English side Northampton will travel to star-studded Toulon in their opening pool game of the European Challenge Cup on Thursday 9 October.

Bristol, who are in the same pool as Northampton, start with a trip to Montpellier while Saracens host French side Stade Montois.

Last season's runners-up Worcester visit Italians Petrarca while Newcastle host Spanish minnows El Salvador.

London Irish entertain Rovigo with Connacht visiting Dax in the same pool.

Each of the five pool winners and the three best runners-up will qualify for the quarter-finals.

European Challenge Cup 2008/09 draw:

Pool 1
London Irish (Eng)
Connacht (Ire)
Dax/Albi (Fra)
Rugby Rovigo (Ita)

Pool 2
Northampton (Eng)
Bristol (Eng)
Montpellier (Fra)
Toulon (Fra)

Pool 3
Bourgoin (Fra)
Worcester (Eng)
Petrarca Rugby (Italy)
Bucuresti Oaks (Rom)

Pool 4
Newcastle (Eng)
Brive (Fra)
Overmach Rugby Parma (Ita)
Cetransa El Salvador (Spain)

Pool 5
Saracens (Eng)
Viadana (Ita)
Bayonne (Fra)
Stade Montois Rugby (Fra)

Fixtures:

Round 1 10 / 11 / 12 October, 2008
Round 2 17 / 18 / 19 October, 2008
Round 3 5 / 6 / 7 December, 2008
Round 4 12 / 13 / 14 December, 2008
Round 5 17 / 18 / 19 January, 2009
Round 6 24 / 25 / 26 January, 2009

Quarter-finals 10 / 11 / 12 April, 2009
Semi-finals 1 / 2 / 3 May, 2009
Final 22 / 23 / 24 May, 2009