The draw for the groups of the 2022-2023 edition of the Champions Cup was carried out this Tuesday at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin where the grand final will take place on Saturday May 20, 2023.
Winner of the 2022 Champions Cup by dominating Leinster, Stade Rochelais now knows its two opponents in the group stage of the big European Cup. Integrated into pool B, the defending champions (hat 3) will face Northampton Saints and Ulster Rugby (hat 2).
The English finished fourth in the last English championship, the Irish province was deprived of quarter-finals of the Champions Cup by Stade Toulousain for a small point last April in a round-trip match.
The future European campaign will be spread over eight weekends, including four group stage days starting in December. The eight top-ranked clubs from each pool of 12 will qualify for the knockout stage which begins in the spring with a one-leg knockout round.
Eight French clubs (four in each pool) have qualified for this 2022-2023 edition marked by the integration of three South African franchises: The Bulls, the Sharks and the Stormers.
Composition of hens
- Pool A : Castres OlympicSaracens, Bulls, Union Bordeaux-BèglesHarlequins, Leinster Rugby, Racing 92Gloucester Rugby, The Sharks, LOU Rugby, Exeter Chiefs, Edinburgh Rugby.
- Pool B : Montpellier Herault RugbyLeicester Tigers, Stormers, Toulouse StadiumNorthampton Saints, Ulster Rugby, Rochelais StadiumSale Sharks, Munster Rugby, ASM Clermont AuvergneLondon Irish, Ospreys.
The opponents of the French
- Castres Olympique: Exeter Chiefs, Edinburgh Rugby
- Montpellier Hérault Rugby: London Irish, Ospreys
- ASM Clermont Auvergne: Leicester, Stormers
- LOU Rugby: Bulls, Saracens
- Union Bordeaux-Bègles: Gloucester, Sharks
- Racing 92: Harlequins, Leinster
- Stade Toulousain: Sale, Munster
- Rochelais Stadium: Northampton, Ulster
The 2022-2023 calendar
- Day 1: 9/10/11 December
- Day 2: 16/17/18 December
- Day 3: 13/14/15 January 2023
- Day 4: 20/21/22 January 2023
- Round of 16: March 31/April 1/2, 2023
- Quarter-finals: 7/8/9 April 2023
- Semi-finals: 28/29/30 April 2023
- Final: Saturday 20 May 2023 Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
The calendar of oppositions will be communicated during the summer.