Bath Rugby has learned its opponents for the pool stages of the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup, Europe’s premier rugby club competition. The tournament will once again feature 24 elite teams competing in pools of six, all qualifying based on performance in the TOP 14, Gallagher Premiership, and United Rugby Championship (URC).
The teams are divided into four pools, with each club playing four matches—two at home and two away. Notably, the competition calendar has shifted earlier, commencing in October ahead of the November international window.
This season introduces important changes to the knockout qualification process. Only the top three teams from each pool automatically progress, replacing the previous format which allowed four teams per pool to advance. In addition, the four highest-scoring teams outside the automatic qualifiers will also earn spots in the knockout rounds. This approach aims to prevent underperforming teams from progressing.
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Another adjustment affects the attacking bonus point system. From now on, only the winning team can secure a bonus point, provided they score at least three more tries than their opponents—mirroring the system used in France’s Top 14.
The Gallagher Premiership qualifiers include reigning champions Northampton Saints, runners-up Exeter Chiefs, semi-finalists Bath Rugby and Leicester Tigers, alongside Saracens, Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks, and Gloucester Rugby.
From the French Top 14, qualified teams are Stade Toulousain, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Stade Français Paris, Racing 92, Section Paloise, Stade Rochelais, ASM Clermont Auvergne, and Union Bordeaux Bègles, who earned their place as defending Champions Cup winners despite finishing outside the top eight domestically.
The URC representatives are Leinster Rugby, Vodacom Bulls, Glasgow Warriors, DHL Stormers, Munster Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Lions, and Connacht Rugby.
Premier Sports continues as the lead broadcaster in the UK, with further fixture details, including dates, venues, and kickoff times, to be released shortly.
Domestic league mates will not meet in the pool stage, ensuring diverse and competitive matchups.
The full pool draw, revealed in Dublin, is as follows:
Pool 1: Leinster, Glasgow Warriors, Pau, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 2: Toulouse, Toyota Lions, Saracens, La Rochelle, Exeter Chiefs, Connacht Rugby
Pool 3: Bordeaux-Bègles, DHL Stormers, Racing 92, Munster Rugby, Bristol Bears, Gloucester Rugby
Pool 4: Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Montpellier, Stade Français, Vodacom Bulls
Key match weekends are scheduled for October 16-18, December 11-13, January 8-10 and 15-17, 2027. The knockout stages will begin in early April, culminating in the finals weekend at OL Stadium in Lyon, with the Champions Cup final on May 22, 2027.