Champions Cup Draw: Northampton and Bath Face Bulls and Montpellier in Same Pool

The pool stage draw for European rugby's Champions Cup has been completed. Northampton and Bath will face a challenging Pool Four next season alongside South African side Pretoria Bulls and Montpellier. The tournament begins in October, with the final week taking place in Lyon, France in May.

The pool stage draw for next season's European rugby Champions Cup has been completed, with English clubs Northampton Saints and Bath Rugby drawn into the same tight Pool Four. They will face strong opposition: South African side Pretoria Bulls and French Top 14 runners-up Montpellier.

Who plays whom?

Bulls had lost to Leinster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) final in June, while Montpellier finished as runners-up in the French league final, losing to Toulouse. The four teams are completed by Top 14 semi-finalists Stade Français and Cardiff, who finished top of the URC.

Other compelling pool matches await in Pool Three, where Bristol Bears meet domestic rivals Gloucester and Munster, plus defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles. The French side won their last encounter with these opponents in January at Bristol's Ashton Gate by a narrow margin. Pool One sees Leinster, Leicester, Sale Sharks and Glasgow face off against each other, while Pool Two features Toulouse, winners of four consecutive French titles, alongside Saracens, Exeter Chiefs and Connacht.

Challenge Cup and tournament format

In the second-tier Challenge Cup, Harlequins have been drawn alongside Toulon, Edinburgh and Ospreys. Newcastle Red Bulls will play in Pool Two with Scarlets, Benetton and Sharks. Ulster face French opposition in Bayonne and Perpignan, plus the Dragons.

In the Champions Cup, each club plays four matches in their pool against opponents from other leagues. The three best-placed teams from each of the four pools advance to the knockout stages, with finishing in the top two secures a home advantage in the Round of 16. Additionally, the four teams with the best points total across all pools also enter the knockout stages.

The season begins earlier than before, with the first pool matches taking place on 16-18 October. The final week of both tournaments will be held in Lyon, France in May. The schedule for crucial matches decided by home advantage will be released later this month.