonne v Bulls in Bayonne at 1.30pm Saturday
Lyon v Sharks in Lyon at 6.30pm Sunday

Other matches in the Challenge Cup

Pau v Bath (Friday 9pm), Montpellier v Gloucester (Saturday 6.30pm), Connacht v Cardiff (Saturday 9pm), Perpignan v Racing (Saturday 9pm), Ospreys v Scarlets (Sunday 6.30pm)

Champions Cup fixtures

Northampton v Clermont Auvergne (Friday 9pm), Toulon v Saracens (Saturday 1.30pm), Leinster v Harlequins (Saturday 4pm), Castres v Benetton (Saturday 4pm), La Rochelle v Munster (Saturday 6.30pm), Glasgow Warriors v Leicester (Saturday 9pm), Bordeaux Begles v Ulster (Sunday 1.30pm), Toulouse v Sale (Sunday 4pm)