The Champions Cup draw for 2025-26 is complete as all 24 of Europe’s top club sides learn their pool stage opponents.
Last year’s competition saw some all-time classics as Bordeaux won their maiden title, defeating Northampton Saints 28-20 in Cardiff.
The Saints enjoyed an incredible run to the final, beating Leinster in the European Champions Cup semi-finals in Dublin.
But with pre-season training underway, attention now turns to 2025-26.
And the pool stage draw has now been completed for the 2025-26 European Rugby Champions Cup.
The 2025-26 European Rugby Champions Cup Draw
The upcoming Champions Cup draw sees 24 teams split into four pools of six.
In Pool One, record winners Toulouse are joined by French rivals Clermont.
Also in that pool are English Premiership pair Sale Sharks and Saracens, as well as Glasgow Warriors and HollywoodBets Sharks of South Africa.
Pool Two features English champions Bath, who beat Leicester Tigers in the Gallagher Premiership final, as well as Westcountry rivals Gloucester.
Munster of Ireland and Edinburgh of Scotland are the two URC sides, with RC Toulon and Castres from France.
🚨 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
Pool Three includes Irish giants Leinster, South Africa’s DHL Stormers and La Rochelle and Aviron Bayonnais from the Top14.
Leicester Tigers and Harlequins are the English pair in that group.
And rounding off the draw, Pool Four features defending champions Bordeaux, Scarlets, Bristol, Pau, Northampton and the Bulls.
How Does The Investec Champions Cup Draw Work?
With 24 clubs qualifying for the Champions Cup, the draw takes some explaining.
Eight teams each from the English Premiership, French Top14 and URC will participate.
Four teams are seeded as Tier One, meaning they could not be drawn against one-another.
These were the three respective league winners (Bath, Toulouse and Leinster), as well as last year’s winners Bordeaux.
Each Tier One side is put into a different pool, with the remaining 20 teams drawn after.
The four pools of six will contain two clubs from each domestic league.
Clubs from the same URC shield (same nation) cannot be in the same pool. For example, Irish pair Munster and Leinster could not have been drawn into the same pool, nor Glasgow and Edinburgh.
No teams from the same league will play each other in the Pool Stage. This means that teams will play four matches, two home and two away, against the other clubs in their pool from different leagues.
24 Clubs, 1 Champion 🏆
Who do you want to face in the #InvestecChampionsCup Pool Stages?
Watch the live draw at 1:30pm (BST) tomorrow ➡️ https://t.co/RlXtnyJkei ⏰ pic.twitter.com/9gbbJ6ssLE
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) June 30, 2025
Champions Cup Rugby Fixtures And Schedule 2025-26
The exact fixtures for next season’s Champions Cup have not yet been decided.
But the tournament has confirmed which weekends will feature matches, as well as where the finals will take place.
The 2025-26 European rugby finals will be held in Bilbao, at the San Mames Stadium on 22-23 May, 2026.
2025/26 weekends
- Round 1 – 5/6/7 December 2025
- Round 2 – 12/13/14 December 2025
- Round 3 – 9/10/11 January 2026
- Round 4 – 16/17/18 January 2026
- Round of 16 – 3/4/5 April 2026
- Quarter-finals – 10/11/12 April 2026
- Semi-finals – 1/2/3 May 2026
- EPCR Challenge Cup Final – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao; Friday 22 May
- Investec Champions Cup Final – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao; Saturday 23 May
