Return to multi-pool format as Champions Cup revamp announced
REIGNING CHAMPS: The La Rochelle team celebrate after lifting the Champions Cup in May. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
The Heineken Champions Cup will have a new structure for the 2023/24 season with a return to the more traditional multi-pool format.
For the last three seasons the competition has operated with two pools of 12 with 16 of the 24 teams reaching the knock-out stages.
The format was heavily criticised for lacking jeopardy and after a consultation period, EPCR have revealed details of the revamp.
There will be now be four pools of six with the top four teams in each pool qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Champions Cup.
The team which finishes in fifth spot in the pool will advance to the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.
The top eight sides from the French Top 14, English Premiership, and URC will compete in next season's Champions Cup.
The pool draws for the 2023/24 tournaments will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday June 21.
URC champions Munster will be among the Tier 1 sides along with reigning Champions Cup winners La Rochelle, Premiership champions Saracens and either Toulouse or Leinster.
Should Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle win the Top 14 final on Saturday, then Champions Cup runners-up Leinster will be in Tier 1. Should Toulouse win the Bouclier de Brennus, however, they will be in Tier 1 with Leinster one of the 20 sides in Tier 2.
Tier 2 sides will be either drawn or allocated into the four pools by means of an ‘open’ draw with the following in-built key principles:
- There can only be a maximum of two clubs from the same league in each pool.
- Clubs from the same URC Shield cannot be in the same pool. Therefore, the Irish qualifiers – Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht – will each be in a different pool, and similarly, the DHL Stormers and the Vodacom Bulls from South Africa will be kept apart during the draw.
- There will be no matches between clubs from the same league, so for the purposes of creating the fixtures, each club will play four matches against four different clubs who are not from the same league either home or away during the pool stage.
Both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup will be played over eight weekends with four pool stage rounds and four knock-out stage rounds culminating in the finals which will be staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next May.
EPCR Chairman Dominic McKay said: “We are delighted to announce the new format for the 2023/24 season. We’ve been working hard with our Leagues and key stakeholders to ensure we have the right competition structures – for players and clubs, but also crucially for the supporters.
“Our focus has always been to ensure everyone can easily understand, engage with and follow our tournaments and to ensure we have a structure that creates real sporting jeopardy in as many games as possible.
“We reached this conclusion following a thorough process in which we engaged with stakeholders in a meaningful way – not just our Leagues and unions, but also our broadcasters, partners and around 1,000 rugby enthusiasts to get their views.
“We will continue to work with our stakeholders to look at ways in which we can improve both tournaments, which is at the heart of our strategy and commitment to fans, clubs and partners.
“Our competitions truly are the pinnacle of club rugby, and we have to ensure it remains in that position, engaging and enthralling existing and new audiences along the way.”
TOP 14 – Stade Rochelais, Stade Toulousain, Racing 92, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Lyon, Stade Français Paris, RC Toulon, Aviron Bayonnais
GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Saracens, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Bath Rugby, Bristol Bears
BKT UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – Munster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Leinster Rugby, Ulster Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby
Round 1 – 8/9/10 December 2023
Round 2 – 15/16/17 December 2023
Round 3 – 12/13/14 January 2024
Round 4 – 19/20/21 January 2024
Round of 16 – 5/6/7 April 2024
Quarter-finals – 12/13/14 April 2024
Semi-finals – 3/4/5 May 2024
EPCR Challenge Cup final – Friday 24 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Champions Cup final – Saturday 25 May 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
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