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2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup
Rugby union competition From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup, known colloquially as the 2025-26 European Challenge Cup[1]will be the twelfth edition of the EPCR Challenge Cup, an annual second-tier rugby union competition for professional clubs competing in elite European competition. Including the predecessor competition, the original European Challenge Cup, this is the 30th edition of European club rugby's second-tier competition.
The final will played at in San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao.[2]
The English team, Bath Rugby, are the reigning champions, and therefore qualified for the 2025–26 European Rugby Champions Cup as a consequence. As they also have a top four domestic finish, the team will not initially defend their title, although they may theoretically join at the knockout phase.
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Teams
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Sixteen teams qualified for the 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup from Premiership Rugby, the Top 14 and the United Rugby Championship as a direct result of their domestic league performance having not qualified for the Champions Cup. Two further sides received invitations, South Africa's Cheetahs and Georgia's Black Lion.
The distribution of teams are:
- England: two teams
- Teams in the 2025–26 Premiership season that did not qualify for the 2025–26 Champions Cup.
- France: six teams
- Teams taking part in the 2025–26 Top 14 season that did not qualify for the 2025–26 Champions Cup.
- Georgia: one team
- one team, invited, Black Lion
- Ireland, Italy, South Africa and Wales: eight teams
- Eight teams in the 2025–26 United Rugby Championship season that did not qualify for the 2025–26 Champions Cup. This season, these consist of three teams from Wales (Cardiff, Dragons, and Ospreys), two from Ireland (Ulster Rugby and Connacht Rugby), two from Italy (Benetton and Zebre Parma), and one from South Africa (Lions). No Scottish team enters at the pool stage.
- South Africa: one further team
At the knockout stage, a further four teams will enter the competition from the 2025-26 European Rugby Champions Cup.
Team details
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Draw
The 2025/26 EPCR Challenge Cup will see the 18 competing clubs drawn into three pools of six. Like previous seasons, the three pools will be made up of six teams, however clubs from the same nation, cannot be in the same pool, apart from France who will have two French teams in each pool - though they will not face each other in the pool stage, and there cannot be more than three teams from the United Rugby Championship in the same pool.
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Pool stage
Pool 1
Source: EPCR[4]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Pool 2
Source: EPCR[5]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Pool 3
Source: EPCR[6]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
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References
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