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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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2 Comments
J
JJ 42 mins ago

Given that Saracens and Exeter won’t play each other, while they will play Connacht and the Lions, it’s not too bad. Similarly Northampton and Bath won’t play each other while they will have an easy 5 points against Cardiff Rugby. The toughest draw just got handed to Connacht, the Lions and Cardiff Rugby. Bristol and Gloucester have got their work cut out as well. Those last 5 teams haven’t got any easy games.

u
unknown 1 hr ago

Dull format which needs an overhaul

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