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


Bath Rugby's Ollie Lawrence in action during the Investec Champions Cup match between Bath Rugby and Northampton Saints at Recreation Ground on April 10, 2026 in Bath, England. (Photo by Bob Bradford - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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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.

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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.

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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

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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

Related

e as follows:

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

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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

 

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Phantom 1 hour ago
Nations Championship: 'The data shows the north has finally caught up with the south'

Fact: the gap between the North and the South has narrowed considerably - that I get. However, determining that only selecting only Home grown players or playing in the home country is is the optimal strategy is a bit of a toss up and highly reliant on the economies of the home union. I do understand that England and to a lesser degree Ireland selects home based only. The top 14 is a massive threat to their domestic product. France would probably not be affected (the money is at home). Fiji, Argentina, Samoa, Italy and you could even argue Scotland have only benefitted from this. Their players either go overseas to learn at higher levels (Fiji, Samoa, Argentina) or players coming into their leagues to strengthen the home product and their National teams (Scotland, Italy, Japan).

South Africa used to limit its selection to the home based players, but the reality of a weak currency vs what players could earn oversees meant that you lost access to your best players at some stage of their careers, with very few exceptions. Kolbe left SA as he was considered too small for International Rugby (yes coaches/selectors view), but ironically in France he forced selectors to notice his endeavors and select him. He is only reaching 50 caps now despite being north of 30 - granted rotation and the odd injury also played a role, but for the most part it is having debuted or becoming a regular so late.



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