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3w ago

Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Draws Set for July 1 in Dublin

A live draw will define each club’s route to the Lyon finals by applying league allocation rules and URC Shield separations.

Maxime Lucu Bordeaux 23 May 2026 David Rogers Getty Images
SA teams to learn Champions Cup and Challenge Cup opponents
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Overview

  • The pool draws will be staged at Premier Sports Studios in Dublin on 1 July and streamed live on EPCR’s digital platforms, which will set group composition for both competitions.
  • The Investec Champions Cup will feature 24 clubs in four pools of six with each pool containing two clubs from the URC, Top 14 and Gallagher Premiership and no same-league pool fixtures.
  • Competition regulations require clubs from the same United Rugby Championship Shield to be separated so the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and Lions will be drawn into different pools.
  • The Hollywoodbets Sharks are confirmed to play in the 18-team EPCR Challenge Cup, which includes specific Top 14 and Welsh-club distribution rules and two invited teams yet to be named.
  • The season uses a single-round pool phase from October to January, knockout rounds in April and finals at Lyon’s OL Stadium on 21 May (Challenge Cup) and 22 May 2027 (Champions Cup), with Union Bordeaux-Bègles named among the top seeds.