Defending champions Bordeaux-Begles and last season's finalists Northampton Saints have been drawn together in Pool 4 for the 2025-26 Investec Champions Cup. The two teams previously clashed in May, with Bordeaux securing a 28-20 victory in Cardiff to claim their first Champions Cup title.
Pool 4 also features Premiership semi-finalists Bristol Bears, Scarlets, Top 14 side Pau, and United Rugby Championship (URC) runners-up Bulls, setting the stage for a highly competitive group. Meanwhile, three-time champions Saracens find themselves in Pool 1 alongside record six-time winners Toulouse, with Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks, Clermont Auvergne, and South African team Sharks rounding out the group.
Premiership champions Bath, who triumphed in last year's Challenge Cup, are placed in Pool 2 with Munster, Gloucester, Edinburgh, Castres, and three-time winners Toulon. In Pool 3, Leinster, who fell to Northampton in last season's semi-final, are once again grouped with Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle. La Rochelle has a recent history of success against Leinster, defeating them in back-to-back finals in 2022 and 2023. Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, Bayonne, and South African side Stormers complete the pool.
Each team will face four different opponents during the pool stage, avoiding clashes with teams from their own league. The full fixture schedule is yet to be announced. In the Challenge Cup, Ulster, who finished 14th in last season's URC, are drawn in Pool 3 alongside Parisian rivals Racing 92 and Stade Francais. Ospreys and Connacht have a more favorable draw in Pool 1, which includes Georgian side Black Lion.
The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will kick off their first rounds on December 5-7, with the finals scheduled for May 22 and 23, 2026, respectively, at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
Champions Cup Draw:
Pool 1: Toulouse, Clermont, Sharks, Saracens, Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks
Pool 2: Bath, Toulon, Munster, Castres, Edinburgh, Gloucester
Pool 3: Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, La Rochelle, Bayonne, Stormers
Pool 4: Bordeaux-Begles, Scarlets, Bristol, Pau, Northampton, Bulls
Challenge Cup Draw:
Pool 1: Ospreys, Connacht, Zebre, Montpellier, US Montauban, Black Lion
Pool 2: Newcastle, Dragons, Benetton, Lions, Lyon, USAP
Pool 3: Ulster, Cardiff, Exeter Chiefs, Toyota Cheetahs, Racing 92, Stade Francais
With a mix of fierce rivalries and fresh matchups, the 2025-26 Investec Champions Cup promises to deliver thrilling rugby action.
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