The road to European club rugby's biggest prizes begins long before the opening kickoff. On July 1, the 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup pool draws will determine the matchups that shape both tournaments, setting the stage for another season featuring the best clubs from the Gallagher PREM, United Rugby Championship and France's TOP 14.
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This year's draw carries added significance after European Professional Club Rugby announced several major competition changes for the upcoming season. New qualification rules, a revised bonus-point system and an earlier October start mean every pool assignment could have an even greater impact on the race to the knockout rounds.
For supporters in the United States, FloRugby is the place to watch the draws live and see where Europe's biggest clubs land ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Here's everything you need to know before the balls begin coming out of the drum in Dublin.
How To Watch The Investec Champions Cup And EPCR Challenge Cup Pool Draws
The 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Pool Draws will stream live on FloRugby.
- Event: 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup & EPCR Challenge Cup Pool Draws
- Date: Wednesday, July 1
- Time: 7:30 a.m. ET
- Watch: FloRugby and the FloSports app
- Subscribers also can watch the draws on demand after the live broadcast.
Why The 2026-27 Champions Cup Pool Draw Matters More Than Ever
The draw always determines each club's European path, but this season's edition comes with even higher stakes.
EPCR recently announced that only the top three teams in each Champions Cup pool will automatically advance to the Round of 16. The final four knockout places now will go to the highest-ranked remaining clubs across all four pools, making every point earned during pool play more valuable than in previous seasons.
The Challenge Cup also adopts a more competitive qualification system, with only the top three teams from each pool earning automatic knockout berths before the remaining places are decided by overall standings.
Those changes mean clubs no longer can rely on simply finishing fourth within their pool to reach the knockout rounds, increasing the importance of favorable draws and strong starts.
Which Teams Are In The 2026-27 Pool Draws?
The Investec Champions Cup features 24 clubs from Europe's three major professional leagues.
The field includes eight clubs from the Gallagher PREM, eight from France's TOP 14 and eight from the United Rugby Championship.
The EPCR Challenge Cup includes 18 clubs, featuring league qualifiers plus invited teams Black Lion and Toyota Cheetahs, both of whom return for another season after meeting EPCR participation requirements.
Tier 1 clubs in the Champions Cup draw will be separated into different pools before the remaining clubs are allocated under EPCR's draw restrictions.
How The Investec Champions Cup Pool Draw Works
The Champions Cup draw begins by placing the four Tier 1 clubs into separate pools.
From there, the remaining clubs are allocated while observing competition restrictions designed to balance each pool. Teams cannot face clubs from their own domestic league during the pool stage, and EPCR also uses additional allocation rules involving the United Rugby Championship's Shield structure.
Once every club has been placed into a pool, each team will receive four pool-stage opponents while playing two matches at home and two away before the race to the knockout rounds begins in October.
The EPCR Challenge Cup follows a similar process, with its 18 clubs drawn into three pools of six.
Watch The 2026-27 Champions Cup Season On FloRugby
The July 1 pool draws are only the beginning of another season featuring Europe's premier club competitions.
FloRugby will provide coverage throughout the 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup season, from the opening pool-stage matches in October through the knockout rounds and the championship finals.
For rugby fans in the United States, the journey to Europe's biggest club trophies starts with the pool draws on FloRugby.
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
Professional club rugby in Europe all streams on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:
FloRugby is also home to match archives and match replays.