Bath Rugby’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, will face a poignant return to his roots when his side visits the Vodacom Bulls in January during the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup. Growing up as a ball boy for the Bulls, where his father serves as CEO, van Graan now leads Bath in their quest for European glory.
Following a memorable run to the semi-finals last season, where they were narrowly eliminated by eventual champions Bordeaux-Begles, Bath is determined to go one step further. With an impressively assembled squad, van Graan aims to capture the prestigious Champions Cup this season.
The competition format remains familiar: each team will play their pool opponents either home or away, with clubs from the same domestic league avoiding each other until the knockout rounds. This means Bath, despite being in the same group as Premiership champions Northampton Saints, will not meet them during the pool stage.
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Bath opens their European campaign at The Rec against a revitalised Montpellier side, fresh off winning the 2025/26 EPCR Challenge Cup and reaching the Top 14 final. This early fixture, scheduled in October, precedes the Autumn internationals.
Their next challenge is a December trip across the bridge to face Cardiff Rugby at the iconic Cardiff Arms Park. January brings a significant journey to Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld Stadium to confront the Bulls, a special match for van Graan given his personal history. Bath will close Pool 4 with a home fixture against Stade Français in mid-January.
This season’s Champions Cup is more competitive, with only three automatic qualifiers advancing from each six-team pool instead of four. Additionally, the four best runners-up across all groups will join the knockout stage, making qualification beyond the pool phase a formidable challenge.
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