Coventry Telegraph

Club will face familiar foes in Challenge Cup

- By BOBBY BRIDGE Sky Blues Reporter robert.bridge@reachplc.com

WASPS have learned who they will face when they return to the European Challenge Cup next season.

The Black and Golds finished outside of the Gallagher Premiershi­p’s top eight in the 2021/22 campaign, meaning they dropped into the second-tier competitio­n after two seasons in the Heineken Champions Cup.

Wasps are drawn in Pool B along with Scarlets, Section Paloise, Lions, Benetton Rugby, Stade Francais, Worcester Warriors, Dragons, Bayonne and Cheetahs.

Their two home-and-away headto-head fixtures will come against

Dragons and Bayonne. The first two rounds of fixtures will take place on the weekends of December 9/10/11 and December 16/17/18 followed by two more in January 2023 across the weekend of January 13/14/15 and 20/21/22.

A round of 16 follows on March 31, April 1-2 and quarter-finals on April 7/8/9.

Wasps dropped into the European Challenge Cup during the 2021/22 season and reached the semi-final stage, where they were defeated by eventual winners Lyon.

The semi-final stage next season will be on the weekend of April 28/29/30 with the final being staged at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Friday, May 19.

Bayonne are familiar foes for Wasps in this competitio­n having been drawn together four times before but not since 2014. The French side recently gained promotion back to the Top 14 after winning the Prod2 title, and recently signed prop Pieter Scholtz following his release from Wasps.

Dragons and Wasps met in the 2020/21 Champions Cup, with Wasps triumphing 24-8 at Rodney Parade in December 2020.

The two clubs met again in a preseason friendly at the Coventry Building Society Arena ahead of the 2021/22 season, with Dragons claiming a 31-24 victory, as Will Rowlands returned to face his former club.

They will meet again in a pre-season friendly ahead of the 2022/23 campaign on September 2.

Wasps dropped into the European Challenge Cup in 2021/22 and reached the semi-final stage, where they were defeated by eventual winners Lyon.

 ?? ?? Wasps celebrate their victory against Edinburgh in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final in May
Wasps celebrate their victory against Edinburgh in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final in May

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