Yahoo News 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup dates, pools draw and format confirmed
There will be no change to the format of the Champions Cup or Challenge Cup next season with tournament organisers EPCR confirming they are not tinkering with the competitions this coming year.
The 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will continue with the same pool stage format as last season and will kick off in December with two consecutive rounds of action, followed by Rounds 3 and 4 on consecutive weekends in January 2025. The top 16 sides will then play in a knockout round in April, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals in Cardiff with the Principality Stadium hosting both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup silverware deciding game.
The format for next season's competition has proven troublesome since its introduction, with 16 teams advancing from 24 clubs involved in the Champions Cup pool stages meaning sides have advanced to the knockout stages with as little as one win from their group games. Directors of rugby have also opted to send second teams to away games early in the pool stages, prioritising picking up enough points at home to qualify for the knockout stages, but in doing so diminishing the competition.
The pool draws for the 2024/25 tournaments will take place in Cardiff on Tuesday 2 July and will be live streamed on EPCRugby.com. The broadcast will start with the draw for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools at 11.00am UK-Irish / 12.00 Italian-South African time and will be followed at approximately 11.20am UK-Irish / 12.20 Italian-South African time by the draw for the Investec Champions Cup pools.
*2024/25 INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS
TOP 14 : Stade Toulousain, Stade Français Paris, Union Bordeaux-Begles, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne
United Rugby Championship : Munster Rugby, Vodacom Bulls, Leinster Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks
Gallagher Premiership : Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers
*2024/25 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP QUALIFIERS
TOP 14 : Section Paloise, USAP, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Aviron Bayonnais, Montpellier Hérault Rugby or Grenoble Rugby , RC Vannes
United Rugby Championship : Ospreys, Emirates Lions, Edinburgh Rugby, Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma
Gallagher Premiership : Gloucester Rugby, Newcastle Falcons
**Invited : Two clubs
* The four Tier 1 clubs in the Investec Champions Cup and the full list of EPCR Challenge Cup clubs will be confirmed in advance of the pool draws.
** Invited clubs to be announced shortly
2024/25 weekends
Round 1 – 6/7/8 December
Round 2 – 13/14/15 December
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
2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final – Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Friday 23 May
2025 Investec Champions Cup final – Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Saturday 24 May
