Champions Cup semis set

The Investec Champions Cup semi-finals are set for the first weekend of May, with Leinster hosting RC Toulon and Bordeaux hosting Bath. (epcrugby.com) (planetrugby.com) Leinster will play Toulon at Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, May 2, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 British Summer Time. Bordeaux will face Bath at Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole on Sunday, May 3, kicking off at 16:00 local time, or 15:00 British Summer Time. (planetrugby.com) European Professional Club Rugby has opened pre-sale windows for both matches, with general public sales for the Dublin and Bordeaux semi-finals starting on Thursday, April 16, at 11:00 United Kingdom and Irish time. (epcrugby.com) The semi-final bracket was completed after Bath beat Northampton Saints 43-41 in the quarter-finals, Bordeaux beat Toulouse 30-15, Leinster beat Sale Sharks 43-13, and Toulon won 22-19 at Glasgow Warriors. (planetrugby.com) (epcrugby.com) Home venues were tied to pool-stage seeding, which left top-seeded Bordeaux at home against fourth-seeded Bath and third-seeded Leinster at home against seventh-seeded Toulon. Planet Rugby reported that Bordeaux earned home advantage after finishing first in the pool stages. (planetrugby.com) The matchups also sharpen two different storylines. Leinster are chasing a fifth European title after finishing as runners-up in 2022, 2023 and 2024, while Bath are trying to reach a final against the defending champions on French soil. (planetrugby.com) Broadcast listings published with the fixtures show both semi-finals on beIN SPORTS, FloRugby, EPCRugby.TV, SuperSport and Premier Sports. The final is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, with a 21:00 local start. (planetrugby.com) Four clubs are left, two stadiums are booked, and the route to Bilbao now runs through Dublin and Bordeaux. (epcrugby.com) (planetrugby.com)