2025/26 EPCR season dates announced

EPCR is pleased to confirm that the EPCR Challenge Cup Final will be played on Friday 22 May next year with the showpiece Investec Champions Cup Final set for the following day on Saturday 23 May in the vibrant city of Bilbao in northern Spain.

Bilbao’s spectacular San Mamés Stadium is one of Spain’s most iconic sporting venues. With a capacity of 53 000, modern facilities and passionate crowds, it is widely regarded as one of the finest modern sporting stadiums in Europe.

The sport-loving city of Bilbao made history in 2018 by becoming the first destination outside traditional rugby nations to host an EPCR final. That year, in front of a capacity crowd, Leinster Rugby edged Racing 92 with a 15-12 victory to claim their fourth Investec Champions Cup title. The day before, San Mamés saw another epic showdown as Cardiff Blues triumphed over Gloucester Rugby 31-30 in a thrilling EPCR Challenge Cup final.

The 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will once again kick off in December with two consecutive weekends of pool stage action and the next pool stage rounds will take place over consecutive weekends in January 2026.

The knockout stages will start on the weekend of 03/04/05 April with the Round of 16 matches, followed by the quarter-finals on 10/11/12 April and the semi-finals on the weekend of 01/02/03 May 2025.

Ticket information for the Bilbao 2026 Finals Weekend will be released ahead of the EPCR Challenge Cup Final and Investec Champions Cup Final, which take place on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 May at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

2025/26 weekends

• Round 1 – 05/06/07 December 2025

• Round 2 – 12/13/14 December 2025

• Round 3 – 09/10/11 January 2026

• Round 4 – 16/17/18 January 2026

• Round of 16 – 03/04/05 April 2026

• Quarter-finals – 10/11/12 April 2026

• Semi-finals – 01/02/03 May 2026 2026

• EPCR Challenge Cup Final – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao; Friday 22 May

• Investec Champions Cup Final – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao; Saturday 23 May