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.
Teams
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.[3][4]
The distribution of teams are:
- England: two teams
- France: six teams
- Georgia: one team
- Ireland, Italy, South Africa and Wales: eight teams
- South Africa: one further team
- One team, invited, the South African team, Cheetahs, playing their home games in the Netherlands.[5]
At the knockout stage, a further four teams will enter the competition from the 2025-26 European Rugby Champions Cup.
Team details
| Team
|
Coach /
Director of Rugby
|
Captain
|
Stadium
|
Capacity
|
Method of qualification
|
| Entering at Pool stage
|
| Black Lion
|
vacant
|
Mikheil Babunashvili
|
Mikheil Meskhi Stadium
|
27,223
|
Invited
|
| Benetton
|
Calum MacRae
|
Michele Lamaro
|
Stadio Comunale di Monigo
|
5,000
|
URC bottom eight (10th)
|
| Cardiff
|
Matt Sherratt
|
Liam Belcher
|
Cardiff Arms Park
|
12,125
|
URC bottom eight (9th)
|
| Cheetahs
|
François Steyn
|
Victor Sekekete
|
NRCA Stadium
|
5,000
|
Invited
|
| Connacht
|
Stuart Lancaster
|
Cian Prendergast
|
Dexcom Stadium
|
8,129
|
URC bottom eight (13th)
|
| Dragons
|
Filo Tiatia
|
Ben Carter
|
Rodney Parade
|
8,700
|
URC bottom eight (16th)
|
| Exeter Chiefs
|
Rob Baxter
|
Jack Yeandle
|
Sandy Park
|
15,600
|
Premiership bottom two (9th)
|
| Lions
|
Ivan van Rooyen
|
Francke Horn
|
Emirates Airline Park
|
62,567
|
URC bottom eight (11th)
|
| Lyon
|
Karim Ghezal
|
Baptiste Couilloud
|
Mahmut Stadium
|
25,000
|
Top 14 bottom six (11th)
|
| Montauban
|
Sébastien Calvet
|
Fred Quercy
|
Stade Sapiac
|
9,210
|
Pro D2 Champions
|
| Montpellier
|
Joan Caudullo
|
Lenni Nouchi
|
GGL Stadium
|
15,697
|
Top 14 bottom six (9th)
|
| Newcastle Red Bulls
|
Steve Diamond
|
George McGuigan
|
Kingston Park
|
11,200
|
Premiership bottom two (10th)
|
| Ospreys
|
Mark Jones
|
Jac Morgan
|
Dunraven Brewery Field
|
8,000
|
URC bottom eight (12th)
|
| Perpignan
|
Mathieu Cidre
|
Jerónimo de la Fuente
|
Stade Aimé Giral
|
14,593
|
Top 14 bottom six (13th)
|
| Racing 92
|
Patrice Collazo
|
Jordan Joseph
|
Paris La Défense Arena
Stade Dominique Duvauchelle
|
30,680
12,150
|
Top 14 bottom six (10th)
|
| Stade Français
|
Paul Gustard
|
Paul Gabrillagues
|
Stade Jean-Bouin
|
20,000
|
Top 14 bottom six (12th)
|
| Ulster
|
Richie Murphy
|
Iain Henderson
|
Affidea Stadium
|
18,196
|
URC bottom eight (14th)
|
| Zebre Parma
|
Massimo Brunello
|
Giovanni Licata
|
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
|
5,000
|
URC bottom eight (15th)
|
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.
Pool stage
Pool 1
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.
Pool 2
Source: EPCR
[7]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
[8]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.
Knockout stage
The knockout stage will begin with a single-leg round of 16 matches, consisting of the top 4 teams from each pool, and the teams ranked 5th in each pool of the 2025–26 European Rugby Champions Cup. The round of 16 follows a pre-determined format, while the quarter-finals and semi-finals guarantee home advantage to the higher-ranked team.
Bracket
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
| Higher-ranked team home venue |
| Higher-ranked team home venue |
| Higher-ranked team home venue |
| Higher-ranked team home venue |
Semi-finals
| Higher-ranked team home venue |
| Higher-ranked team home venue |
Final
References
|
|---|
|
| 2025–26 teams | |
|---|
European Challenge Cup
(1996–2014) | |
|---|
European Rugby Challenge Cup
(2014–2021) | |
|---|
EPCR Challenge Cup
(2021–present) | |
|---|
| Qualification play-offs | | Continental Shield | |
|---|
| Play-offs | |
|---|
|
|---|