Stormers, Bulls and Lions' road to Champions Cup glory take shape
SPOTLIGHT: The Stormers, Bulls and Lions’ road to the European Champions Cup glory have been confirmed following the Pool draws for the new season on Wednesday.
Tier 1 clubs – defending champions Union Bordeaux Bègles, TOP 14 winners Stade Toulousain, PREM champions Northampton Saints and United Rugby Championship winners Leinster – were each drawn into separate pools, laying the foundations for a thrilling race to the knockout stages.
Four-time champions and last season’s runners-up Leinster were the first club out of the drum and headline a fiercely competitive Pool 1. They will renew their rivalries against Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers, alongside Section Paloise and ASM Clermont Auvergne. Fellow URC powerhouse Glasgow Warriors completes the Pool.
The newcomers Lions have a tough assignment in Pool 2, where they are joined by record six-time champions Stade Toulousain, three-time champions Saracens, two-time winners Stade Rochelais, 2020 champions Exeter Chiefs and Connacht, who return to the premier club competition for the first time since the 2023/24 season.
Fresh from lifting their second Champions Cup title, defending champions Union Bordeaux Bègles top Pool 3. They are joined by Stormers, Racing 92, Munster, Bristol Bears and Gloucester in another stacked group.
Pool 4 promises no shortage of drama, with Northampton Saints leading the way alongside last season’s semifinalists, fellow PREM club Bath. Cardiff, reigning EPCR Challenge Cup champions Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Stade Français Paris and the Bulls complete a pool loaded with quality and knockout-stage ambitions.
Meanwhile in the Challenge Cup there are three fascinating pools, with plenty of heavyweight clashes and intriguing storylines to look forward to.
Invited South African side Cheetahs were the first club out of the drum, going in Pool 1 alongside 2026 runners-up Ulster, USAP, last season’s semifinalists Dragons RFC, Aviron Bayonnais and Zebre Parma.
Pool 2 is equally as stacked, with Benetton Rugby set to renew their rivalry with 2022 champions LOU Rugby after the sides also met in last season’s pool stages. They are joined by Newcastle Red Bulls, 2024 winners Sharks, Castres Olympique and Scarlets, creating another fiercely competitive group.
Ospreys head up Pool 3 after being the first team drawn, alongside Edinburgh, Black Lion, three-time Challenge Cup winners Harlequins – the competition’s joint most successful club – 2023 champions RC Toulon and RC Vannes, who return to the tournament again after debuting in the 2024/25 season. With European pedigree, returning contenders and emerging challengers all in the mix, Pool 3 looks set to deliver some of the competition’s standout encounters.
Champions Cup
Pool 1: Leinster, Glasgow Warriors, Section Paloise, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 2: Stade Toulousain, Lions, Saracens, Stade Rochelais, Exeter Chiefs, Connacht
Pool 3: Union Bordeaux Bègles, Stormers, Racing 92, Munster, Bristol Bears, Gloucester
Pool 4: Northampton Saints, Bath, Cardiff, Montpellier Hérault, Stade Français Paris, Bulls
EPCR Challenge Cup
Pool 1: Cheetahs, Ulster, USAP, Dragons RFC, Aviron Bayonnais, Zebre Parma
Pool 2: Benetton, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Newcastle Red Bulls, Sharks, Castres Olympique, Scarlets
Pool 3: Ospreys, Edinburgh, Black Lion, Harlequins, RC Toulon, RC Vannes
