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Investec
Champions Cup

Standings

Pool 1

1
2
3
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
4
3
1
0
172
83
89
4
1
5
4
3
1
0
132
102
30
2
1
3
4
2
2
0
121
123
-2
3
1
4
Pts
17
15
12

Pool 2

1
2
3
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
4
4
0
0
178
69
109
4
0
4
4
3
1
0
151
109
42
3
0
3
4
3
1
0
124
102
22
3
0
3
Pts
20
15
15

Pool 3

1
2
3
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
4
4
0
0
137
75
62
2
0
2
4
3
1
0
87
99
-12
1
0
1
4
2
2
0
77
63
14
1
1
2
Pts
18
13
10

Pool 4

1
2
3
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
4
4
0
0
123
53
70
3
0
3
4
3
1
0
102
99
3
2
0
2
4
2
2
0
111
73
38
2
2
4
Pts
19
14
12
View Table
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Stats

Teams
Players
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Teams

Connacht Connacht Bordeaux Bordeaux Glasgow Glasgow Northampton Northampton Toulon Toulon Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs Bath Bath Ulster Ulster Toulouse Toulouse Cardiff Rugby Cardiff Rugby Bulls Bulls Saracens Saracens Munster Munster Bayonne Bayonne Bristol Bristol Lyon Lyon Sale Sale Stade Francais Stade Francais La Rochelle La Rochelle Leinster Leinster Leicester Leicester Stormers Stormers Racing 92 Racing 92 Harlequins Harlequins

News

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The Champions Cup (also known as the European Rugby Champions Cup) is the pinnacle of domestic rugby union in Europe. Every year, elite domestic teams from the countries that take part in the Six Nations Championship battle for supremacy, with the winner of the Heineken Champions Cup widely recognised as the best domestic rugby team in Europe. 

Looking forward to this year’s Heineken Champions Cup? Explore below to discover even more about the tournament, including all the latest results and fixtures, news and teams, as well as stats, standings and FAQs.

Champions Cup History & Format

The Heineken Champions Cup was first played in 1995-96, when it was known simply as the Heineken Cup. Although the Five Nations Committee wanted to promote cross-border competition, English and Scottish teams did not take part during the inaugural tournament and Romanian and Italian teams joined instead. However, English and Scottish teams joined the next year and, in 1997, a home-and-away pools format was introduced for the first time.

Today, there are usually 24 teams that compete in the Heineken Champions Cup: eight teams from England, eight teams from France, and a further eight teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales combined. These 24 teams are placed into pools, where they play four rounds of matches. The top 16 teams then progress to the knockout stage while the bottom eight drop into the Challenge Cup.

Champions Cup Sponsorship Changes

In 2014-15, Heineken’s title sponsorship of the tournament came to an end and the tournament officially became known as the European Champions Cup, or simply the European Cup. However, as the competition was popular, most fans still simply referred to the competition as the Heineken Cup.

Heineken returned as a title sponsor in 2018, when the tournament became known as the Heineken Champions Cup. Now, the Heineken Champions Cup is universally recognised as the elite domestic rugby competition in Europe and fans regularly travel internationally to watch their teams play. In several seasons, crowds of over 80,000 have packed into stadiums to watch the prestigious final.

In 2023 the title sponsorship changed again, the official sponsor of the Champions Cup is now Investec. 

FAQs

What is the Champions Cup?

The Champions Cup is an annual cup competition that features Europe and South Africa’s greatest domestic sides. Also known as the European Rugby Champions Cup, qualification for the tournament depends on national league standings.

When was the first edition of the Champions Cup?

The first edition of The Champions Cup was held during the 1995-96 season. The competition was devised by the Five Nations Committee and the inaugural year featured 12 teams from Ireland, France, Italy, Romania and Wales. Toulouse beat Cardiff 21-18 to win the first Heineken Cup.

How many teams compete in The Champions Cup?

Twenty four teams compete in the Champions Cup, including the winner of the previous season’s EPCR Challenge Cup. The remaining 23 teams qualify based on their national league standings. Here is the typical distribution on a league-by-league basis:

- Eight teams from the Premiership
- Eight teams from the Top 14
- Eight Irish, Italian, Scottish, South African and Welsh teams from the United Rugby Championship

Which teams compete in the Champions Cup

Domestic teams from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales compete in the Champions Cup. Every year this includes eight teams from England, eight teams from France and eight teams combined from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

Which side holds the record for the most Champions Cup titles?

Stade Toulouse holds the record for the most Champions Cup titles, with five wins to date. The club won the Champions Cup in 1995-96, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2020-21. This is followed by Leinster with four wins, Saracens and Toulon with three, as well as Leicester, Munster and Wasps with two.

Which country’s sides have been the most successful in The Champions Cup?

Clubs from France and England have been the most successful in the Champions Cup, with 10 wins apiece. This is followed by teams from Ireland with seven wins. Clubs from Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales have never won the Champions Cup.

What’s the format of the Champions Cup?

The format of the Champions Cup utilises a pool stage and knock-out stage. Teams are arranged into four pools based on their league performance. Following the pools, sixteen qualifying teams then progress to the knock-out stage, which includes quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.

Why was the 2015 Heineken Cup final controversial?

The 2015 Heineken Cup final was controversial due to timing, location and ticket sales. First, the final was brought forward by three weeks due to the Top 14 playoffs. Second, it was moved from Milan to Twickenham Stadium in London. Third, with poor ticket sales, ‘free’ tickets mistakenly went live on Ticketmaster – fans just had to pay a £2 booking fee.

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