Champions Cup draw: Saints pitted with Bath as Saracens grouped with 3 winners

Saracens and Exeter Chiefs have landed arguably the toughest Champions Cup draw after being placed in an Investec Champions Cup pool featuring four formers winners for the 2026/27 campaign.

Mark McCall’s side have been drawn in Pool 2 alongside six-time European champions and newly crowned Top 14 winners, Toulouse, two-time winners La Rochelle and 2020 winners Exeter Chiefs, who will be buoyed by the recent takeover by Black Knight. The Lions and Connacht, both quarter-finalists in this season’s United Rugby Championship, complete the group.

English champions Northampton Saints also headline a heavyweight pool after being grouped with Gallagher PREM rivals Bath in Pool 4, who both contested a legendary quarter-final this season. The two English clubs will avoid each other during the pool stage, but also find themselves alongside Cardiff Rugby, Challenge Cup winners and Top 14 runners-up Montpellier, Stade Français and the Vodacom Bulls in what promises to be another fiercely competitive section.

Losing European finalists and URC champions Leinster headline Pool 1, where they have been drawn with Glasgow Warriors, Pau, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers and ASM Clermont Auvergne.

Reigning champions Bordeaux-Bègles, meanwhile, have landed in Pool 3 with Munster, DHL Stormers, Racing 92, Bristol Bears and Gloucester Rugby.

Champions Cup Pools
Pool 1: Leinster Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, Section Paloise, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, ASM Clermont Auvergne

Pool 2: Stade Toulousain, Lions, Saracens, Stade Rochelais, Exeter Chiefs, Connacht Rugby

Pool 3: Union Bordeaux-Bègles, DHL Stormers, Racing 92, Munster Rugby, Bristol Bears, Gloucester Rugby

Pool 4: Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Stade Français Paris, Vodacom Bulls

The Challenge Cup pools have also been announced, and ar

EPCR Challenge Cup Pools
Pool 1: Toyota Cheetahs, Ulster Rugby, USAP, Dragons RFC, Aviron Bayonnais, Zebre Parma

Pool 2: Benetton Rugby, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Newcastle Red Bulls, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Castres Olympique, Scarlets

Pool 3: Ospreys, Edinburgh Rugby, Black Lion, Harlequins, RC Toulon, RC Vannes