Who wants to go to Galway in December? Among all the potential opponents of RC Vannes in the Challenge Cup next season, Connacht, the only Irish province in this competition (the other 3 playing in the Champions Cup) appears on paper as the most pleasant trip for Breton fans.
Everyone will be fixed quickly because the draw for the pools of the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup for the 2024/2025 season will take place on Tuesday July 2.
EPCR pool draw: Everything you need to know
Here is a summary of the essential information:
Group draw: July 2, 2024
Start of the Investec Champions Cup: December 2024
Start of the EPCR Challenge Cup: December 2024
Pool format
Investec Champions Cup: 4 groups of 6 teams
EPCR Challenge Cup: 3 groups of 6 teams
Principles of the draw
Investec Champions Cup:
- The teams are divided into two hats, hat 1 and hat 2.
- The four clubs in hat 1 are drawn first.
- The remaining 20 clubs from hat 2 are then drawn at random.
Specific rules apply to avoid confrontations between clubs from the same League or country.
TOP 14 : Stade Toulousain, Stade Français Paris, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Rochelais, RC Toulon, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne
Gallagher Premiership : Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers
United Rugby Championship : Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks
Clubs in hat 1 of the Investec Champions Cup?
- Stade Toulousain (winner of the Investec Champions Cup 2024)
- Northampton Saints (2024 Gallagher Premiership winner)
- Glasgow Warriors (URC 2024 winner)
- Winner of the TOP 14 2024
- If Stade Toulousain wins the TOP 14, Leinster Rugby will then join pot 1.
EPCR Challenge Cup:
- There will be three groups of six.
- Each group of six will include two clubs from the TOP 14.
- As the draw will include four Welsh clubs – Ospreys, Cardiff Rugby, Scarlets and Dragons RFC – one pool will include two Welsh representatives.
- As Edinburgh Rugby and Zebre Parma are in the same League, they cannot be in the same pool. For the purposes of the draw, they will be grouped with the Welsh clubs.
- A maximum of three URC clubs can be included in the same pool.
- For the purposes of the draw, the two qualifiers for the Gallagher Premiership, Gloucester Rugby and the Newcastle Falcons, as well as the Irish club Connacht Rugby, cannot be in the same group.
- The Emirates Lions, as well as the two invited clubs, Black Lion and the Toyota Cheetahs, cannot appear in the same group.
- Only two of the following clubs can be included in the same pool: Ospreys, Emirates Lions, Edinburgh Rugby and Scarlets.
- Clubs will face four different opponents either home or away during the group stage.
- A limited number of matches in the same League will be inevitable. The 18 balls from the clubs will be placed in the drum. The first club out will go into Pool 1, the second into Pool 2 and the third club out of the drum will go into Pool 3.
- If a club cannot be drawn into a pool in accordance with the principles cited, then the club will be allocated to the next available pool.
United Rugby Championship : Ospreys, Emirates Lions, Edinburgh Rugby, Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma
TOP 14 : Section Paloise, USAP, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Aviron Bayonnais, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, RC Vannes
Gallagher Premiership : Gloucester Rugby, Newcastle Falcons
Guest clubs : Black Lion, Toyota Cheetahs
The draw will be broadcast live on the official EPCR website: https://epcrugby.tv/
The draw will begin at 12:00 p.m. (French time) with the EPCR Challenge Cup, followed by the Investec Champions Cup at 12:20 p.m.
Photo credit: DR
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