The multi-group format, already used in the past, is making a comeback and should allow a little more visibility, especially in the group stages.
The big maneuvers resume with a vengeance. The EPCR (European Professional Club Rugby), the body that governs European competitions, announced on Wednesday June 14 the new organization of its competitions and in particular the Champions Cup. Exit the two pools of 12 teams, and place the four pools of six teams. News that seems to satisfy the president of the EPCR, Dominic McKay: “Our goal has always been to ensure that everyone can easily understand, engage and follow our tournaments and to ensure that we have a structure that creates real sporting interest in as many matches as possible.“. Franceinfo: sport takes stock of these changes.
The great novelty of this future edition will be the disappearance of round-trip confrontations in the group stages, the compositions of which will be revealed after a draw on June 21. There will be two hats for this draw: one with the three champions of each league (the French Top 14, the English Premiership, and the United Rugby Championship which includes Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Italian and South African clubs) , plus the defending champion (this year La Rochelle), the other with the twenty other teams. If the Maritimes were to be crowned champions of France on Saturday against Stade Toulouse, Leinster, as finalists in the competition, would take their place in the first hat.
In this first phase, each team will face four different opponents, necessarily from a league other than their own, at home (two in total) or away (two in total) in a single match.
La Rochelle assured of the first hat
Another modality: there cannot be more than two clubs from the same league in the same group, and these cannot compete. The four Irish teams and the two South African teams are divided into “Shield” and cannot be in the same pool. The first four of the group will advance to the round of 16, while the fifth-placed teams will be transferred to the Challenge Cup.
Regarding the Challenge Cup, 18 teams, including two invited, will take part in the competition, and will be divided into three pools of six.
In terms of the calendar, the two competitions will take place over eight weekends, four for the group stages (between December 8 and January 21) and four for the final stages (round of 16 between April 5 and 7, quarters between April 12 and 14, semi-finals between May 3 and 5), which retain their knockout match format. The finals of the two European competitions will be played in London, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in May 2024 (24 May for the Challenge, 25 for the Champions Cup).
The clubs qualified for the Champions Cup
Top 14: Stade Rochelais, Stade Toulousain, Racing 92, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Lyon, Stade Français Paris, RC Toulon, Aviron Bayonnais
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
Clubs qualified for the Challenge Cup
BKT United Rugby Championship: Cell C Sharks, Emirates Lions, Benetton Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby, Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma
Top 14: Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Section Paloise, Usap, Oyonnax Rugby
Gallagher Premiership: Gloucester Rugby, Newcastle Falcons
Guests: two clubs to be confirmed