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European Champions Cup Rugby
The European Rugby Champions Cup is an annual club competition that’s organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It’s widely
considered to be the premier tournament for clubs competing in the top
domestic leagues in Europe.
Teams qualify for the European Rugby Champions Cup based on their performance within their respective
leagues, i.e., the Premiership, the Top 14 and the United Rugby
Championship. Additionally, the winner of the second tier tournament,
the EPCR Challenge Cup, secures the last spot.
The inaugural
Champions Cup rugby competition was held in 1995. For sponsorship
reasons, it was known as the Heineken Cup until 2014. EPCR took over in
2015, when it was officially renamed the EPCR Champions Cup. From
2018-2020, it became known as the Heineken Champions Cup. However, it
was rebranded as the Investec Champions Cup in 2023.
LATEST NEWS
European Cup VIDEO: Boks Office - Focus on one competition only WATCH as former Springbok head coach Nick Mallet alongside former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck and BOKS OFFICE host Hanyani Shimange explains why teams should focus on just one competition regarding the Champions Cup that's played in-between competitions and not aim to win 'the double'.
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Countries VIDEO: Boks Office - What's the point of SA in the Champions Cup? WATCH as former Springbok head coach Nick Mallett alongside former Springbok Robbie Fleck and BOKS OFFICE host Hanyani Shimange express his frustration with the South African team's poor performance in the Champions Cup and begs the question if it's worthwhile for these sides to play in the prestigious competition.
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Teams in the European Rugby Champions Cup
Seven nations currently compete in the Investec Champions Cup:
England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales and South Africa. The
inaugural tournament included Romania, while South Africa joined the
competition in 2022.
In total, 24 teams compete annually for the trophy. The qualifying teams vary, as qualification is determined by
performance in yearly domestic leagues.
To date, French clubs
have claimed more Champions Cup rugby victories than any other nation.
France’s Top 14 teams have won 12 titles: Toulouse (6), Toulon (3), La
Rochelle (2) and Brive (1).
England’s Premiership teams have
been crowned champions on 10 occasions: Saracens (3), Leicester Tigers
(2), Wasps (2), Northampton Saints (1), Bath (1) and Exeter Chiefs (1).
Meanwhile, Leinster (4), Munster (2) and Ulster (1) have secured seven
titles for Ireland.
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