The wait is nearly over for fans of international club rugby   across Europe and South Africa, with just one month to go until the return of   the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. The journey   to the 2026 Finals in Bilbao begins on   Friday 5 December, as the clubs kick off what promises to be another   unforgettable season of elite international rugby.

The Investec Champions Cup opens under Friday night lights   with two blockbuster fixtures: Sale Sharks v Glasgow Warriors at   CorpAcq Stadium and Aviron Bayonnais v DHL Stormers at Stade   Jean Dauger. In the EPCR Challenge Cup, Ulster Rugby will host Racing   92 at Affidea Stadium, as the sides look to make an early statement in   the competition.

With the Quilter Nations Series underway, international form   showcases the playmaking, passion and skill we can expect when club rugby   returns. Many of the stars who shine for their countries throughout November   will soon be back in club colours, ready to chase European glory.

Steve Borthwick’s England claimed an eighth consecutive Test   win at the weekend against Australia, featuring players from Investec   Champions Cup sides Sale Sharks, Bath Rugby, Saracens, Northampton Saints,   Leicester Tigers, Bristol Bears and Harlequins, alongside EPCR   Challenge Cup contenders Exeter Chiefs. 

Northampton Saints’ Henry Pollock proved key, making a   memorable impact from the bench. Looking ahead to the Investec Champions Cup,   the standout rising star from the 2024/25 club and international season said:

Scotland kicked off their international fixtures in emphatic   fashion, storming to a record-breaking 85–0 victory over the USA Eagles at   Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium. Points-scorers included Edinburgh   Rugby’s Dylan Richardson, Duhan van der Merwe, and Darcy Graham who ran   in a hattrick of tries, while Glasgow Warriors’ Jamie Dobie – who   also took a hattrick - Kyle Rowe, Stafford McDowall, George Horne, Ollie   Smith, and Adam Hastings also got their names on the scoreboard.

Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) summed up the draw of the   Investec Champions Cup.

Meanwhile, France will field a team including strong   representation from current TOP 14 leaders and six-time Investec Champions   Cup winners Stade Toulousain, as well as numerous key players from   reigning Investec Champions Cup title holders Union Bordeaux Bègles.   Damian Penaud - last season’s Investec Player of the Year, who was awarded   the title after a record-breaking season where he scored 14 tries, including   two in the final victory over Northampton Saints, will be back for France   alongside his club captain Maxime Lucu, who reflected on last season’s   triumph:

Wales also open their Autumn internationals next weekend, with   Bristol Bears lightning-fast winger Louis Rees-Zammit getting the call   up after returning from the NFL. Welsh Captain and Ospreys’ back row   Jac Morgan is also back after the summer tour with the British and Irish   Lions.

Ireland fell 26–13 to the All Blacks in their opening Autumn   fixture, but Andy Farrell’s side can rely on strong depth from Leinster   Rugby, Munster Rugby, and Ulster Rugby as they prepare to face   Japan and gain valuable minutes before the EPCR season begins.

The Springboks also impressed as they opened their Autumn tour   with a commanding 61–7 win over Japan at Wembley, featuring points from DHL   Stormers’ Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Wilco Louw, Hollywoodbets   Sharks’ Siya Kolisi and Andre Esterhuizen, and Vodacom Bulls’   Kurt-Lee Arendse.

Trevor Nyakane (Hollywoodbets Sharks) captured the intensity   of the Investec Champions Cup.

The countdown is now officially on. The Investec Champions Cup   and EPCR Challenge Cup return on Friday, 5 December, marking the first steps   on the road to the Bilbao 2026 Finals, 22-23 May – and with over   50% of tickets sold for the summer blockbuster weekend, fans are urged to act   now and secure their place before it’s too late.

With the world’s top clubs and players set to collide,   anticipation is building. Leinster Rugby’s Joe McCarthy summed it up:

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) is the organiser of the   Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. EPCR’s mission is to create   outstanding rugby experiences for all key stakeholders, including leagues,   clubs, players, match officials, unions, fans, broadcast and commercial   partners, communities and the media.

The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup   feature clubs from the Gallagher Premiership, TOP 14 and United Rugby   Championship. 42 clubs from three leagues and eight unions compete each   season to win club rugby's most elite titles. Broadcast to over 100   territories around the world, last season EPCR's tournaments welcomed 1.5   million fans into stadia and achieved a broadcast audience of over 70 million   viewers.

The EPCR Finals Weekend is a destination rugby weekend held in a   different city every year. On 22 and 23 May 2026, the vibrant Basque city of   Bilbao will welcome the EPCR Challenge Cup Final and Investec Champions Cup   Final to the stunning San Mamés Stadium. 

Established in 2014 with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland,   EPCR has the following members: Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR),   Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR), Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Ligue   Nationale de Rugby (LNR), Premier Rugby Ltd (PRL), PRO Rugby Championship DAC   (URC), Rugby Football Union (RFU), Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) and Welsh Rugby   Union (WRU).

The Board of EPCR has the following members: Dominic McKay   (Chairman), Jacques Raynaud (EPCR CEO), Martin Anayi (URC), Emmanuel   Eschalier (LNR), Simon Massie-Taylor (PRL), Mark McCafferty (independent   director), Arnaud Nourry (independent director), Jérémie Lecha (FFR) and   Kevin Potts (IRFU).

EPCR’s revenues are distributed on the basis of an equal   three-way division to Premiership Rugby clubs, URC clubs and LNR clubs.

EPCR’s tournaments are run according to World   Rugby’s Laws of the Game, and to World   Rugby Regulations.

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