Investec Champions Cup: Round of 16 draw confirmed as path to Bilbao emerges
Champions Cup trophy.
The Investec Champions Cup round of 16 draw has now been confirmed, with the knock-out stages getting underway in April.
Following the end of the pool stage, the top four teams from each group have progressed through to the knock-out rounds, with the top two from each also securing home ties on April 3, 4 and 5.
Elsewhere, the Sharks, Munster, La Rochelle and Pau will now compete in the EPCR Challenge Cup, after finishing fifth in their respective pools.
Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 ties confirmed
Reigning Investec Champions Cup champions Bordeaux-Begles come through the pool stages as the top seed across the competition, finishing with a maximum points tally of 20 across their four group fixtures, and they are set to take on 16th-seed Leicester Tigers in the next round.
Second-seed Glasgow Warriors, who also finished on maximum points at the end of the pool stages, will take on the 15th-seed Bulls in an all-United Rugby Championship tie, which is a repeat of the 2024 URC final between the sides. Four-time European champions Leinster will also face URC opposition in the next round, taking on 14th-seed Edinburgh.
There are also two all-PREM fixtures in the Round of 16, with fourth-seed Bath hosting 13th-seed Saracens at the Rec, while sixth-seed Harlequins take on 11th-seed Sale Sharks.
Fellow PREM side, Northampton Saints, tackle Top 14 outfit Castres at Franklin’s Gardens, after finishing as the fifth seed after the pool stages, while seventh-seed Toulon and eighth-seed Toulouse host the Stormers and Bristol Bears respectively in the next round.
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After the Round of 16 is played, the seedings will remain in place with the highest-ranked seed securing home advantage for the quarter-final ties, which take place on the weekend of April 10, 11 and 12.
They also play a key role for the semi-finals, too, with the two highest-seeded teams also getting home country advantage in the last four. Those fixtures will take place on the weekend of May 1, 2 and 3.
Rounding off the competition, the two remaining sides will then head to Bilbao for the showpiece final, to be played on Saturday, May 23.
Investec Champions Cup knock-out stages in full
*Club seedings in brackets
Round of 16: Fixtures to be played on April 3, 4, 5
R16 1: Union Bordeaux-Bègles (1) v Leicester Tigers (16)
R16 2: Glasgow Warriors (2) v Vodacom Bulls (15)
R16 3: Leinster Rugby (3) v Edinburgh Rugby (14)
R16 4: Bath Rugby (4) v Saracens (13)
R16 5: Northampton Saints (5) v Castres Olympique (12)
R16 6: Harlequins (6) v Sale Sharks (11)
R16 7: RC Toulon (7) v DHL Stormers (10)
R16 8: Stade Toulousain (8) v Bristol Bears (9)
NB: The clubs ranked numbers 1 to 8 will have home venue advantage
Quarter-finals: Fixtures to be played April 10/11/12
QF 1: Winner R16 1 v Winner R16 8
QF 2: Winner R16 2 v Winner R16 7
QF 3: Winner R16 3 v Winner R16 6
QF 4: Winner R16 4 v Winner R16 5
NB: The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage
Semi-finals: Fixtures to be played on May 1, 2, 3
SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4
SF 2: Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3
NB: The matches will be played in Europe, and where relevant, the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home country advantage
2026 Investec Champions Cup Final: Saturday, May 23; San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao