Overview
- Pool draws for the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup will take place on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
- Round 1 is scheduled for October 16–18, with Round 2 on December 11–13, Rounds 3–4 on January 8–10 and 15–17, the Round of 16 on April 2–4, quarter-finals on April 9–11, and semi-finals on April 30–May 2.
- The calendar creates an eight-week gap between the opening two rounds and only a one-week turnaround from the Round of 16 to the quarter-finals, which has previously complicated travel and ticketing.
- EPCR says the October restart was recommended by the organiser and unanimously agreed by the Top 14, Premiership and URC.
- Lyon’s 59,186-seat OL Stadium will stage the finals on May 21–22, 2027, returning to a venue that hosted the 2016 deciders, while the current Premier Sports UK & Ireland rights deal enters its final season with a new tender expected to start soon.