December rugby calendar: Your guide to this month’s fixtures

The back-to-back rounds of the European competitions take centre stage before the festive league derbies

Leinster will play their Champions Cup home game against  Bath at the Aviva stadium  on Saturday December 15th. Photograpgh: Billy Stickland/Inpho
Leinster will play their Champions Cup home game against Bath at the Aviva stadium on Saturday December 15th. Photograpgh: Billy Stickland/Inpho

SATURDAY 1st

International match: Barbarians v Argentina, Twickenham (2.30).

Pro 14: Ulster v Cardiff Blues (3.0); Cheetahs v Connacht (3.0); Dragons v Leinster (5.15); Glasgow v Scarlets (5.15); Southern Kings v Benetton Rugby (5.15).

AIL Division 1A (2.30): Clontarf v Cork Constitution; Shannon v Lansdowne; Terenure v Garryowen ; Young Munster v UCD; UCC v Dublin University (3.0).

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Division 1B (2.30): Ballymena v Old Belvedere; Banbridge v Malone; Buccaneers v City of Armagh; Naas v St Mary's; Old Wesley v Ballynahinch.

Division 2A (2.30):Dolphin v Blackrock; Highfield v Galwegians; Navan v QUB.

Division 2B (2.30): Corinthians v MU Barnhall; Greystones v Sunday's Well; Rainey OB v Belfast Harlequins ; Skerries v Sligo; Wanderers v Dungannon.

Division 2C (2.30): Ballina v Midleton; Bruff v Omagh; City of Derry v Thomond; Seapoint v Bangor; Tullamore v Malahide.

FRIDAY 7th

Champions Cup: Edinburgh v Newcastle Falcons, Murrayfield (7.45); Scarlets v Ulster, Parc y Scarlets (7.45).

AIL Division 1A: Garryowen v Shannon (8.0).

SATURDAY 8th

Champions Cup: Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester, Sandy Park (1.0); Lyon v Glasgow Warriors, Matmut stadium (1.0); Bath v Leinster, Recreation Ground (3.15); Toulon v Montpellier (3.15), Stade Felix Mayol; Wasps v Toulouse, Ricoh Arena (5.30).

Challenge Cup: Connacht v Perpignan, Sportsground (3.0).

AIL Division 1A (2.30): Clontarf v Dublin University; Cork Constitution v Young Munster; Lansdowne v UCC; UCD v Terenure.

Division 1B (2.30): Ballymena v Ballynahinch; City of Armagh v Naas; Malone v Old Wesley; Old Belvedere v Buccaneers; St Mary's v Banbridge.

Division 2A (2.30): Blackrock v Old Crescent; Navan v Galwegians; Nenagh Ormond v Highfield; QUB v Cashel; UL Bohemian v Dolphin.

Division 2B (2.30): Belfast Harlequins v Skerries; Dungannon v Greystones; Corinthians v Sligo; MU Barnhall v Wanderers; Sunday's Well v Rainey OB.

Division 2C (2.30): Ballina v Bangor; Malahide v Bruff; Midleton v City of Derry; Omagh v Seapoint; Thomond v Tullamore.

SUNDAY 9th

Champions Cup: Munster v Castres, Thomond Park (1.0); Saracens v Cardiff, Allianz Park (1.0); Racing 92 v Leicester Tigers, Paris La Defense stadium (3.15).

FRIDAY 14th

Champions Cup: Gloucester v Exeter Chiefs, Kingsholm (7.45); Ulster v Scarlets, Kingspan stadium (7.45).

Challenge Cup: Perpignan v Connacht, Stade Aime Giral (7.0).

Division 2A: Old Crescent v UL Bohemian (8.0).

Division 2C: Bruff v Thomond ; Seapoint v Malahide (8.0).

SATURDAY 15th

Champions Cup: Cardiff Blues v Saracens, Arms Park (1.0); Glasgow Warriors v Lyon, Scotstoun (1.0); Toulouse v Wasps, Stade Ernest Wallon (3.15); Castres v Munster, Stade Pierre Fabre (5.30); Leinster v Bath, Aviva stadium (5.30).

AIL Division 1A (2.30): Dublin University v Lansdowne; Shannon v UCD; Terenure v Cork Constitution; UCC v Garryowen; Young Munster v Clontarf.

Division 1B (2.30): Ballynahinch v Malone; Banbridge v City of Armagh; Buccaneers v Ballymena; Naas v Old Belvedere; Old Wesley v St Mary's.

Division 2A (2.30): Cashel v Navan; Dolphin v QUB; Galwegians v Nenagh Ormond ; Highfield v Blackrock.

Division 2B (2.30): Greystones v MU Barnhall; Rainey OB v Dungannon; Skerries v Sunday's Well ; Sligo v Belfast Harlequins; Wanderers v Corinthians.

Division 2C (2.30):

Bangor v Omagh ; City of Derry v Ballina; Tullamore v Midleton.

SUNDAY 16th

Champions Cup: Leicester Tigers v Racing 92, Welford Road (1.0); Montpellier v Toulon, GGL stadium (3.15); Newcastle Falcons v Edinburgh, Kingston Park (3.15)

FRIDAY 21st

Pro 14: Ulster v Munster (7.35); Cardiff Blues v Dragons (7.35)

SATURDAY 22nd

Pro 14: Ospreys v Scarlets (3.0); Edinburgh v Glasgow (5.15); Leinster v Connacht (7.45)

SUNDAY 23rd

Pro 14: Zebre v Benetton Rugby (2.0)

FRIDAY 28th

Pro 14: Connacht v Ulster (7.35)

SATURDAY 29th

Pro 14: Benetton Rugby v Zebre (2.0); Glasgow v Edinburgh (3.0); Munster v Leinster (5.15); Scarlets v Cardiff Blues (5.15)

SUNDAY 30th

Pro 14: Dragons v Ospreys (3.0)