EPCR pool draws completed for 2024/25 season

The Road to Cardiff got underway today (Tuesday 2 July) as the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Pool Draws took place in the heartland of rugby in Wales.

In the shadow of the Principality Stadium, which will play host to the EPCR Finals Weekend next year, presenters Sarra Elgan and Vincent Pochulu were once again at the helm and joined by Elma Smit as ball drawer and official scrutineer Simon Thomas, partner at Hutchinson Thomas. The Draws were streamed live on EPCRugby.com and EPCR TV, as well as being broadcast on beIN SPORTS in France, SuperSport in South Africa, and FloRugby in the US and Canada.

Once again, the formats of the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup follow the pool format to which the competitions returned last season, and fans will already be anticipating some compelling clashes between some of the world’s very best elite clubs ahead of December’s kick-off.

Investec Champions Cup holders and TOP 14 Champions Stade Toulousain were first out of the drum in the Investec Champions Cup draw and joined in Pool 1 by EPCR Challenge Cup champions Hollywoodbets Sharks. Gallagher Premiership sides Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers also sit in Pool 1, completed by TOP 14 runners-up Union Bordeaux-Bègles and the Vodacom URC’s Ulster.

Leinster kicked off Pool 2, where once again they are joined by Stade Rochelais – a new rivalry that is fast becoming legendary. Benetton Rugby, returning to the Investec Champions Cup, and ASM Clermont Auvergne also join Pool 2 alongside England’s West Country rivals Bristol Bears and Bath Rugby.

Champions Cup heavyweights Munster and Saracens join Gallagher Premiership champions – and previous European winners – Northampton Saints in Pool 3, completed by TOP 14’s Stade Français Paris and Castres Olympique.

Newly-crowned Vodacom URC winners Glasgow Warriors head Pool 4, with Racing 92, Sale Sharks, DHL Stormers, RC Toulon and Harlequins completing the pool and the Investec Champions Cup draw.

The Investec Champions Cup has two clubs from each of three leagues – TOP 14, Gallagher Premiership and Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) – in each pool, and clubs from the URC’s Irish and South African shields were kept apart during the draw.

Tier 1 was made up of Stade Toulousain (Investec Champions Cup and TOP 14 champions), Northampton Saints (Gallagher Premiership champions), Glasgow Warriors (URC champions) and Leinster (Investec Champions Cup runners-up).

The remaining 20 clubs were either drawn or allocated into the four pools in keeping with the draw’s key principles. During the pool stage, each club will play four matches against four different clubs which are not from the same league either home or away.

In the EPCR Challenge Cup, Cardiff Rugby were fittingly first out of the drum and joined by Connacht Rugby, the Toyota Cheetahs – the invited club to be based out of Amsterdam – USAP, Lyon Olympique Universitaire and Zebre Parma.

Pool 2 sees TOP 14 clubs Montpellier Hérault Rugby and Section Paloise drawn alongside Dragons RFC, Emirates Lions and Ospreys from the URC, and the Gallagher Premiership’s Newcastle Falcons.

This season’s runners-up Gloucester Rugby are drawn into Pool 3 alongside EPCR debut club RC Vannes, newly-promoted to the TOP 14. Georgia’s Black Lion join Pool 3, ensuring a rematch between Gloucester Rugby and Black Lion.

Clubs will play four matches against four different opponents during the pool stage with same league matches kept to a minimum, and only impacting clubs from the URC.

With the Pools now set, fixture schedules for both tournaments including dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage will be announced later this month. Fixtures are determined following the input of individual club calendar and venue considerations, broadcast requirements and league calendar restrictions into an algorithm with the outcomes of today’s Pool Draws, all of which considerations are taken into account to deliver the optimum fixture schedules.

The 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup seasons will again be played over eight weekends with four rounds of matches in the pool stage starting in December, followed by a knockout stage consisting of a Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, culminating in the EPCR Finals Weekend at Cardiff’s iconic Principality Stadium on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 May 2025.

2024/25 INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP
Pool 1: Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers, Ulster
Pool 2: Leinster, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Stade Rochelais, Bristol Bears, Benetton, Bath
Pool 3: Northampton Saints, Munster, Vodacom Bulls, Stade Français Paris, Saracens, Castres Olympique
Pool 4: Glasgow Warriors, Racing 92, Sale Sharks, DHL Stormers, RC Toulon, Harlequins

2024/25 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP
Pool 1: Cardiff Rugby, Connacht, Toyota Cheetahs, USAP, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Zebre Parma
Pool 2: Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Section Paloise, Newcastle Falcons, Dragons RFC, Emirates Lions, Ospreys
Pool 3: RC Vannes, Black Lion, Aviron Bayonnais, Scarlets, Edinburgh, Gloucester

2024/25 weekends
Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
EPCR Challenge Cup Final – Friday 23 May 2025, Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Investec Champions Cup Final – Saturday 24 May 2025, Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Investec Champions Cup EPCR Challenge Cup Hollywoodbets Sharks Toyota Cheetahs Vodacom Bulls DHL Stormers Emirates Lions

Rescheduled Vodacom URC derbies confirmed...

The new dates for the two opening round Vodacom United Rugby Championship derbies involving the four South African teams...

Bulls and Sharks shine for SA in Vodacom URC...

The Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks provided a ray of light for South Africa’s teams in the Vodacom United Rugby ...

SA sides gear up for important round before break...

Another gripping round of Vodacom United Rugby Championship action awaits this weekend as the Emirates Lions face their ...

Coastal sides bounce back as Lions remain unbeaten...

The Emirates Lions, Hollywoodbets Sharks, and DHL Stormers made it a Super Saturday for the South African franchises in ...

Late flourish sees WP defend their U21 crown...

DHL Western Province scored two tries in as many minutes at the death of an absorbing SA Rugby Under-21 final as they be...

Boks braced for 80-minute battle against Ireland

Springbok backline coach Tony Brown and scrumhalf Grant Williams both said on Monday that they are expecting Ireland to come out guns blazing in Pretoria on Saturday when the top two teams in the world go head-to-head for the first time since the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup, and predicted that it would be a physical 80-minute battle.

Boks ask SA to go “Forever Green, Forever Gold”

The Springboks will campaign to the conclusion of the next Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027 under a new rallying cry launched on Monday.

SA Rugby, Engen ready to fuel another 200k young players

The 2024 edition of the nationwide grassroots, Get Into Rugby (GIR) programme targeted at children aged six to 13 is officially underway and heads to the Free State province on Thursday, 18 July.

Junior Boks expecting huge Argentinean onslaught

The Junior Boks resumed training on Monday following a recovery day after their victory in the opening round of the World Rugby U20 Championship over Fiji at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

Eastern Cape sides lay down early marker at U18 Girls Week

Eastern Province and Border claimed big wins in the first round of the U18 Girls Week staged at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg on Monday.

Pollard: “It will take a team effort to beat Ireland”

Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard said on Wednesday it will take a full team effort by South Africa to beat Ireland in Pretoria on Saturday in the first of two Tests against their northern hemisphere arch-rivals, and added that he and his team-mates are excited about the challenge of facing the Six Nations champions on home turf.

Loose forward battle a key factor in Stellenbosch

Junior Springbok flanker Thabang Mphafi is looking forward to the loose trio battle with Argentina when the two teams meet Thursday evening in Stellenbosch in their second Pool C game of the World Rugby Under-20 Championship.

Four teams finish unbeaten at U18 Girls Week

Border, Eastern Province, the Golden Lions and Western Province continued their dominant run when they claimed big wins in the final round of the U18 Girls Week staged at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

“We need to bring the physicality and enjoy the occasion”

Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe has emphasised the importance of accuracy in their execution and said the team had to be physical and enjoy the occassion as they go in search of their first victory against Ireland since 2016 when the Castle Lager Incoming Series kicks off in Pretoria on Saturday.