A cross-league club competition
EPCR’s Investec Champions Cup brings together clubs from the Gallagher PREM, United Rugby Championship and TOP 14. It is different from a national-team championship and from EPCR’s Challenge Cup. A familiar English, French or URC club can therefore appear under several competition headings during the same season.
The current field has four pools
The official 2026/27 format specifies twenty-four clubs in four pools of six. Each club plays four different pool opponents, home or away, rather than a full home-and-away programme against all five other clubs. The pool table should therefore be read with the actual fixtures in mind; it is not a conventional ten-match six-club league.
Qualification combines pool and cross-pool routes
For 2026/27, the top three clubs in each pool qualify automatically for the round of sixteen. The remaining four places go to the clubs with the highest match-point totals across all pools. This is a material distinction from the old shortcut that simply described four qualifiers from every pool.
Knockout rounds follow the pool phase
EPCR’s current calendar separates the round of sixteen, quarter-finals, semifinals and final. Once a club reaches those deciding rounds, a result determines progress rather than merely adding to the earlier pool table. Use the stage label when reading a fixture list so a knockout appointment is not mistaken for a fifth pool round.
Check the current edition before a viewing decision
A highlights archive may use a previous format or title sponsor. Use the 2026/27 organiser explanation for this season’s route and current match details for the appointment. Then consult the actual territorial coverage. A competition mark on this site is an editorial reference and does not establish an included membership or service carriage.
Questions, answered
Does every fourth-placed club automatically advance in 2026/27?
No. Three per pool qualify directly, with four further places allocated across the pools by match points.
Does each club play all five pool opponents twice?
The current format gives each club four different opponents, home or away.