EXPLAINER: How teams are allocated for Euro draws

SPOTLIGHT: The pool draws for the 2025/26 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments will take place in Dublin on Tuesday, July 1.

How it works!

Champions Cup pool draw

The 24 Champions Cup teams which have qualified on merit from the TOP 14, Premiership and United Rugby Championship will once again compete in four pools of six – Pool One, Pool Two, Pool Three and Pool Four. (See qualifiers below)

The key principles of the Champions Cup draw are as follows:

* Each pool of six will contain two teams from each of the leagues.
* Teams from the same URC Shield cannot be in the same pool. Therefore, the Irish qualifiers – Leinster and Munster – will each be drawn or allocated into separate pools. The same principle applies for the Scottish qualifiers – Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh. Similarly, the Bulls, the Sharks and the Stormers from South Africa cannot be in the same pool.
* There will be no matches between teams from the same league, so in order to create the pool stage fixtures, each team will play four matches against four different teams who are not from the same league, either home or away.

For the purposes of the draw, the teams will be divided into two tiers, Tier One and Tier Two. The four teams in Tier One will be: Union Bordeaux Bègles (2025 Champions Cup winners), Bath (2025 Premiership winners), Leinster (2025 URC winners), and the TOP 14 winners. If Union Bordeaux Bègles win the TOP 14 title, then the Champions Cup final runners-up, Northampton Saints, will be included in Tier One.

To start the process, the four Tier One teams will be drawn with the first team out of the drum going into Pool One, the second team out of the drum going into Pool Two, the third team out of the drum going into Pool Three and the fourth team out of the drum going into Pool Four.

Adhering to the key principles, the remaining 20 teams in Tier Two will then be drawn or allocated into the pools. If a team cannot be drawn into a pool in accordance with the key principles, then the team will be allocated to the next available pool. The process will then re-start at the pool into which the initial team could not be drawn.

Challenge Cup Pool draw

The 2025/26 Challenge Cup will once again have 18 teams – eight from the URC, six from the TOP 14, two from the Premiership and two invited teams, Black Lion from Georgia and the Cheetahs from South Africa – competing in three pools of six, Pool One, Pool Two and Pool Three. (See all teams below)

The following are the key principles integral to the Challenge Cup draw:

* Each pool of six will contain two TOP 14 teams.
* As the draw will include three Welsh teams – Cardiff, Ospreys and Dragons – each pool will have one Welsh representative.
* The Italian teams Benetton and Zebre, who are from the same URC Shield, cannot be in the same pool.
* Connacht and Ulster, who are from the same URC Shield, cannot be in the same pool.
* Exeter Chiefs and Newcastle Falcons, the two Premiership qualifiers, cannot be in the same pool.
* The Lions from South Africa, as well as the two invited teams, Black Lion and the Cheetahs, cannot be in the same pool.
* A maximum of three URC teams can be included in the same pool
* Teams will play four different opponents home or away during the pool stage and a limited number of same-league fixtures will be unavoidable.

To start the process, all 18 team balls will be placed in the drum, and any three balls will be drawn separately with the first team out of the drum going into Pool One, the second team out of the drum going into Pool Two and the third team out of the drum going into Pool Three.

The draw will then continue on an ‘open’ basis with the next team out of the drum going into Pool One, the following team out of the drum going into Pool Two, and so on in ascending numerical order until all team balls are drawn or allocated provided that the key principles are adhered to.

If a team cannot be drawn into a pool in accordance with the key principles, then the team will be allocated to the next available pool. The process will then re-start at the pool into which the initial team could not be drawn.

The 2025/26 fixture schedules for both tournaments with dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage will be announced as soon as possible. Fixtures will be determined using an algorithm which will take into consideration league calendar restrictions, individual team calendar restrictions, broadcast requirements and the pool draws.

CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS

TOP 14: Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux Bègles, RC Toulon, Aviron Bayonnais, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Castres Olympique, Stade Rochelais , Section Paloise
Premiership: Bath, Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, Bristol Bears, Gloucester Rugby, Saracens, Harlequins, Northampton Saints
United Rugby Championship: Leinster, Bulls, Sharks, Glasgow Warriors, Stormers, Munster, Edinburgh, Scarlet

* The four Tier One teams will be confirmed in advance of the pool draw.

CHALLENGE CUP QUALIFIERS

United Rugby Championship: Cardiff, Benetton, Lions, Ospreys, Connacht, Ulster, Zebre, Dragons
TOP 14: Montpellier Hérault, Racing 92, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Stade Français Paris, Perpignan, US Montauban
Premiership: Exeter Chiefs, Newcastle Falcons
Invited: Black Lion, Cheetahs

Dates
Round One – 5/6/7 December 2025
Round Two – 12/13/14 December 2025
Round Three – 9/10/11 January 2026
Round Four – 16/17/18 January 2026

Round of 16 – 3/4/5 April 2026
Quarterfinals – 10/11/12 April 2026
Semifinals – 1/2/3 May 2026
Challenge Cup Final – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao; Friday, May 22
Champions Cup Final – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao; Saturday, May 23