Who will succeed Union Bordeaux-Bègles, winners of the Champions Cup on 24 May after beating Northampton in the final (20-28)? It is of course impossible to answer that question yet, but we at least know what the pool stage will look like for the 24 clubs involved, just as we now know the three groups of six teams in the Challenge Cup. The draw was made by EPCR on Tuesday 1 July in Cardiff. Some outfits have come out of it well, others far less so: here is the full Champions Cup and Challenge Cup draw.
The Champions Cup pools: UBB and Northampton meet again
| POOL 1 | POOL 2 | POOL 3 | POOL 4 |
| Toulouse | Bath | Leinster | Bordeaux-Bègles |
| Clermont | Toulon | Leicester | Scarlets |
| Sharks | Munster | Harlequins | Bristol |
| Saracens | Castres | La Rochelle | Pau |
| Glasgow | Edinburgh | Bayonne | Northampton |
| Sale | Gloucester | Stormers | Bulls |
As (too) often, Stade Rochelais have once again been handed Leinster, in a Pool 3 that also features Aviron Bayonnais and looks very tough on paper. Beaten finalists in May, UBB and Northampton will get the chance to cross paths again as early as the group stage. They are in Group 4, which you might describe as open and potentially manageable for the other French club, Section Paloise, who look like the minnows of this competition.
The Challenge Cup pools: something meaty for the Paris-region clubs
| POOL 1 | POOL 2 | POOL 3 |
| Ospreys | Lyon | Cheetahs |
| Zebre | Newcastle | Cardiff |
| Montpellier | Dragons | Racing 92 |
| Montauban | Treviso | Exeter |
| Black Lion | Lions | Stade français |
| Connacht | Perpignan | Ulster |
Used to playing in the Champions Cup, Racing 92 will this year come up against opponents they were accustomed to facing in previous years, such as Exeter or Ulster. Those teams should be their main rivals in a very Paris-flavoured Pool 3 that also contains Stade français.
Worth noting that Montauban, back in the top flight after 15 years away, will ease themselves back into the smaller European cup fairly gently with Zebre and Black Lion, opponents “within their reach”.
The European season starts on the weekend of 5, 6 and 7 December. The finals will take place on 22 and 23 May in Bilbao.
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