2025/26 Champions Cup draw produces repeat of last year's final

Investec Champions Cup holders Bordeaux-Begles have been handed a favourable draw for the 2025/26 competition, although they will face the team they beat in last year’s final, Northampton, at some stage in Pool 4.

Bordeaux-Begles were crowned champions of Europe for the first time in May when they ran out 28-20 winners at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Neither team will want to face the Bulls away, but with Scarlets and Pau, two teams who competed in the Challenge Cup last year, and Bristol, who failed to mount a challenge in the Champions Cup, making up the pool, they can’t have too many complaints about the draw.

Newly-crowned Top 14 champions Toulouse have been drawn in Pool 1, along with fellow Top 14 side Clermont. Three-time former winners Saracens are also in there, along with the two Sharks outfits, from Sale and Durban, and Scotland’s premier club, Glasgow Warriors.

🚨 Your 2025/26 #InvestecChampionsCup Pools 🚨

Some big clashes to come in the opening rounds of the competition 💪

Which game are you looking forward to? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ObBg3hGs4v

— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) July 1, 2025

Challenge Cup winners Bath will be desperate to add the Champions Cup to their trophy cabinet. They are the top seeds in Pool 2.

Encouragingly for Bath, they won’t face an energy-sapping, long-haul trip to South Africa, having avoided the four franchise teams from that country.

Johann van Graan probably afforded himself a rueful smile when his former club Munster were drawn in the same pool, while their other opponents will be Toulon, Castres and Edinburgh.

Gloucester are also in Pool 2, but the rules of the competition dictate that teams from the same league cannot meet in the pool stages.

Leinster’s pursuit of a fifth title will begin in Pool 3. They will face Leicester for the 16th time at this level, making the Tigers their most frequent opponent, while Harlequins are also very familiar to them after they destroyed the London side en route to last year’s semi-final. La Rochelle and Bayonne will fly the flag for France and the Stormers join Leinster from the URC.

🚨Your 2025/26 #ChallengeCupRugby Pools 🚨

Some HUGE games to look forward to next season, which match will provide the most drama? 👀 pic.twitter.com/0XuZtFoCOw

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— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) July 1, 2025

In the EPCR Challenge Cup, Pool 3 looks to be the strongest of the lot and includes former European champions in Exeter and Ulster, as well as beaten finalists Stade Français and Cardiff. They are joined by one of the competition’s two invited clubs, South Africa’s Cheetahs, and French heavyweights Racing 92.

With European pedigree thin on the ground, Pool 1 appears to be wide open. Ospreys, Zebre and Connacht will fly the flag for the URC, Montpellier and Montauban are the French representatives and Georgia’s Black Lion complete the lineup.

Pool 2 contains last year’s beaten Challenge Cup finalists Lyon and fellow Top 14 outfit Perpignan, as well as Newcastle from the Gallagher Premiership and Dragons RFC, Benetton and Lions from the URC.

Fixture details and dates will be announced at a later date.