The pool draw for the 2017/18 European Rugby Champions Cup will take place in Neuchâtel, Switzerland on Thursday at approximately 1.20pm (UK and Irish time), following the draw for the Challenge Cup.
Ulster will be among the third seeds for the draw, which will be streamed live on www.epcrugby.com.
The key principles and key steps integral to the Pool Draw are explained below.
KEY PRINCIPLES
- The 20 clubs which have qualified on merit from the Premiership, the Guinness PRO12 and the TOP 14 will compete in the 2017/18 Champions Cup in five pools of four
- The clubs are divided into four tiers based on their status as championship winners and/or on their qualification positions in their league tables. This will be done by a draw in advance of the main pool draw
- Each pool will have at least one club from each of the three leagues
- Each of the five pools will have one club from each of the four tiers
- There will be no more than two clubs from the same league in a pool
- No pool will contain two PRO12 clubs from the same country
- Clubs from the same league will be kept apart until the allocation of the Tier 4 clubs
QUALIFICATION & RANKINGS
For the purposes of creating the tiers, the Premiership, Guinness PRO12 and TOP 14 clubs are ranked based on their performances in their respective competitions.
Premiership
Exeter Chiefs
Wasps
Saracens
Leicester Tigers
Bath Rugby
Harlequins
Northampton Saints
Top 14
ASM Clermont Auvergne
RC Toulon
La Rochelle
Racing 92
Montpellier
Castres Olympique
Guinness PRO12
Scarlets
Munster Rugby
Leinster Rugby
Ospreys
Ulster Rugby
Glasgow Warriors
Benetton Rugby
Tier 1
Tier 1 will include the three champions from the Premiership, the Guinness PRO12 and the TOP 14. Tier 1 will also include two of the three clubs which are ranked second from the Premiership, the TOP 14 and the Guinness PRO12. The two clubs will be decided by a draw in advance of the draw for the pools.
Tier 2
Tier 2 will include the three clubs which are ranked third from the Premiership, the Guinness PRO12 and the TOP 14. Tier 2 will also include the second-ranked club which was not drawn into Tier 1, and the club which is ranked fourth from the same league as the club which was not drawn into Tier 1.
Tier 3
Tier 3 will include the two clubs ranked fourth which are not in Tier 2. Tier 3 will also include the three clubs which are ranked fifth from each league.
Tier 4
Tier 4 will include the three clubs which are ranked sixth in the leagues, as well as the Italian qualifier from the Guinness PRO12 – Benetton Rugby – and Northampton Saints who qualified as winners of the Champions Cup play-offs.
HOW THE DRAW WORKS
Upon direction from the event MCs, James Gemmell (Sky Sports) and Raphael Ibanez (France Télévisions), Ieuan Evans (Sky Sports) will draw the club balls and Austin Healey (BT Sport) will draw the pool balls.
Step 1
At this point, only the Tier 4 clubs are confirmed. A draw has to be made to establish the five Tier 1 clubs, and once Tier 1 is confirmed, Tiers 2 and 3 fall into place as per the key principles above.
The draw takes place to determine which two clubs from the three clubs ranked number two in the leagues will join the three championship winners in Tier 1.
The three championship runners-up balls – Wasps, Munster and Toulon - are placed in the drum, and two clubs are then drawn into Tier 1.
Tier 1 clubs
Exeter Chiefs (Premiership champions)
Scarlets (Guinness PRO12 champions)
ASM Clermont Auvergne (TOP 14 champions)
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Step 2
Once the Tier 1 clubs are established, the five Tier 2 clubs can be confirmed as follows: the three third-ranked clubs in the leagues – Saracens, Leinster Rugby and La Rochelle – will be joined by XXXXXXX who were not drawn into Tier 1, and by the fourth-ranked club from the same league as the club which was not drawn into Tier 1.
Tier 2 clubs
Saracens
Leinster Rugby
La Rochelle
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Step 3
Once the Tier 2 clubs are established, the five Tier 3 clubs can be confirmed as follows: the two remaining fourth-ranked clubs, XXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX, and the three fifth-ranked clubs, Bath Rugby, Montpellier and Ulster Rugby.
Tier 3 clubs
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Bath Rugby
Montpellier
Ulster Rugby
The clubs in Tier 4 are already confirmed as follows:
Tier 4 clubs
Harlequins
Northampton Saints
Castres Olympique
Glasgow Warriors
Benetton Rugby
Step 4
Each of the five Tier 1 clubs are drawn, followed by a pool number for that club.
Step 5
Draw for the five Tier 2 clubs. As each club ball is selected, a draw is then made to allocate the club a pool from the available pools based on the key principles above. Some clubs may have to be placed directly into a pool in order to ensure the key principles apply.
Step 6
Draw for the five Tier 3 clubs. Again, as each club ball is selected, a draw is then made to allocate the club a pool from the available pools based on the key principles above. Some clubs may have to be placed directly into a pool in order to ensure the key principles apply.
Step 7
Draw for the five Tier 4 clubs. Again, as each club ball is selected, a draw is then made to allocate the club a pool from the available pools based on the key principles above. Some clubs may have to be placed directly into a pool in order to ensure the key principles apply.
EPCR KEY DATES – 2017/18 SEASON
Round 1: 12/13/14/15 October 2017
Round 2: 19/20/21/22 October 2017
Round 3: 7/8/9/10 December 2017
Round 4: 14/15/16/17 December 2017
Round 5: 11/12/13/14 January 2018
Round 6: 18/19/20/21 January 2018
Quarter-finals: 29/30/31 March – 1 April 2018
Semi-finals: 20/21/22 April 2018
Final: Saturday 12 May, San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao
Ulster will be among the third seeds for the draw, which will be streamed live on www.epcrugby.com.
The key principles and key steps integral to the Pool Draw are explained below.
KEY PRINCIPLES
- The 20 clubs which have qualified on merit from the Premiership, the Guinness PRO12 and the TOP 14 will compete in the 2017/18 Champions Cup in five pools of four
- The clubs are divided into four tiers based on their status as championship winners and/or on their qualification positions in their league tables. This will be done by a draw in advance of the main pool draw
- Each pool will have at least one club from each of the three leagues
- Each of the five pools will have one club from each of the four tiers
- There will be no more than two clubs from the same league in a pool
- No pool will contain two PRO12 clubs from the same country
- Clubs from the same league will be kept apart until the allocation of the Tier 4 clubs
QUALIFICATION & RANKINGS
For the purposes of creating the tiers, the Premiership, Guinness PRO12 and TOP 14 clubs are ranked based on their performances in their respective competitions.
Premiership
Exeter Chiefs
Wasps
Saracens
Leicester Tigers
Bath Rugby
Harlequins
Northampton Saints
Top 14
ASM Clermont Auvergne
RC Toulon
La Rochelle
Racing 92
Montpellier
Castres Olympique
Guinness PRO12
Scarlets
Munster Rugby
Leinster Rugby
Ospreys
Ulster Rugby
Glasgow Warriors
Benetton Rugby
Tier 1
Tier 1 will include the three champions from the Premiership, the Guinness PRO12 and the TOP 14. Tier 1 will also include two of the three clubs which are ranked second from the Premiership, the TOP 14 and the Guinness PRO12. The two clubs will be decided by a draw in advance of the draw for the pools.
Tier 2
Tier 2 will include the three clubs which are ranked third from the Premiership, the Guinness PRO12 and the TOP 14. Tier 2 will also include the second-ranked club which was not drawn into Tier 1, and the club which is ranked fourth from the same league as the club which was not drawn into Tier 1.
Tier 3
Tier 3 will include the two clubs ranked fourth which are not in Tier 2. Tier 3 will also include the three clubs which are ranked fifth from each league.
Tier 4
Tier 4 will include the three clubs which are ranked sixth in the leagues, as well as the Italian qualifier from the Guinness PRO12 – Benetton Rugby – and Northampton Saints who qualified as winners of the Champions Cup play-offs.
HOW THE DRAW WORKS
Upon direction from the event MCs, James Gemmell (Sky Sports) and Raphael Ibanez (France Télévisions), Ieuan Evans (Sky Sports) will draw the club balls and Austin Healey (BT Sport) will draw the pool balls.
Step 1
At this point, only the Tier 4 clubs are confirmed. A draw has to be made to establish the five Tier 1 clubs, and once Tier 1 is confirmed, Tiers 2 and 3 fall into place as per the key principles above.
The draw takes place to determine which two clubs from the three clubs ranked number two in the leagues will join the three championship winners in Tier 1.
The three championship runners-up balls – Wasps, Munster and Toulon - are placed in the drum, and two clubs are then drawn into Tier 1.
Tier 1 clubs
Exeter Chiefs (Premiership champions)
Scarlets (Guinness PRO12 champions)
ASM Clermont Auvergne (TOP 14 champions)
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Step 2
Once the Tier 1 clubs are established, the five Tier 2 clubs can be confirmed as follows: the three third-ranked clubs in the leagues – Saracens, Leinster Rugby and La Rochelle – will be joined by XXXXXXX who were not drawn into Tier 1, and by the fourth-ranked club from the same league as the club which was not drawn into Tier 1.
Tier 2 clubs
Saracens
Leinster Rugby
La Rochelle
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Step 3
Once the Tier 2 clubs are established, the five Tier 3 clubs can be confirmed as follows: the two remaining fourth-ranked clubs, XXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX, and the three fifth-ranked clubs, Bath Rugby, Montpellier and Ulster Rugby.
Tier 3 clubs
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Bath Rugby
Montpellier
Ulster Rugby
The clubs in Tier 4 are already confirmed as follows:
Tier 4 clubs
Harlequins
Northampton Saints
Castres Olympique
Glasgow Warriors
Benetton Rugby
Step 4
Each of the five Tier 1 clubs are drawn, followed by a pool number for that club.
Step 5
Draw for the five Tier 2 clubs. As each club ball is selected, a draw is then made to allocate the club a pool from the available pools based on the key principles above. Some clubs may have to be placed directly into a pool in order to ensure the key principles apply.
Step 6
Draw for the five Tier 3 clubs. Again, as each club ball is selected, a draw is then made to allocate the club a pool from the available pools based on the key principles above. Some clubs may have to be placed directly into a pool in order to ensure the key principles apply.
Step 7
Draw for the five Tier 4 clubs. Again, as each club ball is selected, a draw is then made to allocate the club a pool from the available pools based on the key principles above. Some clubs may have to be placed directly into a pool in order to ensure the key principles apply.
EPCR KEY DATES – 2017/18 SEASON
Round 1: 12/13/14/15 October 2017
Round 2: 19/20/21/22 October 2017
Round 3: 7/8/9/10 December 2017
Round 4: 14/15/16/17 December 2017
Round 5: 11/12/13/14 January 2018
Round 6: 18/19/20/21 January 2018
Quarter-finals: 29/30/31 March – 1 April 2018
Semi-finals: 20/21/22 April 2018
Final: Saturday 12 May, San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao