Bath Rugby’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, will return to his roots in January as his side faces the Vodacom Bulls, the club where he grew up. After a strong showing last season as the best-performing English team, Bath is determined to go one step further and claim the prestigious Investec Champions Cup.
Last season, Bath narrowly missed out on the final, falling to eventual champions Bordeaux-Bègles in a dramatic semi-final. With van Graan at the helm, the squad looks well poised to fulfill their title ambitions in the upcoming campaign.
The competition format remains unchanged, with clubs playing each of their pool opponents either home or away. Teams from the same domestic league are kept apart until the knockout rounds, meaning Bath will avoid facing Premiership champions Northampton Saints despite being in the same group.
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Bath’s European journey begins on home turf at The Rec against a revitalized Montpellier side, fresh off winning the EPCR Challenge Cup and reaching the Top 14 final in 2025/26. This opening fixture takes place in a new October slot, just before the Autumn internationals.
In December, the team travels a short distance to face Cardiff Rugby at the iconic Cardiff Arms Park. January brings a challenging trip to South Africa, where Bath will take on the URC finalists, the Vodacom Bulls, at Loftus Versfeld. This fixture holds special significance for van Graan, who was a ball boy growing up while his father served as CEO of the Bulls.
Bath will close out their pool campaign with a decisive home game against Stade Français, scheduled for mid-January.
This season’s tournament will see only three teams automatically advance from each six-team pool, down from four in previous years. Additionally, the four best runners-up across all groups will qualify for the round of 16, making qualification for the knockout stages even more competitive.
Bath Rugby’s 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup fixtures:
- Round One: Bath Rugby vs Montpellier – Sat, 17 October – 8pm – The Rec
- Round Two: Cardiff Rugby vs Bath Rugby – Sat, 12 December – 8pm – Cardiff Arms Park
- Round Three: Vodacom Bulls vs Bath Rugby – Sat, 9 January – 3.15pm – Loftus Versfeld
- Round Four: Bath Rugby vs Stade Français – Sun, 17 January – 5.30pm – The Rec
Bath fans will undoubtedly be eager to see if van Graan’s squad can turn ambition into silverware, striving to etch their name into Champions Cup history.