THE DRAW FOR the pool stage of the 2026/27 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup has been confirmed, as Munster prepare to face the European giants Union Bordeaux-Bègles.
The pool draw for both competitions took place at Premier Sports studio in Dublin today, with Munster slotting into Pool 3 of the Champions Cup alongside the back-to-back champions Bordeaux who defended their crown against Leinster in May.
Pool 3 also contains DHL Stormers, Racing 92, Bristol Bears and Gloucester. Teams can only play against the four opponents who do not feature in their domestic league, meaning Munster will not play against their URC counterparts, the Stormers.
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Leinster’s four games in Pool 1 will be against Section Paloise, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers and Clermont Auvergne, with URC counterparts Glasgow completing the six-team pool. As Leo Cullen prepares for his final season in charge of the side, he will be hoping to lead Leinster to that elusive fifth Champions Cup crown.
Connacht will also be competing in the Champions Cup next season and will face Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle, Toulouse, Saracens and Exeter Chiefs in Pool 2, with Lions completing the pool.
Ulster remain in the Challenge Cup after failing to qualify for the Champions Cup on the back of that heavy defeat to Montpellier in Bilbao. Richie Murphy’s side will face the Cheetahs, USAP, Aviron Bayonnais and Zebre Parma in Pool 1, with Dragons completing the pool.
Tournament organisers have also changed the competition’s format for next season in a bid to make the pool stages more competitive and ensure the best-performing teams reach the knockout rounds.
The Champions will remain a 24-team tournament until at least 2030, when the current participation agreement expires. The Challenge Cup will continue to feature 18 teams.
Only the top three teams in each of the four pools will qualify automatically for the knockout stages. The remaining four places will go to the best-performing teams across all four pools, rather than one from each group.
You can find the full list of Champions Cup and Challenge Cup pool information here.
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Munster to face champions Bordeaux as provinces discover European pool opponents
THE DRAW FOR the pool stage of the 2026/27 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup has been confirmed, as Munster prepare to face the European giants Union Bordeaux-Bègles.
The pool draw for both competitions took place at Premier Sports studio in Dublin today, with Munster slotting into Pool 3 of the Champions Cup alongside the back-to-back champions Bordeaux who defended their crown against Leinster in May.
Pool 3 also contains DHL Stormers, Racing 92, Bristol Bears and Gloucester. Teams can only play against the four opponents who do not feature in their domestic league, meaning Munster will not play against their URC counterparts, the Stormers.
Leinster’s four games in Pool 1 will be against Section Paloise, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers and Clermont Auvergne, with URC counterparts Glasgow completing the six-team pool. As Leo Cullen prepares for his final season in charge of the side, he will be hoping to lead Leinster to that elusive fifth Champions Cup crown.
Connacht will also be competing in the Champions Cup next season and will face Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle, Toulouse, Saracens and Exeter Chiefs in Pool 2, with Lions completing the pool.
Ulster remain in the Challenge Cup after failing to qualify for the Champions Cup on the back of that heavy defeat to Montpellier in Bilbao. Richie Murphy’s side will face the Cheetahs, USAP, Aviron Bayonnais and Zebre Parma in Pool 1, with Dragons completing the pool.
Tournament organisers have also changed the competition’s format for next season in a bid to make the pool stages more competitive and ensure the best-performing teams reach the knockout rounds.
The Champions will remain a 24-team tournament until at least 2030, when the current participation agreement expires. The Challenge Cup will continue to feature 18 teams.
Only the top three teams in each of the four pools will qualify automatically for the knockout stages. The remaining four places will go to the best-performing teams across all four pools, rather than one from each group.
You can find the full list of Champions Cup and Challenge Cup pool information here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Challenge Cup Champions Cup Line-up Rugby