Recent English rugby champions Northampton and Bath have been drawn into a demanding Champions Cup pool for the upcoming season. They will compete alongside the Bulls from Pretoria and the Top 14 runners-up, Montpellier. Completing the difficult Pool Four are Stade Francais and Cardiff, the highest-ranked Welsh club in the United Rugby Championship.
In other groupings, Bristol will contend with Gloucester, Munster, and the defending champions Bordeaux-Begles in Pool Three. Meanwhile, Leinster faces a schedule featuring Leicester, Sale, and Glasgow in Pool One. Pool Two includes the French title holders Toulouse, Saracens, Exeter, and Connacht.
For the Challenge Cup, Harlequins are set to challenge three-time champions Toulon, Edinburgh, and Ospreys. Newcastle will compete against Scarlets, Benetton, and Sharks in their respective pool, while Ulster takes on Bayonne, Perpignan, and Dragons. Detailed fixtures, which will determine critical home-field advantages, are expected to be released later this month.
The Champions Cup format requires each team to play four matches against opponents from different domestic leagues. The top three sides from each pool will advance to the knockout stage. The tournament kicks off during the weekend of 16-18 October, with the finals scheduled for May in Lyon.
