2014/15 EPCR Pool Draws
Recently crowned Aviva Premiership champions, Northampton Saints, have been drawn in Pool 5 of the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup following the pool draws for EPCR’s new tournaments which took place today (Tuesday, 10 June) in Neuchatel, Switzerland.
Saints will face Racing Metro 92, Ospreys and Benetton Treviso when the 20th season of European club rugby kicks off in October while the top seeds from the Aviva Premiership, Saracens, will be up against two-time European champions, Munster Rugby, ASM Clermont Auvergne and Sale Sharks in a heavyweight Pool 1.
Leinster Rugby, who were the number one-ranked club from the Pro12, take on Castres Olympique, Harlequins and London Wasps in Pool 2, with the number two-ranked club from the Pro12, Glasgow Warriors, drawn in Pool 4 against Montpellier, Bath Rugby and Toulouse.
The highest-ranked Welsh club in the draw, Ospreys, find themselves in Pool 5, while reigning European and Top 14 champions, RC Toulon, will face Leicester Tigers, Ulster Rugby and Scarlets in a massively competitive Pool 3 of EPCR’s elite tournament.
Exeter Chiefs, the number one-ranked Aviva Premiership club in the 2014/15 European Rugby Challenge Cup, find themselves in Pool 2 along with Bayonne, Connacht Rugby and La Rochelle.
The pool draws for both the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup were compered by Craig Doyle of BT Sports and Raphael Ibanez, and conducted by three-time European tournament winner, Simon Shaw, and Scott Quinnell of Sky Sports.
For the first time, the competing clubs from the Aviva Premiership, the Top 14 and the Pro12 qualified on merit.
The draws, held in Neuchatel which will be EPCR’s new headquarters, were broadcast live on BTsport.com, Sky Sports News, TG4 and Infosport + and streamed live on epcrugby.com
2014/15 European Rugby Champions Cup
Pool 1: Saracens, Munster Rugby, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Sale Sharks
Pool 2: Leinster Rugby, Castres Olympique, Harlequins, London Wasps
Pool 3: RC Toulon, Leicester Tigers, Ulster Rugby, Scarlets
Pool 4: Glasgow Warriors, Montpellier, Bath Rugby, Toulouse
Pool 5: Northampton Saints, Racing Metro 92, Ospreys, Benetton Treviso
2014/15 European Rugby Challenge Cup
Pool 1: Cardiff Blues, London Irish, Grenoble, FIRA-AER 1
Pool 2: Exeter Chiefs, Bayonne, Connacht Rugby, La Rochelle
Pool 3: Stade Francais Paris, NG Dragons, Newcastle Falcons, FIRA-AER 2
Pool 4: Edinburgh Rugby, Bordeaux-Begles, London Welsh, Lyon
Pool 5: Gloucester Rugby, Brive, Zebre, Oyonnax
Pool stage dates
Round 1: 16/17/18/19 October 2014
Round 2: 23/24/25/26 October 2014
Round 3: 4/5/6/7 December 2014
Round 4: 11/12/13/14 December 2014
Round 5: 15/16/17/18 January 2015
Round 6: 22/23/24/25 January 2015