Ulster have learned their opponents for the 2022/23 Challenge Cup and Heineken Champions Cup and been handed the toughest possible assignment at the group stage.
Teams were split into four tiers for the tournament with tier one playing two opponents in tier four while tier two opponents played teams in tier four.
Connacht were first up in the Champions Cup draw at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin today and were drawn against Brive and Newcastle.
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Munster will renew rivalries with Toulouse in the Champions Cup next season.
The five-time champions defeated Munster in the most dramatic circumstances in this year's quarter-final, winning a placekicking competition following a 24-24 draw at the Aviva Stadium.
Beaten finalists Leinster will do battle against Racing 92 and Gloucester.
And Ulster will meet champions La Rochelle and Sale Sharks.
Ulster last reached the European Cup final 10 years ago while their last and only ever triumph in the competition was back in 1999.
La Rochelle, led by Irish legend Ronan O'Gara beat Leinster to land the greatest prize in European club rugby last month.
The Irish province are favourites to win the tournament next season but are closely followed in the betting by La Rochelle and fellow French giants Toulouse.
Full fixture lists are set to be revealed at a later date but here is the schedule for the tournament, with the final set to be played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
2022-23 Champions Cup fuxture dates
Round 1 – 9/10/11 December 2022
Round 2 – 16/17/18 December 2022
Round 3 – 13/14/15 January 2023
Round 4 – 20/21/22 January 2023
Round of 16 – 31 March/ 1/2 April 2023
Quarter-finals – 7/8/9 April 2023
Semi-finals – 28/29/30 April 2023
Heineken Champions Cup final – Saturday 20 May 2023 at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
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