The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, Europe’s premier rugby competitions, return for the 2024/25 season with thrilling action. Featuring top teams from England, France, and the United Rugby Championship, the tournaments boast revamped formats to intensify competition. The Champions Cup’s pool stage runs from December 2024 to January 2025, with knockout rounds culminating in a Cardiff final on May 24, 2025. Don’t miss the excitement as Europe’s rugby elites clash!
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The Investec Champions Cup is Europe’s premier club rugby competition, featuring top teams from England’s Premiership, France’s Top 14, and the United Rugby Championship (URC), which includes clubs from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The 2024/25 season introduces a modified format aimed at enhancing competition and viewer engagement.
Competition Format:
• Pool Stage: Twenty-four clubs are divided into four pools of six teams each. During this stage, each team plays four matches—two at home and two away—against four different opponents from their pool. Notably, teams do not face clubs from their own domestic league during the pool stage. The pool stage matches are scheduled across four weekends between December 2024 and January 2025.
• Knockout Stage: The top four teams from each pool advance to the Round of 16. The fifth-placed teams in each pool move into the EPCR Challenge Cup knockout stages. The knockout phase includes the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and culminates in the final. The final is set to be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, 24 May 2025.
Pools and Teams:
The pool draw, conducted on 2 July 2024, allocated the 24 qualified teams into four pools:
Pool 1:
• Stade Toulousain
• Union Bordeaux-Bègles
• Hollywoodbets Sharks
• Exeter Chiefs
• Leicester Tigers
• Ulster Rugby
Pool 2:
• Leinster Rugby
• ASM Clermont Auvergne
• Stade Rochelais
• Bristol Bears
• Benetton Rugby
• Bath Rugby
Pool 3:
• Northampton Saints
• Munster Rugby
• Vodacom Bulls
• Stade Français Paris
• Saracens
• Castres Olympique
Pool 4:
• Glasgow Warriors
• Racing 92
• Sale Sharks
• DHL Stormers
• RC Toulon
• Harlequins
Upcoming Fixtures:
The tournament kicks off on Friday, 6 December 2024. The opening round features several compelling matchups:
Friday, 6 December 2024:
• Pool 2: Bath Rugby vs. Stade Rochelais
Saturday, 7 December 2024:
• Pool 2: ASM Clermont Auvergne vs. Benetton Rugby
• Pool 1: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Exeter Chiefs
• Pool 3: Northampton Saints vs. Castres Olympique
• Pool 4: DHL Stormers vs. RC Toulon
• Pool 3: Munster Rugby vs. Stade Français Paris
• Pool 3: Saracens vs. Vodacom Bulls
• Pool 4: Glasgow Warriors vs. Sale Sharks
• Pool 4: Racing 92 vs. Harlequins
Sunday, 8 December 2024:
• Pool 1: Union Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Leicester Tigers
• Pool 1: Stade Toulousain vs. Ulster Rugby
• Pool 2: Bristol Bears vs. Leinster Rugby
The Investec Challenge Cup, officially known as the EPCR Challenge Cup, is an annual European rugby union competition featuring clubs from various domestic leagues. The 2024/25 season maintains a format similar to previous years, with participating teams divided into pools, followed by knockout stages leading to the final.
Competition Format:
• Pool Stage: Teams are divided into pools, where they compete in a round-robin format. Each team plays matches against others in their pool, aiming to accumulate points through wins, draws, and bonus points.
• Knockout Stage: The top teams from each pool advance to the knockout rounds, including the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and culminating in the final.
Pools and Teams:
For the 2024/25 EPCR Challenge Cup, teams are allocated into three pools. Each pool comprises six teams from various leagues. The pool composition is as follows:
Pool 1:
• Cardiff Rugby
• Connacht Rugby
• Toyota Cheetahs
• USAP (Perpignan)
• Lyon Olympique Universitaire
• Zebre Parma
Pool 2:
• Montpellier Hérault Rugby
• Section Paloise (Pau)
• Newcastle Falcons
• Dragons RFC
• Emirates Lions
• Ospreys
Pool 3:
• RC Vannes
• Black Lion
• Aviron Bayonnais
• Scarlets
• Edinburgh Rugby
• Gloucester Rugby
Upcoming Fixtures:
As of December 1, 2024, the EPCR Challenge Cup is set to commence its pool stage. The opening round of fixtures is scheduled for the weekend of December 6-8, 2024. The specific matchups for that weekend are as follows:
Friday, December 6, 2024:
• Pool 3: RC Vannes vs. Black Lion
• Pool 3: Aviron Bayonnais vs. Scarlets
Saturday, December 7, 2024:
• Pool 1: Cardiff Rugby vs. Connacht Rugby
• Pool 1: Toyota Cheetahs vs. USAP
• Pool 2: Montpellier Hérault Rugby vs. Section Paloise
• Pool 2: Newcastle Falcons vs. Dragons RFC
Sunday, December 8, 2024:
• Pool 3: Edinburgh Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby
• Pool 2: Emirates Lions vs. Ospreys
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