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Champions Cup

Don’t miss a match from the 2025-26 European Rugby Champions Cup. Below you’ll uncover breaking news stories and upcoming fixtures.

Investec Champions Cup News

Investec Champions Cup

EPCR confirm Round of 16 match officials for Champions/Challenge Cup

1
Investec Champions Cup

SFM joins two uncapped England hopefuls on Investec Player of the Year shortlist

1
65 days ago
 
International
LONG READ

Can the ‘poor defence’ brigade please stop moaning? Rugby is the best it’s ever been

15
66 days ago
 
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Investec Champions Cup Standings

Pool 1

1
2
3
4
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
4
4
0
0
115
66
49
4
0
4
4
2
2
0
168
74
94
2
2
4
4
2
2
0
89
127
-38
2
1
3
4
2
2
0
93
80
13
1
1
2
Pts
20
12
11
10

Pool 2

1
2
3
4
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
4
3
1
0
180
89
91
4
0
4
4
3
1
0
123
106
17
2
0
2
4
2
2
0
98
106
-8
2
0
2
4
2
2
0
69
140
-71
2
0
2
Pts
16
14
10
10

Pool 3

1
2
3
4
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
4
4
0
0
115
80
35
2
0
2
4
3
1
0
184
86
98
3
0
3
4
3
1
0
117
125
-8
2
0
2
4
1
3
0
118
115
3
2
0
2
Pts
18
15
14
6

Pool 4

1
2
3
4
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
4
4
0
0
173
97
76
4
0
4
4
3
1
0
156
110
46
4
0
4
4
3
1
0
154
104
50
2
0
2
4
1
3
0
113
181
-68
3
0
3
Pts
20
16
14
7
View Table
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Investec Champions Cup Stats

Teams
Players
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Investec Champions Cup Teams

Sale Sale Glasgow Glasgow Bayonne Bayonne Stormers Stormers Saracens Saracens Clermont Clermont Bulls Bulls Bordeaux Bordeaux Stade Rochelais Stade Rochelais Leicester Leicester Leinster Leinster Harlequins Harlequins Scarlets Scarlets Bristol Bristol Bath Bath Munster Munster Pau Pau Northampton Northampton Toulouse Toulouse Sharks Sharks Gloucester Gloucester Castres Castres Edinburgh Edinburgh Toulon Toulon

Investec Champions Cup Latest News

Where Mark McCall thinks it all went wrong for Saracens

Saracens set for Bath showdown after Champions Cup defeat at Glasgow

'Huge failure' - Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle future questioned after shock defeat

Harlequins stun Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle in major European upset

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Follow the 2025-26 Champions Cup with RugbyPass 

The Champions Cup (also known as the European Rugby Champions Cup or the Investec Champions Cup) is the pinnacle of domestic rugby union in Europe. Every year, elite domestic teams from the countries that take part in the Six Nations Championship battle for supremacy, with the winner of the Investec Champions Cup widely recognised as the best domestic rugby team in Europe. 

Looking forward to this year’s Champions Cup? Explore below to discover even more about the tournament, including all the latest results and fixtures, news and teams, as well as stats, standings and FAQs.

Champions Cup History & Format

The Champions Cup was first played in 1995-96, when it was known simply as the Heineken Cup. Although the Five Nations Committee wanted to promote cross-border competition, English and Scottish teams did not take part during the inaugural tournament and Romanian and Italian teams joined instead. However, English and Scottish teams joined the next year and, in 1997, a home-and-away pools format was introduced for the first time.

Today, there are usually 24 teams that compete in the Heineken Champions Cup: eight teams from England, eight teams from France, and a further eight teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales combined. These 24 teams are placed into pools, where they play four rounds of matches. The top 16 teams then progress to the knockout stage while the bottom eight drop into the Challenge Cup.

Champions Cup Sponsorship Changes

In 2014-15, Heineken’s title sponsorship of the tournament came to an end and the tournament officially became known as the European Champions Cup, or simply the European Cup. However, as the competition was popular, most fans still simply referred to the competition as the Heineken Cup.

Heineken returned as a title sponsor in 2018, when the tournament became known as the Heineken Champions Cup. Now, the Heineken Champions Cup is universally recognised as the elite domestic rugby competition in Europe and fans regularly travel internationally to watch their teams play. In several seasons, crowds of over 80,000 have packed into stadiums to watch the prestigious final.

In 2023 the title sponsorship changed again, the official sponsor of the Champions Cup is now Investec. 

FAQs

When was the first edition of the Champions Cup?

The first edition of The Champions Cup was held during the 1995-96 season. The competition was devised by the Five Nations Committee and the inaugural year featured 12 teams from Ireland, France, Italy, Romania and Wales. Toulouse beat Cardiff 21-18 to win the first Heineken Cup.

Which side holds the record for the most Champions Cup titles?

Twenty four teams compete in the Champions Cup, including the winner of the previous season’s EPCR Challenge Cup. The remaining 23 teams qualify based on their national league standings. Here is the typical distribution on a league-by-league basis:

- Eight teams from the Premiership
- Eight teams from the Top 14
- Eight Irish, Italian, Scottish, South African and Welsh teams from the United Rugby Championship

Which country’s sides have been the most successful in the Champions Cup?

Domestic teams from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales compete in the Champions Cup. Every year this includes eight teams from England, eight teams from France and eight teams combined from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

Which player has scored the most Champions Cup tries?

Stade Toulouse holds the record for the most Champions Cup titles, with five wins to date. The club won the Champions Cup in 1995-96, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2020-21. This is followed by Leinster with four wins, Saracens and Toulon with three, as well as Leicester, Munster and Wasps with two.

Which player has scored the most points in the history of the Champions Cup?

Clubs from France and England have been the most successful in the Champions Cup, with 10 wins apiece. This is followed by teams from Ireland with seven wins. Clubs from Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales have never won the Champions Cup.

Who has made the most Champions Cup appearances?

The format of the Champions Cup utilises a pool stage and knock-out stage. Teams are arranged into four pools based on their league performance. Following the pools, sixteen qualifying teams then progress to the knock-out stage, which includes quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.

Which player has won the most Champions Cups?

The 2015 Heineken Cup final was controversial due to timing, location and ticket sales. First, the final was brought forward by three weeks due to the Top 14 playoffs. Second, it was moved from Milan to Twickenham Stadium in London. Third, with poor ticket sales, ‘free’ tickets mistakenly went live on Ticketmaster – fans just had to pay a £2 booking fee.

Why was the 2015 Heineken Cup final controversial?

The 2015 Heineken Cup final was controversial due to timing, location and ticket sales. First, the final was brought forward by three weeks due to the Top 14 playoffs. Second, it was moved from Milan to Twickenham Stadium in London. Third, with poor ticket sales, ‘free’ tickets mistakenly went live on Ticketmaster – fans just had to pay a £2 booking fee.

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