Champions Cup Round 1: All You Need to Know

The Investec Champions Cup is back - but just for one week.

In a change to recent scheduling, the EPCR has brought the opening round of the competition to October, with one more to follow in December, with the second half of the pool stage played across back-to-back weekends in January.

This year we have three provinces competing, with Leinster and Munster joined by Connacht, who are back at the top table of European rugby for the first time since 2023/24, while Ulster must settle for another season of Challenge Cup rugby.

All four of the provinces are in action on a busy Saturday in the opening week of the tournament.