Both draws will be streamed live on EPCRugby.TV and the event will start at 12.30 (UK-Irish time) / 13.30 (South African-Italian time) with the draw for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools which will be followed by the Champions Cup draw at approximately 12.50 / 13.50.
Viewers will be able to create a free account on EPCRugby.TV to access the draws which will be presented by Sarra Elgan (BT Sport) and Vincent Pochulu (beIN SPORTS).
The 24 Champions Cup clubs which have qualified on merit from the TOP 14, Gallagher Premiership and BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) will compete in four pools of six – Pool 1, Pool 2, Pool 3 and Pool 4. (See qualifiers below)
The key principles of the Champions Cup draw are as follows:<br>
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· Each pool will contain two clubs from each of the leagues.
· Clubs from the same URC Shield cannot be in the same pool. Therefore, the Irish qualifiers – Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby, Ulster Rugby and Connacht Rugby – will each be drawn or allocated into separate pools, and similarly, the DHL Stormers and the Vodacom Bulls from South Africa cannot be in the same pool.
· There will be no matches between clubs from the same league, so in order to create the fixtures, each club will play four matches against four different clubs who are not from the same league either home or away during the pool stage.
For the purposes of the draw, the clubs will be divided into two tiers, Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 1 will be made up Stade Rochelais (2023 Heineken Champions Cup winners), Saracens (Gallagher Premiership winners) and Munster Rugby (URC winners), as well as the winners of tomorrow’s TOP 14 final between Stade Toulousain and Stade Rochelais. If Stade Rochelais win the TOP 14 title, then the 2023 Heineken Champions Cup final runners-up, Leinster Rugby, will be included in Tier 1.
To start the process, the four Tier 1 clubs will be drawn with the first club out of the drum going into Pool 1, the second club out of the drum going into Pool 2, the third club out of the drum going into Pool 3 and the fourth club out of the drum going into Pool 4.
Adhering to the key principles, the remaining 20 club balls in Tier 2 will then be drawn or allocated into the pools. If a club cannot be drawn into a pool in accordance with the key principles, then the club will be allocated to the next available pool. The process will then re-start at the pool into which the initial club could not be drawn.
The fixture schedules for both tournaments with dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage will be announced as soon as possible. Fixtures will be determined using an algorithm which will take into consideration the pool draws, league calendar restrictions, individual club calendar restrictions and broadcast requirements.
2023/24 CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS<br>
TOP 14 – Stade Rochelais, Stade Toulousain, Racing 92, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Lyon, Stade Francais Paris, RC Toulon, Aviron Bayonnais<br>
GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Saracens, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Bath Rugby, Bristol Bears
BKT UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP - Munster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Leinster Rugby, Ulster Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby
**2023/24 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP QUALIFIERS<br>
BKT UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP -** Cell C Sharks, Emirates Lions, Benetton Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby, Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma<br>
TOP 14 - Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Section Paloise, USAP, Oyonnax Rugby<br>
GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP - Gloucester Rugby, Newcastle Falcons<br>
INVITED – Two clubs to be confirmed<br>
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2023/24 weekends<br>
Round 1 – 8/9/10 December 2023<br>
Round 2 – 15/16/17 December 2023<br>
Round 3 – 12/13/14 January 2024<br>
Round 4 – 19/20/21 January 2024
Round of 16 – 5/6/7 April 2024<br>
Quarter-finals – 12/13/14 April 2024<br>
Semi-finals – 3/4/5 May 2024<br>
EPCR Challenge Cup final – Friday 24 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium<br>
Champions Cup final – Saturday 25 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium