As the only European club tournament which features the very best players throughout the entire season, the Heineken Champions Cup is ready once again to deliver nine weekends of world-class action and passionate spectator support. That was one of the key messages from today’s 2018/19 EPCR Season Launch for Guinness PRO14 clubs staged at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium which was attended by leading lights of the European game including Leinster Rugby’s Johnny Sexton, Ken Owens of the Scarlets and Munster Rugby’s Peter O’Mahony. Following an historic first last May when Guinness PRO14 clubs, Leinster and the Cardiff Blues, captured both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup in the same season, the PRO14 representatives are aiming once again to reach the business end of EPCR’s tournaments which in 2018/19 will showcase as many as 18 former winners with an impressive total of 41 European titles between them. Head Coaches and high-profile players from the seven Guinness PRO14 clubs participating in the Heineken Champions Cup – Leinster, Scarlets, Glasgow Warriors, Munster, Edinburgh Rugby, Cardiff Blues and Ulster Rugby - attended the Dublin event with Connacht Rugby’s Andy Friend and Jarrad Butler representing the PRO14 clubs competing in the Challenge Cup. The Heineken Champions Cup kicks off on Friday, 12 October with the Pool 1 clash of holders, Leinster, and Wasps at the RDS live on BT Sport while the following day, the meeting of Bath Rugby and Toulouse will be broadcast live on a free-to-air basis on Channel 4 in the UK and on Virgin Media in Ireland. With Channel 4 and Virgin Media broadcasting a free-to-air Heineken Champions Cup match in every round up to and including the final to complement BT Sport’s cutting-edge coverage, EPCR’s TV platform has been further enhanced with the recent announcement of NBC Sports as rights holders in the USA. EPCR Chairman, Simon Halliday, said: “Guinness PRO14 clubs took Europe by storm last season with Leinster Rugby winning all nine matches to earn their fourth trophy in what is now the Heineken Champions Cup, and the Cardiff Blues were also outstanding in Bilbao to win their second Challenge Cup. “Fans are voting with their feet in appreciating the quality of European club rugby with the aggregate attendances for the European Cup set to pass the 20 million mark this season and we are looking forward to more great rugby from clubs in Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales this season in both tournaments, on the way to the Finals Weekend in Newcastle.” EPCR Director General, Vincent Gaillard, said: “It’s an exciting time for European club rugby with the action on the pitch going from strength-to-strength and more fans able to enjoy it with improved broadcast platforms simplifying the experience of following the tournaments. New audiences will come from free-to-air coverage and even before the season has started, excitement has built for St James’ Park with almost 30,000 tickets already sold for the Heineken Champions Cup final.” Other speakers at the event which was compered by BT Sport’s Craig Doyle of and Joe Molloy of Virgin Media included Pat Maher of Heineken Ireland, Mick Hogan, Newcastle 2019 Event Director, and Stephen Savage of Newcastle City Council. Further 2018/19 Season Launches are scheduled for the Centre de Congrès Pierre Baudis in Toulouse on Monday (1 October) and for St James’ Park, Newcastle – venue for the 2019 finals – next Wednesday (3 October).