Next season's two European rugby cups will be spread over nine weekends and begin in December, organisers announced on Wednesday. The European Cup and the secondary European Challenge Cup will start on the weekend of December 10-12 with the finals slated for Marseille on May 27-28. The final phase begins with a round of 16 'home and away' on the second and third weekends in April. Twenty-four clubs will participate in the next edition of the Champions Cup with eight representatives each from the three leagues, Top 14, English Premiership and the Pro 14, which is being rebranded United Rugby Championship (URC). South African franchises, which have just joined the URC, could qualify for either competition in the future. Toulouse won this season's Champions Cup with victory over La Rochelle while Montpellier made sure it was a French double, beating Leicester in the final of the Challenge Cup. European rugby weekends 2021/22 Matchday 1: 10/11/12 December Matchday 2: 17/18/19 December Matchday 3: 14/15/16 January Matchday 4: 21/22/23 January Last 16, first leg: 8/9/10 April, second leg: 15/16/17 April Quarter-finals: 6/7/8 May Semi-finals: 13/14/15 May Challenge Cup final (Marseille): Friday 27 May Champions Cup final (Marseille): Saturday 28 May mca/bsp /gj