Investec Champions Cup Pool Draw 2025: What To Know
Investec Champions Cup Pool Draw 2025: What To Know
Here's when the pools for the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup will be announced.
The champagne has barely worn off after the latest EPCR Finals weekend in May, but it’s time to move on to the next grueling season of the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup competitions.
Or at least get everything scheduled for the next slate of matches.
On July 1, the EPCR will finalize the pools and the matchups that will dominate professional club rugby starting in December.
Union Bordeaux Bègles will look to defend its Champions Cup title.
Meanwhile, Bath Rugby returns to the Champions Cup pool following its Challenge Cup and Premiership wins.
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Even after the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup pools release July 1 at 8:30 a.m. ET, there still will be plenty of unknowns and a lot of “wills.”
- Will Antonie Dupont be able to play for Toulouse?
- Will defending United Rugby Championship winner Leinster Rugby finally get over the hump?
- Will 2022 and 2023 champion La Rochelle return to form?
- Will a South African club finally make it to the semifinals, let alone the final?
Regardless of the hypotheticals, we know the teams in the field already, and on July 1, we’ll know each team’s pool pathway to the knockout stage and to Balboa, the site of 2026 EPCR Finals week.
Here is what to expect on July 1:
When Is The Investec Champions Cup Pool Draw?
The draw is set for 8:30 a.m. ET on July 1 and will take place in Dublin.
How To Watch The Investec Champions Cup Pool Draw
The draw will be streamed on the EPCR YouTube account, and fans will be able to watch the stream on FloRugby.
What To Know About The Investec Champions Cup Pool Draw
The 24 Investec Champions Cup clubs that have qualified on merit from the TOP 14, Gallagher Premiership and United Rugby Championship once again will compete in four pools of six – Pool 1, Pool 2, Pool 3 and Pool 4.
The key principles of the Investec Champions Cup draw are as follows:
Each pool of six will contain two clubs from each of the leagues.
Clubs from the same URC Shield cannot be in the same pool. Therefore, the Irish qualifiers – Munster Rugby and Leinster Rugby – each will be drawn or allocated into separate pools, and similarly, the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and Hollywoodbets Sharks from South Africa cannot be in the same pool.
There will be no matches between clubs from the same league, so in order to create the pool-stage fixtures, each club will play four matches against four clubs that are not from the same league, either home or away.
For the purposes of the draw, the clubs will be divided into two tiers, Tier 1 and Tier 2.
The four clubs in Tier 1 are:
- Union Bordeaux Bègles (2025 Investec Champions Cup winner)
- Bath Rugby (2025 Gallagher Premiership winner)
- Leinster Rugby (2025 URC winner)
- The TOP 14 winner.
*If Union Bordeaux Bègles wins the TOP 14 title, then the Investec Champions Cup final runners-up, the Northampton Saints, will be included in Tier 1.
To start the process, the four Tier 1 clubs will be drawn with the first club out of the drum going into Pool 1, the second club out of the drum going into Pool 2, the third club out of the drum going into Pool 3 and the fourth club out of the drum going into Pool 4.
Adhering to the key principles, the remaining 20 clubs in Tier 2 will be drawn or allocated into the pools.
If a club cannot be drawn into a pool in accordance with the key principles, then the club will be allocated to the next available pool.
The process will re-start at the pool into which the initial club could not be drawn.
2025-2026 Investec Champions Cup Qualifiers
Gallagher Premiership
- Bath Rugby
- Leicester Tigers
- Sale Sharks
- Bristol Bears
- Gloucester Rugby
- Saracens
- Harlequins
- Northampton Saints
United Rugby Championship
- Leinster Rugby
- Vodacom Bulls
- Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Glasgow Warriors
- DHL Stormers
- Munster Rugby
- Edinburgh Rugby
- Scarlets
Top 14
- Stade Toulousain
- Union Bordeaux Bègles
- RC Toulon
- Aviron Bayonnais
- ASM Clermont Auvergne
- Castres Olympique
- Stade Rochelais
- Section Paloise
Where To Watch Summer Rugby Internationals
In the USA, FloRugby will broadcast some of the best international rugby fixtures of 2025.
South Africa, England, New Zealand and France will play matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app.
International Rugby Fixtures 2025 On FloRugby
June 28
July 4
July 5
- 3:05 a.m. ET: New Zealand All Blacks vs. France
- 11:10 a.m. ET: South Africa vs. Italy
- 3:40 p.m. ET: Argentina vs. England
July 12
- 12:30 a.m. ET: NZ Black Ferns vs. Wallaroos
- 3:05 a.m. ET: New Zealand All Blacks vs. France
- 11:10 a.m. ET: South Africa vs. Italy
- 3:40 p.m. ET: Argentina vs. England
July 18
July 19
- 3:05 a.m. ET: New Zealand All Blacks vs. France
- 11:10 a.m. ET: South Africa vs. Georgia
- 3:40 p.m. ET: Argentina vs. Uruguay
Aug. 16
Aug. 23
Sept. 5
Sept. 6
Sept. 13
Sept. 27
Oct. 4
Nov. 1
Nov. 8
Nov. 15
Nov. 22
How To Watch International Rugby In The USA
FloRugby broadcasts dozens of international rugby matches throughout the year, including the summer rugby internationals from June to November.
How To Watch The Rugby Championship 2025
In the United States, rugby fans can watch 2025 The Rugby Championship on FloRugby and the FloSports App.
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.