Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures announced

EPCR has announced the full fixtures schedule for pool stages of the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, which marks the 30th season of the elite international club competitions.

The Investec Champions Cup will get underway on Friday 6 December as two-time winners Stade Rochelais kick off their campaign against 1998’s victors Bath Rugby at The Rec.

Investec Champions Cup winners Stade Toulousain will host 1999 champions Ulster Rugby as their bid for a seventh title gets underway on Sunday 8 December, while EPCR Challenge Cup winners Hollywoodbets Sharks welcome 2020 champions Exeter Chiefs to Durban on Saturday 7 December.

Six-time winners Stade Toulousain will then travel to Exeter Chiefs for Round 2, before heading to Durban for the club’s first trip to South Africa in the Investec Champions Cup to face the Hollywoodbets Sharks. They complete the pool stage by hosting two-time winners Leicester Tigers at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Gallagher Premiership champions, also Champions Cup winners in 2000, Northampton Saints welcome Castres Olympique in the French side’s return to the Investec Champions Cup in their Round 1 opening match on Saturday 7 December at cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Garden.

Meanwhile United Rugby Championship winners Glasgow Warriors will host Sale Sharks at Scotstoun on Saturday 7 December in Round 1 before travelling to take on triple champions RC Toulon at Stade Félix Mayol. For Rounds 3 and 4 in January, the United Rugby Championship champions will host Racing 92 and then head to Harlequins and the Twickenham Stoop.

Three-time runners-up Leinster Rugby open their bid for a fifth star at Bristol Bears on Sunday 8 December and will then host ASM Clermont Auvergne before reigniting their rivalry with Stade Rochelais at Stade Marcel Deflandre. Their final pool stage match will see them welcoming Bath Rugby to Dublin.

In the EPCR Challenge Cup, Kingsholm Stadium hosts the first match of the season as Gloucester Rugby welcome Edinburgh Rugby on Friday 6 December, before travelling to last season’s PRO D2 winners RC Vannes for Round 2.

The Cherry and Whites then welcome Scarlets to Kingsholm before rounding off the pool stage with a trip to the French Basque country to face Aviron Bayonnais.

RC Vannes will make their EPCR debut in Tbilisi to take on invited club Black Lion on Saturday 7 December in Round 1.

Fellow invited club Toyota Cheetahs will welcome USAP and Zebre Parma in Rounds 1 (Sunday 8 December) and 3 (Sunday 12 January) to the NRCA Stadium in Amsterdam, their home venue for the EPCR Challenge Cup. The Cheetahs also play Cardiff Rugby at Cardiff Arms Park in Round 2 (Saturday 14 December) and Lyon Olympique Universitaire at Lyon’s Matmut Stadium de Gerland in Round 4 (Saturday 18 January).

EPCR Chairman Dominic McKay said: "We are delighted to confirm the full fixture schedule for the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, and I’d like to extend my thanks to the clubs, leagues and broadcast partners for their collaboration.

"This will be the 30th season of this great competition which will see us celebrating incredible memories and witnessing the special moments these world-class fixtures continue to deliver.

"Following the Pool Draws last week, the Road to Cardiff is very much underway and we look forward to seeing who will progress through the season to the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Finals at the Principality Stadium in May next year.

"We will build on an exceptional season last year, including record growth on TV, digital platforms and in stadia, with scintillating fixtures lined up for the pool stages."

EPCR CEO Jacques Raynaud added: "With input from the clubs, leagues and our broadcast partners and following the EPCR Pool Draws just 10 days ago, we have again finalised the schedule in a short turnaround time.

"Fans will no doubt be hugely excited to begin planning their EPCR weekends well in advance, for both home games and away weekends in Europe and South Africa.

"We can expect world-class sporting action from these 42 elite clubs and we very much look forward to the action getting underway on Friday 6 December."

The fixture schedules were determined by using an algorithm which took into consideration the new, improved tournament formats, the outcome of the pool draws, league calendar restrictions, individual club calendar restrictions and broadcast requirements.

INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP

24 elite clubs, 11 previous tournament winners, 26 Champions Cup titles

Four pools of six

Four pool stage rounds, four knockout stage rounds

Four highest-ranked clubs from each pool qualify for the knockout stage

Fifth-ranked club in each pool qualifies for the EPCR Challenge Cup

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP

18 clubs in three pools of six

RC Vannes makes EPCR debut

Four pool stage rounds, four knockout stage rounds

Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the knockout stage

2024/25 weekends

Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024

Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024

Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025

Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025

Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025

Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025

Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025

EPCR Challenge Cup Final – Friday 23 May 2025, Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Investec Champions Cup Final – Saturday 24 May 2025, Principality Stadium, Cardiff