Gloucester Rugby is set to make a return to the Investec Champions Cup in the 2025/26 season after finishing fifth in the Gallagher Premiership last year. This achievement secures their spot back in Europe’s premier club rugby competition.
The upcoming season’s Investec Champions Cup will feature 24 clubs drawn from three leading leagues: the French Top 14, Gallagher Premiership, and United Rugby Championship (URC). These teams will be divided into four pools of six, each pool containing two teams from each league.
In line with competition rules, no matches will occur between clubs from the same league during the pool stages. Each club will play four fixtures against clubs from the other leagues, with a mix of home and away games to come.
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Gloucester finds itself in Pool 2 alongside formidable French side Toulon, Irish champions Munster—whom Gloucester will also face in a pre-season encounter—Castres Olympique, and Edinburgh Rugby. Bath, another West Country rival, was also drawn in Pool 2, but the competition format ensures they will not meet in the pool stages.
The full schedule, including specific dates and opponents for Gloucester’s first European fixtures kicking off in December 2025, will be announced soon.
As in previous seasons, Premier Sports will hold the lead broadcasting rights for the Investec Champions Cup.
Below are key dates for the 2025/26 Champions Cup season:
- Round 1: 5–7 December 2025
- Round 2: 12–14 December 2025
- Round 3: 9–11 January 2026
- Round 4: 16–18 January 2026
- Round of 16: 3–5 April 2026
- Quarter-finals: 10–12 April 2026
- Semi-finals: 1–3 May 2026
Gloucester Rugby fans can look forward to competitive and exciting European rugby as the club takes on some of the continent’s best teams.