FloRugby's Professional Club Power Rankings: Jan. 7, 2026
FloRugby's Professional Club Power Rankings: Jan. 7, 2026
Record crowds, late drama and derby chaos shake up global club rugby. The Stormers stay on top, but Premiership & URC contenders surge in the new rankings.
A record crowd watched the DHL Stormers do what elite teams always do, find a way.
With 53,862 fans packed into DHL Stadium, the unbeaten United Rugby Championship leaders edged the Vodacom Bulls 13-8 on Saturday night, scoring through replacement prop Ntuthuko Mchunu off a late rolling maul to stay perfect in league play and extend their winning streak to 10 matches across all competitions.
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It was a brutal derby that lived up to the billing, built on collisions, set-piece warfare and defensive pressure, rather than free-flowing attack.
The Stormers, already on top of the URC table, left it late again, but their ability to close tight games is fast becoming the defining trait of the best side in the competition.
Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson said the contest reflected why South African rugby continues to thrive at the highest level.
“It was a tough derby,” Dobson said. “What was amazing was the contest everywhere. That’s probably what is making South African rugby so great at the moment. Scrum, line-out, maul, breakdown, massive contests. It’s just really good for South African rugby.”
The Bulls, now down in 11th place after a sixth straight defeat in all competitions, pushed the Stormers to the final moments.
Captain Ruan Nortje said his side had enough chances to win, but the league leaders again proved ruthless when it mattered.
“That’s why they are top of the log,” Nortje said. “When they get the opportunities, they finish. We had our opportunities to win the game and just couldn’t execute.”
Behind the Stormers, the chase pack shuffled again.
The Glasgow Warriors jumped into second place after a 47-10 demolition of Zebre at Scotstoun, with winger Jamie Dobie continuing his scoring run, and Duncan Weir touching down in his final appearance for the club.
Ulster climbed to third by crushing Munster 28-3 in Belfast, a result that underlined the growing belief inside a squad blending youth and experience.
“We’ve seen the progress behind closed doors,” Ulster captain Iain Henderson said. “Now, it is coming out in matches like this.”
Leinster kept pace by piling on 52 points against Connacht, while the Ospreys continued their remarkable revival with a 33-22 derby win over Cardiff that lifted them from bottom of the table before Christmas into mid-table contention.
In the Gallagher Premiership, the Northampton Saints underlined their title credentials by hammering Harlequins 66-21 to stay on top, while the Bristol Bears edged the Sale Sharks 19-17 in a tense contest that again highlighted how little separates the leading pack.
Bath needed a late try to survive a ferocious Exeter comeback, winning 33-26 after surrendering a 26-point lead, and the Leicester Tigers closed out the weekend with a 36-28 win over Saracens.
In France, the Top 14 delivered its own fireworks.
La Rochelle demolished Toulon 66-0, Montpellier put 62 on Bayonne and Bordeaux Bègles crushed Racing 92, reinforcing why the league remains one of the most unforgiving in World Rugby.
Those results have fed into the latest global club power ratings, where the Stormers remain clear at the top. Japan League One did not play this weekend, so its sides were re-ordered based on the movement of the other teams.
Global Club Power Rankings For Jan. 7, 2026
DHL Stormers 1,698
Northampton Saints 1,665
Bristol Bears 1,636
Glasgow Warriors 1,626
Leinster 1,614
Bath 1,577
Exeter Chiefs 1,576
Saitama Wild Knights 1,575
Montpellier 1,563
Toulouse 1,571
Ulster 1,564
Kubota Spears 1,560
Munster 1,542
Pau 1,540
Stade Francais 1,547
Bordeaux Bègles 1,547
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 1,538
Edinburgh 1,534
La Rochelle 1,530
Urayasu D Rocks 1,527
Tokyo Sungoliath 1,527
Toulon 1,527
Kobelco Kobe Steelers 1,517
Ospreys 1,513
Cardiff Rugby 1,508
Leicester Tigers 1,507
Castres 1,501
Racing 92 1,511
Sale Sharks 1,499
Bayonne 1,496
Benetton 1,486
Emirates Lions 1,491
Saracens 1,480
Toyota Verblitz 1,478
BlackRams Tokyo 1,472
Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars 1,468
Newcastle Red Bulls 1,463
ASM Clermont Auvergne 1,461
Cheetahs 1,454
Hollywoodbets Sharks 1,452
Shizuoka BlueRevs 1,446
Dragons 1,435
Harlequins 1,435
Vodacom Bulls 1,433
Black Lion 1,432
MIE Honda Heat 1,429
Yokohama Canon Eagles 1,426
Scarlets 1,423
Connacht 1,416
Lyon 1,405
Zebre 1,401
Gloucester Rugby 1,397
Perpignan 1,393
Montauban 1,304
How To Watch Investec Champions Cup Round 3 Matches
All Investec Champions Cup matches stream live on FloRugby and the FloSports app.
Investec Champions Cup Round 3 Fixtures
Friday, Jan. 9
- 3 p.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Pierre-Fabre
- 3 p.m. ET: Edinburgh Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, TBD
Saturday, Jan. 10
- 8 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bristol Bears, Loftus Versfeld
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Glasgow Warriors, Stade Marcel-Michelin
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. La Rochelle, TBD
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Salford Community Stadium
- 3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Pau, Parc y Scarlets
- 3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Bayonne, Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Sunday, Jan. 11
- 8 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. DHL Stormers, Twickenham Stoop
- 8 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Munster Rugby, Stade Félix Mayol
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Northampton Saints, Stade Chaban-Delmas
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Saracens vs. Toulouse, StoneX Stadium
Investec Champions Cup Round 4 Fixtures
Friday, Jan. 16
- 3 p.m. ET: Pau vs. Vodacom Bulls, Stade du Hameau
- 3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby, The Rec
Saturday, Jan. 17
- 8 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Clermont Auvergne, Hollywoodbets Kings Park
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Bayonne vs. Leinster Rugby, Stade Jean Dauger
- 10:15 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. Leicester Tigers, DHL Stadium
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, Thomond Park
- 3 p.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Toulon, Kingsholm
Sunday, Jan. 18
- 8 a.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Ashton Gate
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens
- 10:15 a.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Harlequins, Stade Marcel Deflandre
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Saracens, Scotstoun Stadium
How To Watch Investec Champions Cup Round 3 Matches
All EPCR Challenge Cup matches stream live on FloRugby and the FloSports app.
EPCR Challenge Cup Round 3 Fixtures
Sat, Jan. 10, 2026
- 7 a.m. ET: Stade Français Paris vs. Exeter Chiefs, Stade Jean Bouin
- 7 a.m. ET: US Montauban vs. Black Lion, Stade Sapiac
- 7 a.m. ET: Newcastle Red Bulls vs. Perpignan, Kingston Park
- 9:15 a.m. ET: Lions vs. Lyon O.U., Ellis Park
- 9:15 a.m. ET: Cardiff Rugby vs. Racing 92, Cardiff Arms Park
- 11:30 a.m. ET: Benetton Rugby vs. Dragons RFC, Stadio Monigo
Sun, Jan. 11, 2026
- 7 a.m. ET: Montpellier Hérault Rugby vs. Connacht Rugby, Septeo Stadium
- 7 a.m. ET: Zebre Parma vs. Ospreys, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
- 9:15 a.m. ET: Toyota Cheetahs vs. Ulster Rugby, NRCA Stadium
EPCR Challenge Cup Round 4 Fixtures
Fri, Jan. 16, 2026
- 2 p.m. ET: Dragons RFC vs. Newcastle Red Bulls, Rodney Parade
Sat, Jan. 17, 2026
- 7 a.m. ET: Ulster Rugby vs. Stade Français Paris, Affidea Stadium
- 7 a.m. ET: Black Lion vs. Zebre Parma, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium
- 11:30 a.m. ET: Perpignan vs. Lions, Stade Aimé Giral
- 2 p.m. ET: Connacht Rugby vs. US Montauban, Dexcom Stadium
- 2 p.m. ET: Ospreys vs. Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Dunraven Brewery Field
Sun, Jan. 18, 2026
- 7 a.m. ET: Exeter Chiefs vs. Cardiff Rugby, Sandy Park
- 7 a.m. ET: Lyon O.U. vs. Benetton Rugby, Matmut Stadium de Gerland
- 11:30 a.m. ET: Racing 92 vs. Toyota Cheetahs, Paris La Défense Arena
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.