EPCR HAVE CONFIRMED a new format for the 2023/24 Champions Cup, with the tournament returning to a multi-pool system for next season.
The 2023/24 Champions Cup will see 24 clubs compete across four pools of six, with each club playing four pool matches against four different clubs.
Both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup will be played over eight weekends with four pool stage rounds and four knockout stage rounds, leading to the 2024 finals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London next May.
The 24 Champions Cup clubs will be divided into four pools of six by means of a draw with holders La Rochelle, URC champions Munster and Premiership winners Saracens all placed in Tier 1. The final Tier 1 place is reserved for the winners of the Top 14 final – with Champions Cup runners-up Leinster set to be bumped up from Tier 2 should La Rochelle beat Toulouse in the Top 14 decider this weekend.
The remaining 20 clubs make up Tier 2 and will be either drawn or allocated into the four pools by means of an ‘open’ draw with the following in-built key principles:
• There can only be a maximum of two clubs from the same league in each pool.
• Clubs from the same URC Shield cannot be in the same pool. Therefore, the Irish qualifiers – Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht – will each be in a different pool, and similarly, the DHL Stormers and the Vodacom Bulls from South Africa will be kept apart during the draw.
• There will be no matches between clubs from the same league, so for the purposes of creating the fixtures, each club will play four matches against four different clubs who are not from the same league either home or away during the pool stage.
At the conclusion of the pool stage, the four highest-ranked clubs from each pool will qualify for the round of 16 and the clubs ranked number five in each of the pools will qualify for the knockout stage of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Meanwhile the Challenge Cup will consist of three pools of six, with two invited clubs set to join the competition alongside 18 clubs made up of eight representatives from the URC, six from the Top 14 and two from the Premiership
The clubs will be drawn or allocated into three pools of six with two Top 14 clubs in each pool. Clubs from the same URC Shield and from the Premiership, as well as the two invitees, will be kept apart during the draw.
Clubs will play four different opponents home or away with same-league matches being kept to a minimum, and only impacting clubs from the URC. The four highest-ranked clubs from each of the pools will qualify for the knockout stage.
EPCR Chairman, Dominic McKay, said: “We are delighted to announce the new formats for the 2023/24 season. We’ve been working hard with our leagues and key stakeholders to ensure we have the right competition structures – for players and clubs – but also crucially for supporters.
Our focus has always been to ensure that everyone can easily understand, engage with and follow our tournaments, and also to ensure we have a structure that creates real sporting jeopardy in as many matches as possible.
“We reached this conclusion following a thorough process during which we engaged with stakeholders in a meaningful way – not just our leagues and unions, but also with our broadcasters, partners and around 1,000 rugby enthusiasts in order to canvass their views.
“We will continue to work with our stakeholders to look at ways in which we can improve both tournaments, an objective which is at the heart of our strategy and commitment to fans, clubs and partners.
“Our competitions truly are the pinnacle of professional club rugby, and we have to ensure that they continue to engage and to enthrall existing and new audiences along the way.”
The pool draws for the 2023/24 tournaments will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 21 June and will be broadcast live on EPCRugby.TV.
2023/24 Champions Cup qualifiers:
Top 14 – La Rochelle, Toulouse, Racing 92, Bordeaux-Bègles, Lyon, Stade Français Paris, RC Toulon, Bayonne
Gallagher Premiership – Saracens, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Bath, Bristol Bears
United Rugby Championship – Munster, DHL Stormers, Leinster, Ulster, Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Connacht, Cardiff
2023/24 Challenge Cup qualifiers:
United Rugby Championship – Cell C Sharks, Emirates Lions, Benetton, Edinburgh, Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons, Zebre Parma
Top 14 – Castres, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Montpellier, Section Paloise, USAP, Oyonnax
Gallagher Premiership – Gloucester, Newcastle Falcons
Invited – Two clubs to be confirmed
2023/24 key dates
- Round 1 – 8/9/10 December 2023
- Round 2 – 15/16/17 December 2023
- Round 3 – 12/13/14 January 2024
- Round 4 – 19/20/21 January 2024
- Round of 16 – 5/6/7 April 2024
- Quarter-finals – 12/13/14 April 2024
- Semi-finals – 3/4/5 May 2024
- EPCR Challenge Cup final – Friday 24 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Champions Cup final – Saturday 25 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
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