EPCR pool draws for 2026/27 season to be held in July

The pool draws for the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will be staged at the Premier Sports studios in Dublin on Wednesday 1 July.

Both draws will be streamed live on epcrugby.com and the event, which will be co-presented by Elma Smit and Benjamin Boyet (beIN SPORTS), will start at 12.30pm (UK and Irish time)/1.30pm (French and South African time).

Investec Champions Cup pool draw

The 24 Investec Champions Cup clubs which have qualified on merit from the TOP 14, Gallagher PREM and United Rugby Championship (URC) will once again compete in four pools of six – Pool 1, Pool 2, Pool 3 and Pool 4. (See qualifiers below)

The key principles of the Investec Champions Cup draw are as follows:

• Each pool of six will contain two clubs from each of the leagues.

• Clubs from the same URC Shield cannot be in the same pool. Therefore, the Irish qualifiers – Leinster Rugby, Munster Rugby and Connacht Rugby – will each be drawn or allocated into separate pools. The same principle applies for the South African qualifiers, DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls and Lions.

• There will be no matches between clubs from the same league, so in order to create the pool stage fixtures, each club will play four matches against four different clubs who are not from the same league, either home or away.

For the purposes of the draw, the clubs will be divided into two tiers, Tier 1 and Tier 2. The four clubs in Tier 1 will be Union Bordeaux Bègles (2026 Investec Champions Cup winners), and the 2026 Gallagher PREM, URC and TOP 14 winners.

To start the process, the four Tier 1 clubs will be drawn with the first club out of the drum going into Pool 1, the second club out of the drum going into Pool 2, the third club out of the drum going into Pool 3 and the fourth club out of the drum going into Pool 4.

Adhering to the key principles, the remaining 20 clubs in Tier 2 will then be drawn or allocated into the pools. If a club cannot be drawn into a pool in accordance with the key principles, then the club will be allocated to the next available pool. The process will then re-start at the pool into which the initial club could not be drawn.

EPCR Challenge Cup Pool draw

The 2026/27 EPCR Challenge Cup will once again have 18 clubs – eight from the URC, six from the TOP 14, two from the Gallagher PREM and two invited clubs (to be announced before the Pool Draw) – competing in three pools of six, Pool 1, Pool 2 and Pool 3. (See clubs below)

The following are the key principles integral to the EPCR Challenge Cup draw:

• Each pool of six will contain two TOP 14 clubs.

• As the draw will include three Welsh clubs – Ospreys, Scarlets and Dragons RFC – each pool will have one Welsh representative.

• The Italian clubs Benetton Rugby and Zebre Parma, and Scottish club Edinburgh Rugby, who are from the same URC Shield, cannot be in the same pool.

• Harlequins and Newcastle Red Bulls, the two Gallagher PREM qualifiers, cannot be in the same pool.

• The Hollywoodbets Sharks from South Africa, as well as the two invitee clubs cannot be in the same pool.

• A maximum of three URC clubs can be included in the same pool

• Clubs will play four different opponents home or away during the pool stage and a limited number of same-league fixtures will be unavoidable.

To start the process, all 18 club balls will be placed in the drum, and any three balls will be drawn separately with the first club out of the drum going into Pool 1, the second club out of the drum going into Pool 2 and the third club out of the drum going into Pool 3.

The draw will then continue on an ‘open’ basis with the next club out of the drum going into Pool 1, the following club out of the drum going into Pool 2 and so on in ascending numerical order until all club balls are drawn or allocated provided that the key principles are adhered to.

If a club cannot be drawn into a pool in accordance with the key principles, then the club will be allocated to the next available pool. The process will then re-start at the pool into which the initial club could not be drawn.

The 2026/27 fixture schedules for both tournaments with dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage will be announced as soon as possible after the Pool Draws. Fixtures will be determined using an algorithm which will take into consideration league calendar restrictions, individual club calendar restrictions, broadcast requirements and the pool draws.

*2026/27 INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS

TOP 14: Stade Toulousain, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Stade Français Paris, Racing 92, Section Paloise, Stade Rochelais, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Union Bordeaux Bègles

Gallagher PREM: Northampton Saints, Exeter Chiefs, Bath Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks, Gloucester Rugby

United Rugby Championship: Leinster Rugby, Vodacom Bulls, Glasgow Warriors, DHL Stormers, Munster Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Lions, Connacht Rugby

*The four Tier 1 clubs will be confirmed in advance of the pool draw.

2026/27 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP QUALIFIERS

TOP 14: RC Toulon, Castres Olympique, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Aviron Bayonnais, USAP, RC Vannes

United Rugby Championship: Ulster Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Ospreys, Edinburgh Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma

Gallagher PREM: Harlequins, Newcastle Red Bulls

Invited: To be announced before the Pool Draw

2026/27 Match Weekends

Round 1 - 16/17/18 October 2026

Round 2 - 11/12/13 December 2026

Round 3 - 8/9/10 January 2027

Round 4 - 15/16/17 January 2027

Round of 16 - 2/3/4 April 2027

Quarter-Finals - 9/10/11 April 2027

Semi-Finals - 30 April / 1/2 May 2027

Lyon 2027 Finals Weekend, OL Stadium

EPCR Challenge Cup Final: Friday 21 May 2027

Investec Champions Cup Final: Saturday 22 May 2027