Hosted by presenters Elma Smit and Vincent Pochulu (beIN SPORTS), the event featured Premier Sports pundit and former Ireland international Ian Madigan as the official ball drawer, with Barrister Dorothy Collins serving as independent scrutineer.
Fans around the globe tuned in via a live stream on EPCRugby.com, with additional broadcasts on the Premier Sports Rugby Channel (UK and Ireland), beIN SPORTS (France), SuperSport (South Africa), FloRugby (USA), OnRugby.it (Italy) and Rugbyrama (France).
The 2025/26 season will once again adopt the popular pool format, setting the stage for a series of thrilling showdowns between some of the world’s top-tier clubs. With the competitions kicking off on Friday 5 December, excitement is already building among rugby supporters worldwide.
Investec Champions Cup Pool Draw
In the Investec Champions Cup draw, Tier 1 clubs – including defending champions Union Bordeaux Bègles, TOP 14 title-winners Stade Toulousain, Gallagher Premiership champions Bath Rugby, and Vodacom United Rugby Championship winners Leinster Rugby – were each drawn first into separate pools, ensuring high-stakes matchups from the outset.
Six-time Investec Champions Cup winners Stade Toulousain were first out of the drum and will be joined in Pool 1 by ASM Clermont Auvergne, the Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saracens, Glasgow Warriors and Sale Sharks.
Bath Rugby kicked off Pool 2, and were joined by RC Toulon, Munster Rugby, Castres Olympique, Edinburgh Rugby and Gloucester Rugby.
Four-times Champions Cup winners Leinster Rugby head Pool 3 alongside two-times winners Leicester Tigers and Stade Rochelais. Harlequins, Aviron Bayonnais and the DHL Stormers.
Pool 4 is led by reigning Investec Champions Cup titleholders Union Bordeaux Bègles, who will face a rematch of last season’s final against Northampton Saints, also drawn in the same pool. Joining them in Pool 4 are Scarlets, Bristol Bears, Section Paloise – who return to the Investec Champions Cup for the first time in 25 years - and the Vodacom Bulls.
The Investec Champions Cup has two clubs from each of three leagues – TOP 14, Gallagher Premiership and Vodacom URC – in each pool, and clubs from the Vodacom URC’s Irish, Scottish and South African shields were kept apart during the draw.
Following the draw of the Tier 1 clubs, the remaining 20 clubs were either drawn or allocated into the four pools in keeping with the draw’s key principles. During the pool stage, each club will play four matches against four different clubs which are not from the same league either home or away.
EPCR Challenge Cup Pool Draw
In the EPCR Challenge Cup, Ospreys were first out of the drum going into Pool 1, alongside US Montauban who will return to the competition for the first time in 15 years. Zebre Parma, two-times Challenge Cup winners Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Black Lion and Connacht Rugby were also drawn in Pool 1.
Pool 2 features the 2022 winners and last season’s runners-up Lyon Olympique Universitaire, who are joined by fellow TOP 14 side USAP, Dragons RFC, Benetton Rugby and the Lions from the Vodacom URC, along with the Gallagher Premiership’s Newcastle Falcons.
Invited club Toyota Cheetahs were the first drawn in Pool 3 with two-time Challenge Cup winners Cardiff Rugby up next. Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92 – semi-finalists last season – Stade Français Paris and Ulster Rugby are also drawn into Pool 3.
Clubs will play four matches against four different opponents during the pool stage with same league matches kept to a minimum, and only impacting clubs from the URC.
For the full list of Pool Draw principles for both the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, click here.
With the Pools now set, fixture schedules for both tournaments including dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage will be announced later this month. Fixtures are determined following the input of individual club calendar and venue considerations, broadcast requirements and league calendar restrictions into an algorithm with the outcomes of today’s Pool Draws, all of which are considered to deliver the optimum fixture schedules.
The 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup seasons will again be played over eight weekends with four rounds of matches in the pool stage starting in December, followed by a knockout stage consisting of a Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, culminating in the EPCR Finals Weekend in the vibrant Basque city of Bilbao on 22 and 23 May.
2025/26 INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP
Pool 1: Stade Toulousain, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saracens, Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks
Pool 2: Bath Rugby, RC Toulon, Munster Rugby, Castres Olympique, Edinburgh Rugby, Gloucester Rugby
Pool 3: Leinster Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, Stade Rochelais, Aviron Bayonnais, DHL Stormers
Pool 4: Union Bordeaux Bègles, Scarlets, Bristol Bears, Section Paloise, Northampton Saints, Vodacom Bulls
2025/26 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP
Pool 1: Ospreys, Zebre Parma, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, US Montauban, Black Lion, Connacht Rugby
Pool 2: Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Newcastle Falcons, Dragons RFC, Benetton Rugby, Lions, USAP
Pool 3: Toyota Cheetahs, Cardiff Rugby, Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92, Stade Français Paris, Ulster Rugby
2025/26 weekends
Round 1 – 5/6/7 December 2025
Round 2 – 12/13/14 December 2025
Round 3 – 9/10/11 January 2026
Round 4 – 16/17/18 January 2026
Round of 16 – 3/4/5 April 2026
Quarter-finals – 10/11/12 April 2026
Semi-finals – 1/2/3 May 2026
EPCR Challenge Cup Final – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao; Friday 22 May
Investec Champions Cup Final – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao; Saturday 23 May
