Set your watch, EPCR dates are set

Following the recent announcement of Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as the venue for the 2025 Finals weekend, EPCR is pleased to confirm that the EPCR Challenge Cup final will be played on Friday 23 May next year with the showpiece Investec Champions Cup final set to go ahead the following day - Saturday 24 May.

Cardiff has a long and illustrious connection with the tournaments having staged high-profile Heineken Cup/Champions Cup deciders on seven previous occasions – the last being in 2014 – and next year’s event at the 74 000-capacity stadium will celebrate the 30th edition of the elite final.

The Challenge Cup decider has been held in the Welsh capital on two previous occasions – 2011 and 2014 – and 2025 will be the first time that the two Cardiff finals are played at the same venue. Tickets for the matches are currently on sale via EPCRugby.com

The 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will continue with the same pool stage format as last season and will kick off in December with two consecutive rounds of action, followed by Rounds 3 and 4 on consecutive weekends in January 2025 (See dates below).

The pool draws for the 2024/25 tournaments will take place in Cardiff on Tuesday 2 July and will be live streamed on EPCRugby.com. The broadcast will start with the draw for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools at 11am UK-Irish/12pm Italian-South African time and will be followed at approximately 11.20am UK-Irish/12.20pm Italian-South African time by the draw for the Investec Champions Cup pools.

*2024/25 INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS

TOP 14: Stade Toulousain, Stade Français Paris, Union Bordeaux-Begles, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne

United Rugby Championship: Munster Rugby, Vodacom Bulls, Leinster Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks

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

*2024/25 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP QUALIFIERS

TOP 14: Section Paloise, USAP, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Aviron Bayonnais, Montpellier Hérault Rugby or Grenoble Rugby, RC Vannes

United Rugby Championship: Ospreys, Emirates Lions, Edinburgh Rugby, Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma

Gallagher Premiership: Gloucester Rugby, Newcastle Falcons

**Invited: Two clubs

* The four Tier 1 clubs in the Investec Champions Cup and the full list of EPCR Challenge Cup clubs will be confirmed in advance of the pool draws.

** Invited clubs to be announced shortly

2024/25 weekends

Round 1 – 6/7/8 December

Round 2 – 13/14/15 December

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

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

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