European Rugby Champions Cup

Last updated

Investec Champions Cup
Current season or competition:
Rugby football current event.svg 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup
InvestecChampionsCupLogo.svg
Sport Rugby union
Inaugural season 1995–96 as Heineken Cup
2014–15 as Champions Cup
ChairmanDominic McKay
Number of teams24
NationsFlag of England.svg  England
Flag of France.svg  France
IRFU flag.svg Ireland
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa (2022–23 season onwards)
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania (1995–96 only)
Holders Flag of France.svg Toulouse (6th title) (2023–24)
Most titles Flag of France.svg Toulouse (6 titles)
Website epcrugby.com/champions-cup
Related competitions

The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Investec Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a predominantly European league. Clubs qualify for the Champions Cup via their final positions in their respective national/regional leagues (English Premiership, French Top 14, and United Rugby Championship) or via winning the second-tier Challenge Cup; those that do not qualify are instead eligible to compete in the second-tier Challenge Cup.

Contents

Between 1995 and 2014, the equivalent competition was known as the Heineken Cup and was run by European Rugby Cup. Following disagreements between its shareholders over the structure and governance of the competition, it was taken over by EPCR and its name was changed to the European Rugby Champions Cup, without title sponsorship. Heineken returned as sponsor for the 2018–19 season, resulting in the competition being known as the Heineken Champions Cup. Although they are technically two separate competitions, run by different organisations, the European Rugby Cup and the European Rugby Champions Cup are recognised as one title chain of elite club championships in Europe, with teams that have won multiple titles ranked, for example, by the aggregate of their wins in both versions.

French clubs have the highest number of victories (12 wins), followed by England (10 wins) and Ireland (7 wins). England has the largest number of winning teams, with six clubs having won the title. The competition has been won by thirteen different clubs, eight of which have won it more than once, and five successfully defended their title including a unique three-in-a-row made by Toulon between 2012–13 and 2014–15. Toulouse is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won it 6 times, including the first season of the tournament in the 1995–96 season. Toulouse are the current European champions, having beaten the second-most successful club, Leinster 22–31 in the 2024 final in London, England. Toulouse completed "the Double" (Heineken Cup/European Rugby Champions Cup-National Championship) 3 times (1995-1996, 2020-2021 and 2023-2024), a record in Europe.

History

Heineken Cup

1995–1999

The Heineken Cup logo used until 2013 Heineken cup.png
The Heineken Cup logo used until 2013

The Heineken Cup was launched in the summer of 1995 on the initiative of the then Five Nations Committee to provide a new level of professional cross border competition. [1] Twelve sides representing Ireland, Wales, Italy, Romania and France competed in four pools of three with the group winners going directly into the semi-finals. [2] English and Scottish teams did not take part in the inaugural competition. [3] From an inauspicious beginning in Romania, where Toulouse defeated Farul Constanţa 54–10 in front of a small crowd, the competition gathered momentum and crowds grew. Toulouse went on to become the first European cup winners, eventually beating Cardiff in extra time in front of a crowd of 21,800 at Cardiff Arms Park. [2]

Clubs from England and Scotland joined the competition in 1996–97. [4] European rugby was further expanded with the advent of the European Challenge Cup for teams that did not qualify for the Heineken Cup. The Heineken Cup now had 20 teams divided into four pools of five. [5] Only Leicester and Brive reached the knock-out stages with 100 per cent records and ultimately made it to the final, Cardiff and Toulouse falling in the semi-finals. After 46 matches, Brive beat Leicester 28–9 in front of a crowd of 41,664 at Cardiff Arms Park, the match watched by an estimated television audience of 35 million in 86 countries. [5]

The season 1997–98 saw the introduction of a home and away format in the pool games. [6] The five pools of four teams, which guaranteed each team a minimum of six games, and the three quarter-final play-off matches all added up to a 70-match tournament. Brive reached the final again but were beaten late in the game by Bath with a penalty kick. Ironically, English clubs had decided to withdraw from the competition in a dispute over the way it was run. [3]

Without English clubs, the 1998–99 tournament revolved around France, Italy and the Celtic nations. Sixteen teams took part in four pools of four. French clubs filled the top positions in three of the groups and for the fourth consecutive year a French club, in the shape of Colomiers from the Toulouse suburbs, reached the final. Despite this it was to be Ulster's year as they beat Toulouse (twice) and reigning French champions Stade Français on their way to the final at Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Ulster then carried home the trophy after a 21–6 win over Colomiers in front of a capacity 49,000 crowd. [6]

1999–2004

English clubs returned in 1999–00. The pool stages were spread over three months to allow the competition to develop alongside the nations' own domestic competitions, and the knockout stages were scheduled to take the tournament into the early spring. For the first time clubs from four nations – England, Ireland, France and Wales – made it through to the semi-finals. Munster's defeat of Toulouse in Bordeaux ended France's record of having contested every final and Northampton Saints' victory over Llanelli made them the third English club to make it to the final. The competition was decided with a final between Munster and Northampton, with Northampton coming out on top by a single point to claim their first major honour. [4]

England supplied two of the 2000–01 semi-finalists – Leicester Tigers and Gloucester – with Munster and French champions Stade Français also reaching the last four. Both semi-finals were close, Munster going down by a point 16–15 to Stade Français in Lille and the Tigers beating Gloucester 19–15 at Vicarage Road, Watford. The final, at Parc des Princes, Paris, attracted a crowd of 44,000 and the result was in the balance right up until the final whistle, but Leicester walked off 34–30 winners.

Munster reached the 2001–02 final with quarter-final and semi-final victories on French soil against Stade Français and Castres. Leicester pipped Llanelli in the last four, after the Scarlets had halted Leicester's 11-match Heineken Cup winning streak in the pool stages. A record crowd saw Leicester become the first side to successfully defend their title. [1]

From 2002, the European Challenge Cup winner now automatically qualified for the Heineken Cup. Toulouse's victory over French rivals Perpignan in 2003 meant that they joined Leicester as the only teams to win the title twice. [1] Toulouse saw a 19-point half-time lead whittled away as the Catalans staged a dramatic comeback in a match in which the strong wind and showers played a major role, but Toulouse survived to win.

In 2003–04 the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) voted to create regions to play in the Celtic League and represent Wales in European competition. Henceforth, Wales entered regional sides rather than the club sides that had previously competed. English side London Wasps had earned their first final appearance by beating Munster 37–32 in a Dublin semi-final while Toulouse triumphed 19–11 in an all-French contest with Biarritz in a packed Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux. The 2004 final saw Wasps defeat defending champions Toulouse 27–20 at Twickenham to win the Heineken Cup for the first time. The match was widely hailed as one of the best finals. With extra time looming at 20–20, a late opportunist try by scrum half Rob Howley settled the contest.

2005–2014

The tenth Heineken Cup final saw the inaugural champions Toulouse battle with rising stars Stade Français when Murrayfield was the first Scottish venue to host the final. [7] Fabien Galthié's Paris side led until two minutes from the end of normal time before Frédéric Michalak levelled the contest for Toulouse with his first penalty strike. He repeated this in the initial stages of extra time and then sealed his side's success with a superb opportunist drop-goal. Toulouse became the first team to win three Heineken Cup titles. [7]

In 2006, Munster defeated Biarritz in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, 23–19. [8] It was third time lucky for the Irish provincial side, who had previously been denied the ultimate prize twice by Northampton and Leicester in finals, in addition to a series of tight semi-final losses. Munster's history of heartbreaking near misses, large away followings and their enduring close connection to the tournament provided much of the romantic narrative of the early years of the competition. [9]

London Wasps celebrate after winning the 2006-07 Heineken Cup Wasps HEC Final 2007.JPG
London Wasps celebrate after winning the 2006–07 Heineken Cup

The 2006–07 Heineken Cup would be distributed to over 100 countries following Pitch International's securing of the rights. [10] That season was the first time in the history of the competition that two teams went unbeaten in pool play, with both Llanelli Scarlets and Biarritz doing so. Biarritz went into their final match at Northampton Saints with a chance to become the first team ever to score bonus-point wins in all their pool matches, but were only able to score two of the four tries needed. Leicester defeated Llanelli Scarlets to move into the final at Twickenham, with the possibility of winning a Treble of championships on the cards, having already won the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the English Premiership. However, Wasps won the final 25 points to 9 in front of a tournament record 81,076 fans. [11]

During competition there was uncertainty over the future of the tournament after the 2006–07 season as French clubs had announced that they would not take part because of fixture congestion following the Rugby World Cup and an ongoing dispute between English clubs and the RFU. [12] [13] It was speculated that league two teams might compete the next season, the RFU saying "If this situation is not resolved, the RFU owes it to the sport to keep this competition going...We have spoken to our FDR clubs, and if they want to compete we will support them.". [14] A subsequent meeting led to the announcement that the tournament would be played in 2007–08, with clubs from all the six nations. On 20 May it was announced that both French and English top-tier teams would be competing [15]

In the 2008 final, Munster won the cup for their second time ever by beating Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Leinster won the title in 2009 in their first ever final after beating Munster in the semi-final in front of a then world record Rugby Union club match attendance in Croke Park. They beat the Leicester Tigers in the final at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. They also beat Harlequins 6–5 in the quarter-finals at Twickenham Stoop, in the famous Bloodgate scandal.

In the 2010 final, Toulouse defeated Biarritz Olympique in the Stade de France to claim their fourth title, a Heineken Cup record.

The 16th Heineken Cup tournament in 2011 resulted in an Irish province lifting the title for the fourth time in six years as Leinster recorded their second triumph in the competition. They defeated former multiple Heineken Cup winners Leicester and Toulouse in the quarter- and semi-finals. At the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, in front of 72,000 spectators, [16] Leinster fought back from a 22–6 half-time deficit in the final against Northampton Saints, scoring 27 unanswered points in 26 second-half minutes, winning 33–22 in one of the tournament's greatest comebacks. Johnny Sexton won the man-of-the-match award, having scored 28 of Leinster's points total, which included two tries, three conversions, and four penalties.

Leinster successfully defended their crown in 2012 at Twickenham, eclipsing fellow Irish province and former champions Ulster 42–14 to establish the highest Heineken Cup final winning margin. The performance broke a number of Heineken Cup Final records. [17] Leinster became only the second team to win back-to-back titles, and the only team ever to win three championships in four years. In addition, the game had the highest attendance at a final (81,774), the highest number of tries (5) and points (42) scored by one team and the highest points difference (28).

The final edition of the tournament as constituted as the Heineken Cup was won for a second time by Toulon at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in May 2014.

Champions Cup

2014–18

The tournament began on 17 October 2014, with Harlequins playing Castres Olympique in the first ever Champions Cup game. Toulon retained their title, beating Clermont 24–18 in a repeat of the 2013 Heineken Cup Final, thereby becoming the first club to win three European titles in a row. [18]

Following the November 2015 Paris attacks, all Round 1 games due to take place in France that weekend were called off, along with the Round 2 fixture between Stade Français and Munster. [19] [20] Rescheduling of some matches was difficult, partly caused by fixture congestion due to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. [21] [22] [23]

Saracens won their first title defeating Racing 92 in Lyon 21–9 in 2016 final and followed it up with their second in 2017, beating Clermont 28–17 in Edinburgh.

In 2017–18 season, Leinster overcame the "pool of death" consisting of Glasgow Warriors (who finished the 2017–18 season top of the Pro14), Montpellier (who finished the 2017–18 season top of the TOP 14) and Exeter (who finished the 2017–18 season top of the English Premiership), beating all three teams both home and away. Leinster went on to face the back to back Champions Saracens, dispatching a defeat at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, to set up a semi-final against reigning Pro12 champions Scarlets. [24] Leinster defeated Scarlets to face Racing 92 in Champions Cup Final in Bilbao. Leinster defeated Racing 92 by a scoreline of 15–12, becoming only the second team in history to earn four European titles. [25] Leinster also won the Pro14 title to become the first Pro14 side to win the domestic-European 'Double'. [26]

Heineken Champions Cup

2018–2020

Saracens won the 2018–19 competition, defeating defending champions Leinster 20–10 in the final. [27] Saracens were in breach of the Premiership salary cap during this edition and the previous year, in which they qualified for the 2018–19 cup. [28] [29] However, the EPCR have confirmed that Premiership ruling will not affect the results of the Heineken Champions Cup for 2018–19 or previous years, stating: "The Saracens decision is based on Gallagher Premiership Rugby regulations and does not affect the club's European record or current status in the Heineken Champions Cup." [30] There were no Saracens representatives at the launch of the 2019–20 competition, held in Cardiff on 6 November 2019. EPCR released a statement saying they were "disappointed to learn of Saracens' decision to make their club representatives unavailable for today's official 2019–20 season launch". [31]

2020–2023

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020–21 competition took on a revised format based on a hybrid of the round-robin and Swiss systems. [32] A similar, but revised 24 team format took place for 2021–22 and 2022-23. [33]

Investec Champions Cup

On 31 August 2023, Investec, a bank and wealth management company with operations in South Africa and Europe, and the European Professional Club Rugby announced Investec would take over as title sponsor of the competition. [34] The tournament moved away from the COVID-19 influenced hybrid system back toward a more straightforward, if still modified, round-robin pool format, while retaining the balance of four pool matches and four knock-out weekends.

Format

Qualification

Typically, a total of 24 teams qualify for the competition, the same number as used to qualify for the Heineken Cup. At least 23 of the 24 teams qualify automatically based on position in their respective leagues. The winner of the Challenge Cup will earn a place regardless of league position.

Team distribution is typically:

20th team qualification (-2020)

Until 2018–19, the final team each season qualified through a play-off competition between the best placed unqualified teams.

  • For the 2014–15 season, this was a two legged play-off between the seventh-placed teams in the Top 14 and the English Premiership. The team with the highest aggregate score over the two legs advancing to the Champions Cup.
  • For the 2015–16 season, there was a three-team play-off; the seventh-placed team in the English Premiership, or the winners of the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup if members of the English Premiership and not already qualified, would play the eighth-placed (or highest non-qualified) team from the Pro14, with the winner playing the seventh-placed team in the Top 14.
  • To facilitate Rugby World Cup 2015, there were no play-offs for the 2016–17 Champions Cup with the 20th place going to the winner of the 2016 Challenge Cup if not already qualified.
  • For 2017–18, the play-off format included four clubs with a second Pro14 club competing. If not already qualified, the winner of the Challenge Cup will take the place in the play-offs of the seventh-ranked club in the English Premiership and Top 14, and will also take the place of the second Pro14 club if applicable. [36]
  • In May 2017, it was announced that, starting with qualification for the 2018–19 Champions Cup, the play-off will be scrapped in favour of awarding the final berth using the following criteria: [35] [36]
  1. Champions Cup winner, if not already qualified.
  2. European Rugby Challenge Cup winner, if not already qualified.
  3. Challenge Cup losing finalist, if not already qualified.
  4. Challenge Cup semi-finalist, if one has not already qualified (or the winner of a play-off between the semi-finalists, if both have not already qualified).
  5. Highest ranked non-qualified club by virtue of league position from the same league as the Champions Cup winner.

Competition

Group stage

For the pool stage teams are placed into pools via a draw. The teams are ranked based on domestic league performance the previous season, and arranged into four tiers. Teams are then drawn from the tiers into pools at random, with the restriction that no team will be drawn in the same pool as another team from the same league and tier. [37] The nature of the draw means that sides will have a relatively even spread of matches across venues, leagues and tiers.

Teams will play the two other teams in their pool from each different league once, at home or away, and match points will be awarded depending on the result of each game, with teams receiving four points for a win, and two for a draw. Teams can also earn bonus points for scoring four or more tries and/or for losing a match by seven points or fewer. [38]

Following the completion of the pool stage, 16 teams qualify for the knock-out stage of the Champions Cup with a further 4 of the remaining 8 dropping into the Challenge Cup. The final four teams are eliminated [39]

Knock-out stage

The sixteen remaining teams are seeded from 1–16 based on performance in their respective pool. The top two teams in each of the four pools gain home advantage in the round of 16, with the teams finishing third and fourth playing away The quarter-finals are unbracketed, and follow the standard 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 format, as found in the Heineken Cup. [38] [ clarification needed ]

The winners of the quarter-finals will contest the two semi-finals, Up to and including the 2014–15 season, matches and home country advantage were determined by a draw by EPCR.

In 2015–16, EPCR decided to put a new procedure in place. In lieu of the draw that used to determine the semi-final pairing, EPCR announced that the fixed semi-final bracket would be set in advance, and that the home team would be designated based on "performances by clubs during the pool stages as well as the achievement of a winning a quarter-final match away from home". Semi-final matches must have been played at a neutral ground in the designated home team's country.

Since 2018–19, the higher-seeded team will have home country/venue advantage for each semi-final regardless of whether they won their quarter-final at home or on the road. [40] The EPCR may now also use its discretion to allow semi-finals to be played at a qualified club's home venue. [41]

The winners of the semi-finals will contest the final, which will be held in May each season. [42]

2020–present

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe the 2020–21 competition took on a revised format. In this edition, the teams were split up into two separate pools of 12, in which they would play four games against opponents from their pool, before the top four teams from each of the two pools advanced to the knockout stage, made up of two-legged quarterfinals, and a single legged semi-finals and final. However, due to the increasing spread of the virus, only two rounds were played before the competition was suspended, and instead the top eight teams from each of the two pools advanced to the knockout stage, with all matches being single-legged affairs.

A similar format remained for 2021–22, with the top eight teams from each of the two pools advancing to the knockout stage, which featured a two-legged Round of 16 before a single-legged quarterfinals, semi-finals and final. The 2022-23 campaign will retain the same pool format, but, like 2020–21, all knockout stage games will be single-legged.

Finals

Twickenham has been the most common venue for the final, holding the event on six occasions. The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff has held five finals, and its predecessor stadium on the same site a further two, but the latter stadium was completely demolished to build the Millennium, and the two are treated as two separate venues. The site, however, holds the record for most finals, seven. The final has been held once in a nation that is not part of the competition; San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao in Spain held the 2018 final. As of 2024 the final has never been held in South Africa or Italy.

Key
Match was won during extra time
Heineken Cup era
SeasonWinnersScoreRunners-upVenueAttReferee
1995–96 Flag of France.svg Toulouse 21–18 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg National Stadium, Cardiff 21,800 IRFU flag.svg David McHugh (Ireland)
1996–97 Flag of France.svg Brive 28–9 Flag of England.svg Leicester Tigers Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg National Stadium, Cardiff 41,664 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Derek Bevan (Wales)
1997–98 Flag of England.svg Bath 19–18 Flag of France.svg Brive Flag of France.svg Parc Lescure, Bordeaux 36,500 Flag of Scotland.svg Jim Fleming (Scotland)
1998–99 IRFU flag.svg Ulster 21–6 Flag of France.svg Colomiers IRFU flag.svg Lansdowne Road, Dublin 49,000 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Clayton Thomas (Wales)
1999–00 Flag of England.svg Northampton Saints 9–8 IRFU flag.svg Munster Flag of England.svg Twickenham, London 68,441 Flag of France.svg Joël Dumé (France)
2000–01 Flag of England.svg Leicester Tigers 34–30 Flag of France.svg Stade Français Flag of France.svg Parc des Princes, Paris 44,000 IRFU flag.svg David McHugh (Ireland)
2001–02 Flag of England.svg Leicester Tigers 15–9 IRFU flag.svg Munster Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 74,600 Flag of France.svg Joël Jutge (France)
2002–03 Flag of France.svg Toulouse 22–17 Flag of France.svg Perpignan IRFU flag.svg Lansdowne Road, Dublin 28,600 Flag of England.svg Chris White (England) Sub off.svg 12'
Flag of England.svg Tony Spreadbury (England) Sub on.svg 12'
2003–04 Flag of England.svg London Wasps 27–20 Flag of France.svg Toulouse Flag of England.svg Twickenham, London 73,057 IRFU flag.svg Alain Rolland (Ireland)
2004–05 Flag of France.svg Toulouse 18–12 Flag of France.svg Stade Français Flag of Scotland.svg Murrayfield, Edinburgh 51,326 Flag of England.svg Chris White (England)
2005–06 IRFU flag.svg Munster 23–19 Flag of France.svg Biarritz Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 74,534 Flag of England.svg Chris White (England)
2006–07 Flag of England.svg London Wasps 25–9 Flag of England.svg Leicester Tigers Flag of England.svg Twickenham, London 81,076 IRFU flag.svg Alan Lewis (Ireland)
2007–08 IRFU flag.svg Munster 16–13 Flag of France.svg Toulouse Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 74,500 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Nigel Owens (Wales)
2008–09 IRFU flag.svg Leinster 19–16 Flag of England.svg Leicester Tigers Flag of Scotland.svg Murrayfield, Edinburgh 66,523 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Nigel Owens (Wales)
2009–10 Flag of France.svg Toulouse 21–19 Flag of France.svg Biarritz Flag of France.svg Stade de France, Saint-Denis 78,962 Flag of England.svg Wayne Barnes (England)
2010–11 IRFU flag.svg Leinster 33–22 Flag of England.svg Northampton Saints Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 72,456 Flag of France.svg Romain Poite (France)
2011–12 IRFU flag.svg Leinster 42–14 IRFU flag.svg Ulster Flag of England.svg Twickenham, London 81,774 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Nigel Owens (Wales)
2012–13 Flag of France.svg Toulon 16–15 Flag of France.svg Clermont IRFU flag.svg Aviva Stadium, Dublin 50,198 IRFU flag.svg Alain Rolland (Ireland)
2013–14 Flag of France.svg Toulon 23–6 Flag of England.svg Saracens Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 67,586 IRFU flag.svg Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Champions Cup era
2014–15 Flag of France.svg Toulon 24–18 Flag of France.svg Clermont Flag of England.svg Twickenham, London 56,622 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Nigel Owens (Wales)
2015–16 Flag of England.svg Saracens 21–9 Flag of France.svg Racing 92 Flag of France.svg Grand Stade de Lyon, Lyon 58,017 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Nigel Owens (Wales)
2016–17 Flag of England.svg Saracens 28–17 Flag of France.svg Clermont Flag of Scotland.svg Murrayfield, Edinburgh 55,272 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Nigel Owens (Wales)
2017–18 IRFU flag.svg Leinster 15–12 Flag of France.svg Racing 92 Flag of Spain.svg San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao 52,282 Flag of England.svg Wayne Barnes (England)
2018–19 Flag of England.svg Saracens 20–10 IRFU flag.svg Leinster Flag of England.svg St James' Park, Newcastle 51,930 Flag of France.svg Jérôme Garcès (France)
2019–20 Flag of England.svg Exeter Chiefs 31–27 Flag of France.svg Racing 92 Flag of England.svg Ashton Gate, Bristol 0 [a] Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Nigel Owens (Wales)
2020–21 Flag of France.svg Toulouse 22–17 Flag of France.svg La Rochelle Flag of England.svg Twickenham, London 10,000 [b] Flag of England.svg Luke Pearce (England)
2021–22 Flag of France.svg La Rochelle 24–21 IRFU flag.svg Leinster Flag of France.svg Orange Vélodrome, Marseille 59,682 Flag of England.svg Wayne Barnes (England)
2022–23 Flag of France.svg La Rochelle 27–26 IRFU flag.svg Leinster IRFU flag.svg Aviva Stadium, Dublin 51,711 Flag of South Africa.svg Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
2023–24 Flag of France.svg Toulouse 31–22 IRFU flag.svg Leinster Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 61,531 Flag of England.svg Matthew Carley (England)

Finals by club

Stade Ernest-Wallon, stadium of the most successful club in the tournament's history Stade Ernest Wallon 2021 cropped.jpg
Stade Ernest-Wallon, stadium of the most successful club in the tournament's history
ClubChampionsRunners-upYears as championsYears as runners-up
Flag of France.svg Toulouse Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg62 1995–96, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2020–21, 2023–24 2003–04, 2007–08
IRFU flag.svg Leinster Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg44 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2017–18 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
Flag of England.svg Saracens Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg31 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19 2013–14
Flag of France.svg Toulon Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg30 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
Flag of England.svg Leicester Tigers Star full.svgStar full.svg23 2000–01, 2001–02 1996–97, 2006–07, 2008–09
IRFU flag.svg Munster Star full.svgStar full.svg22 2005–06, 2007–08 1999–00, 2001–02
Flag of France.svg La Rochelle Star full.svgStar full.svg21 2021–22, 2022–23 2020–21
Flag of England.svg Wasps Star full.svgStar full.svg20 2003–04, 2006–07
Flag of France.svg Brive Star full.svg11 1996–97 1997–98
IRFU flag.svg Ulster Star full.svg11 1998–99 2011–12
Flag of England.svg Northampton Saints Star full.svg11 1999–00 2010–11
Flag of England.svg Bath Star full.svg10 1997–98
Flag of England.svg Exeter Chiefs Star full.svg10 2019–20
Flag of France.svg Clermont 03 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17
Flag of France.svg Racing 92 03 2015–16, 2017–18, 2019–20
Flag of France.svg Stade Français 02 2000–01, 2004–05
Flag of France.svg Biarritz 02 2005–06, 2009–10
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Cardiff 01 1995–96
Flag of France.svg Colomiers 01 1998–99
Flag of France.svg Perpignan 01 2002–03

Wins by nation

NationWinnersRunners-up
Flag of France.svg France 1216
Flag of England.svg England 105
IRFU flag.svg Ireland 77
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales 01
Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland 00
Flag of Italy.svg Italy 00
Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 00

Records and statistics

Player records

Note that in the case of career statistics, only those clubs for which each player appeared in European Cup fixtures (i.e. Heineken Cup or Champions Cup) are listed.

Career records

Up to date as of 31 May 2024 [44]

Tries
Chris Ashton playing for Saracens in 2015 Chris Ashton 2015-10-09.jpg
Chris Ashton playing for Saracens in 2015
RankPlayerClub(s)Tries
1 Flag of England.svg Chris Ashton Northampton Saints, Saracens, Toulon, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers 41
2 Flag of France.svg Vincent Clerc Toulouse 36
3 IRFU flag.svg Simon Zebo Munster, Racing 35
4 IRFU flag.svg Brian O'Driscoll Leinster 33
Flag of Argentina.svg Juan Imhoff Racing 92 33
6 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dafydd James Pontypridd, Llanelli, Bridgend, Celtic Warriors, Harlequins, Scarlets 29
IRFU flag.svg Tommy Bowe Ulster, Ospreys 29
8 IRFU flag.svg Shane Horgan Leinster 27
IRFU flag.svg Andrew Trimble Ulster 27
IRFU flag.svg James Lowe Leinster 27
  • Players in BOLD still playing for an EPCR qualified team.
Points
Ronan O'Gara (background) playing for Munster in 2013 ROGMunsterQuins(cropped).jpg
Ronan O'Gara (background) playing for Munster in 2013
RankPlayerClub(s)Points
1 IRFU flag.svg Ronan O'Gara Munster 1,365
2 Flag of England.svg Owen Farrell Saracens 874
3 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Stephen Jones Llanelli, Clermont Auvergne, Scarlets 869
4 IRFU flag.svg Johnny Sexton Leinster, Racing Métro 92 784
5 Flag of France.svg Dimitri Yachvili Biarritz 661
6 Flag of Italy.svg Diego Domínguez Milan, Stade Français 645
7 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dan Biggar Ospreys, Northampton Saints, Toulon 634
8 Flag of France.svg Morgan Parra Bourgoin, Clermont Auvergne 569
9 IRFU flag.svg David Humphreys Ulster 564
10 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Leigh Halfpenny Cardiff Blues, Toulon, Scarlets, Harlequins 523
  • Players in BOLD still playing for an EPCR qualified team.
Goals

The number of goals includes both penalties and conversions.

Ronan O'Gara playing for Munster in 2006 RonanOGaraKicking(cropped).jpg
Ronan O'Gara playing for Munster in 2006
RankPlayerClub(s)Goals
1 IRFU flag.svg Ronan O'Gara Munster 488
2 Flag of England.svg Owen Farrell Saracens, Racing Métro 92 352
3 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Stephen Jones Llanelli, Clermont Auvergne, Scarlets 313
4 IRFU flag.svg Johnny Sexton Leinster, Racing Métro 92 294
5 Flag of France.svg Dimitri Yachvili Biarritz 235
6 Flag of Italy.svg Diego Domínguez Milan, Stade Français 231
7 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dan Biggar Ospreys, Northampton Saints, Toulon 223
8 Flag of France.svg Morgan Parra Clermont, Bourgoin 220
9 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Leigh Halfpenny Cardiff Blues, Toulon, Scarlets, Harlequins 176
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Neil Jenkins Pontypridd, Cardiff RFC, Celtic Warriors 176
  • Players in BOLD still playing for an EPCR qualified team.
Appearances
Ronan O'Gara (red) playing for Munster in 2013 O'GaraPassingHeinekenCup(cropped).jpg
Ronan O'Gara (red) playing for Munster in 2013
RankPlayerClub(s)Games
1 IRFU flag.svg Cian Healy Leinster 112
2 IRFU flag.svg Ronan O'Gara Munster 110
3 IRFU flag.svg Gordon D'Arcy Leinster 104
4 IRFU flag.svg John Hayes Munster 101
IRFU flag.svg Peter Stringer Munster, Saracens, Bath, Sale 101
6 Flag of England.svg Richard Wigglesworth Sale Sharks, Saracens 99
7 IRFU flag.svg Donncha O'Callaghan Munster 97
8 Flag of France.svg Clément Poitrenaud Toulouse 96
9 IRFU flag.svg Leo Cullen Leinster, Leicester Tigers 92
10 Flag of France.svg Benjamin Kayser Stade Francais, Leicester Tigers, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne 90
  • Players in BOLD still playing for an EPCR qualified team.
Titles

Up to date as of 31 May 2024 [45]

RankTitles WonPlayerClub(s)Years Won
16 Flag of France.svg Frédéric Michalak Toulouse (3)
Toulon (3)
2003, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014,* 2015*
24 Flag of France.svg Cédric Heymans Brive (1)
Toulouse (3)
1997, 2003, 2005, 2010
IRFU flag.svg Cian Healy Leinster (4) 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018
Flag of Fiji.svg Isa Nacewa Leinster (4) 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018
IRFU flag.svg Johnny Sexton Leinster (4) 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018
IRFU flag.svg Devin Toner Leinster (4) 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018
*Titles inclusive of any season in which a player played during the tournament even if they did not appear in the final.
  • Players in BOLD still playing for an EPCR qualified team.

Single season records

Single season records up to date as of 20 December 2023 [46]

Tries
Chris Ashton warming up with Saracens in 2014 Chris Ashton 4882 - crop.jpg
Chris Ashton warming up with Saracens in 2014
RankPlayerClubSeasonTries
1 Flag of England.svg Chris Ashton Saracens 2013–14 [47] 11
2 Flag of France.svg Sébastien Carrat Brive 1996–97 [48] 10
IRFU flag.svg James Lowe Leinster 2021–2210
4 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Matthew Robinson Swansea 2000–01 [49] 9
5 IRFU flag.svg Shane Horgan Leinster 2004–05 [50] 8
Flag of Fiji.svg Timoci Matanavou Toulouse 2011–12 [51]
Flag of Fiji.svg Napolioni Nalaga Clermont 2012–13 [52]
Flag of England.svg Sam Simmonds Exeter Chiefs 2019–20
9(Several players tied)7
Points
Diego Dominguez at an Italy game in 2021 Diego Dominguez Roma 2021.jpg
Diego Domínguez at an Italy game in 2021
RankPlayerClubSeasonPoints
1 Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Argentina.svg Diego Domínguez Stade Français 2000–01 [53] 188
2 Flag of England.svg Tim Stimpson Leicester Tigers 2000–01 [53] 152
3 IRFU flag.svg Simon Mason Ulster 1998–99 [54] 144
4 IRFU flag.svg Johnny Sexton Leinster 2010–11 [55] 138
5 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Lee Jarvis Cardiff 1997–98 [56] 134
6 IRFU flag.svg Ronan O'Gara Munster 1999–00 [57] 131
7 Flag of England.svg Jonathan Callard Bath 1997–98 [56] 129
Flag of Argentina.svg Felipe Contepomi Leinster 2005–06 [58]
IRFU flag.svg Ronan O'Gara Munster 2001–02 [59]
10 IRFU flag.svg Ronan O'Gara Munster 2000–01 [53] 127
Flag of England.svg Owen Farrell Saracens 2015–16127

European Player of the Year

The European Player of the Year award was introduced by ERC in 2010. Ronan O'Gara received the inaugural award, being recognised as the best player over the first 15 years of ERC tournaments. [60] Following the creation of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the new organisers, EPCR, continued to award a Player of the Year accolade, with the first going to Clermont full-back Nick Abendanon. In the 2016/17 season it was announced that the award would change name to the Anthony Foley Memorial Award after the passing of Munster Head Coach. The first winner of this since the change in title was Saracens fly half Owen Farrell. [61]

YearPlayerClubReference
2010 IRFU flag.svg Ronan O'Gara IRFU flag.svg Munster [62]
2011 IRFU flag.svg Seán O'Brien IRFU flag.svg Leinster [63]
2012 IRFU flag.svg Rob Kearney IRFU flag.svg Leinster [64]
2013 Flag of England.svg Jonny Wilkinson Flag of France.svg Toulon [65]
2014 Flag of England.svg Steffon Armitage Flag of France.svg Toulon [66]
2015 Flag of England.svg Nick Abendanon Flag of France.svg Clermont [67]
2016 Flag of England.svg Maro Itoje Flag of England.svg Saracens [68]
2017 Flag of England.svg Owen Farrell Flag of England.svg Saracens [69]
2018 Flag of Fiji.svg Leone Nakarawa Flag of France.svg Racing 92 [70]
2019 Flag of England.svg Alex Goode Flag of England.svg Saracens [71]
2020 Flag of England.svg Sam Simmonds Flag of England.svg Exeter [72]
2021 Flag of France.svg Antoine Dupont Flag of France.svg Toulouse [73]
2022 IRFU flag.svg Josh van der Flier IRFU flag.svg Leinster [74]
2023 Flag of France.svg Grégory Alldritt Flag of France.svg La Rochelle [75]
2024 Flag of France.svg Antoine Dupont Flag of France.svg Toulouse [76]

Title-winning coaches

Guy Noves, the only coach to have won the tournament on four occasions GuyNovesSTCAB2012(cropped).jpg
Guy Novès, the only coach to have won the tournament on four occasions
Bernard Laporte, the only coach to have won the tournament three times in a row Bernard Laporte - US Oyonnax vs. Rugby Club Toulonnais, 3rd October 2014.jpg
Bernard Laporte, the only coach to have won the tournament three times in a row
No. of winsCoachClub(s)
4 Flag of France.svg Guy Novès Flag of France.svg Toulouse (1996, 2003, 2005, 2010)
3 Flag of France.svg Bernard Laporte Flag of France.svg Toulon (2013, 2014, 2015)
IRFU flag.svg Mark McCall Flag of England.svg Saracens (2016, 2017, 2019)
2 Flag of England.svg Dean Richards Flag of England.svg Leicester Tigers (2001, 2002)
IRFU flag.svg Declan Kidney IRFU flag.svg Munster (2006, 2008)
Flag of New Zealand.svg Joe Schmidt IRFU flag.svg Leinster (2011, 2012)
IRFU flag.svg Ronan O'Gara Flag of France.svg La Rochelle (2022, 2023)
Flag of France.svg Ugo Mola Flag of France.svg Toulouse (2021, 2024)
1 Flag of France.svg Laurent Seigne Flag of France.svg Brive (1997)
Flag of England.svg Andy Robinson Flag of England.svg Bath (1998)
IRFU flag.svg Harry Williams IRFU flag.svg Ulster (1999)
Flag of England.svg John Steele Flag of England.svg Northampton Saints (2000)
Flag of New Zealand.svg Warren Gatland Flag of England.svg London Wasps (2004)
Flag of Scotland.svg Ian McGeechan Flag of England.svg London Wasps (2007)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Michael Cheika IRFU flag.svg Leinster (2009)
IRFU flag.svg Leo Cullen IRFU flag.svg Leinster (2018)
Flag of England.svg Rob Baxter Flag of England.svg Exeter Chiefs (2020)

Sponsorship and suppliers

Sponsors

During the creation of the Champions Cup, former organisers ERC had been criticised for "failing to maximise the commercial potential" of the Heineken Cup. New organisers EPCR pledged to move from a single title sponsor format to a Champions League-style partner system, with 2–3 primary partners projected for the inaugural tournament and 5 being the ultimate target. However, only Heineken agreed to sign up for the 2014–15 season, at a much reduced price from that which they had been paying previously. [77] [78]

Principal partners

Heineken, who had sponsored the Heineken Cup since 1995, signed on as the first partner for the Champions Cup in 2014, and were credited as the Founding Partner of European Rugby. They returned to the competition as title sponsors in 2018, resulting in it being renamed as the "Heineken Champions Cup". [79] Due to French restrictions on alcohol advertising, it is known as the "H Cup" in France. [80]
Announced as the second principal partner at the 2015–16 tournament launch, signing on for three seasons [81]

Suppliers

Gilbert ball used in the 2015-16 season GilbertBallERCC2015.jpg
Gilbert ball used in the 2015–16 season

Trophy

The European Rugby Champions Cup trophy was unveiled in October 2014. [82]

Crafted by Thomas Lyte, [83] the trophy is made of mixed metals including sterling silver and 18ct gold plating. The cup is designed around the idea of the star representing European rugby, including the previous 19 seasons of European rugby, as the Heineken Cup.

The 13.5 kg, five-handled trophy, creates a star shape when viewed from the top, while when viewed from the side, the top of the trophy has a coronet effect, which designers said was to reflect the crowning of the Kings of Europe. The base of the trophy contains the crests of the 10 clubs that won the Heineken Cup, to further reinforce the link between the old and new European competitions [84]

Media coverage

European broadcasters
TerritoryRights holder
AustriaMore Than Sports [85]
Baltic states Viaplay [85]
France
Georgia Rugby TV
GermanyMore Than Sports [85]
Ireland
Italy
Malta GO [85]
Netherlands Viaplay [85]
Nordic countries Viaplay [85]
Poland Polsat [85]
Portugal SportTV [85]
Romania Digi [85]
Spain Movistar [85]
SwitzerlandMore Than Sports [85]
United Kingdom
Other territories epcrugby.tv [85]
Worldwide broadcasters
TerritoryRights holder
Australia beIN Sports [85]
Canada FloSports [85]
Caribbean SportsMax [85]
Latin America (including Brazil) ESPN [85]
New Zealand Sky [87]
Pacific Islands Digicel [85]
Southeast Asia Premier Sports [85]
Sub-Saharan Africa (including South Africa) SuperSport [86]
United States FloSports [86]
Other territories epcrugby.tv [85]

Radio partnerships:

For other territories without official broadcasters, Heineken Champions Cup games are available on EPCR's broadcast platform epcrugby.tv . [85] Between seasons 2014–15 and 2017–18, EPCR was criticised for forcing British and Irish fans to subscribe to two pay-TV companies, both Sky Sports and BT Sport, if they wanted to follow their teams in the tournament. [78]

Attendance

This lists the average attendances for each season's European Cup competition, as well as the total attendance and highest attendance for that season. The final is typically the most-attended match, as it is generally held in a larger stadium than any club's home venue.

The highest attended match of the 2002–03 competition was a quarter-final between Leinster and Biarritz before 46,000 fans at Lansdowne Road in Dublin.

The 2009 final held at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh was only the third most-attended match that season. The most-attended match was a semi-final between Irish rivals Leinster and Munster played in Croke Park in Dublin. The attendance of 82,208 set what was then a world record for a club match in the sport's history. [90] Second on that season's list was a pool match between Stade Français and Harlequins that drew 76,569 to Stade de France in Paris (a venue that Stade Français has used for select home matches since 2005).

While the 2010–11 tournament's highest attended match was unsurprisingly the final, the second-highest attended match was notable in that it was held in Spain. Perpignan hosted Toulon in a quarter-final before a sellout crowd of 55,000 at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

SeasonTotalAverageHighest
1995–96 97,5356,50221,800
1996–97 317,9876,76541,664
1997–98 462,9586,61336,500
1998–99 322,3405,86049,000
1999–00 626,0657,92468,441
2000–01 646,8348,18744,000
2001–02 656,3828,30874,600
2002–03 704,7828,92146,000
2003–04 817,83310,35273,057
2004–05 918,03911,62051,326
2005–06 964,86312,37074,534
2006–07 914,04811,57081,076
2007–08 942,37311,92874,417
2008–09 1,177,06414,90082,208
2009–10 1,080,59813,67878,962
2010–11 1,139,42714,42372,456
2011–12 1,172,12714,83781,774
2012–13 1,063,21813,45850,148
2013–14 1,127,92614,27867,578
2014–15 985,71714,71256,622
2015–16 955,64714,26358,017
2016–17 1,018,02615,19455,272
2017–18 1,005,53715,00852,282
2018–19 1,020,28615,22851,930
2019–20*779,07912,98542,041
2020–21*10,000
2021–22*843,37114,05659,682
2022–23 1,028,42216,32451,711
2023–24 1,160,39018,41982,300
 *Denotes season in which COVID-19 restrictions limited attendance

Reference: [91]

Controversies

Disagreements over structure & governance

English and French rugby union clubs had long held concerns over the format and structure of the Heineken Cup organised by European Rugby Cup (ERC), predominantly in relation to the distribution of funds and an imbalance in the qualification process. [92] Some proposals had been made that, in future, rather than Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy each sending their top-placed teams in the Pro14 to the Heineken Cup, the top teams from the league as a whole should be sent, regardless of nationality. This founding principle was eventually conceded however, when it was agreed that the top-placed teams from the four should participate in the new European competition. [93]

In June 2012, following that year's final, Premiership Rugby and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), on behalf of the English and French clubs respectively, gave ERC two years' notice of withdrawing from the Heineken Cup and also the second-tier Challenge Cup competitions from the start of the 2014–15 season. [94] Soon after, in September, Premiership Rugby announced a new four-year TV deal worth £152 million with BT Sport including rights for English clubs' European games - which had previously been the sole responsibility of ERC. ERC responded with claims that Premiership Rugby did not have the rights to a European tournament and announced a four-year deal with Sky Sports. The actions of Premiership Rugby were said to have "thrown northern hemisphere rugby into disarray". [95]

Subsequently, in September 2013, the English and French clubs announced their intention to organise their own tournament, to be named the Rugby Champions Cup, from 2014 to 2015 season onwards, and invited other European clubs, provinces, and regions to join them. The IRB (now World Rugby) stepped into the debate at the same time to announce its opposition to the creation of a breakaway tournament. [96] In October 2013, Regional Rugby Wales, on behalf of the four Welsh regions, confirmed its full support for the proposed new Rugby Champions Cup. [97] Negotiations for both a new Heineken Cup and Rugby Champions Cup were then ongoing. [98]

On 10 April 2014, following almost two years of negotiations, a statement was released under the aegis of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) announcing that the nine stakeholders to the new competition, the six unions, and three umbrella club organisations (Premiership Rugby, LNR, and Regional Rugby Wales), had signed Heads of Agreement for the formation of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the European Rugby Challenge Cup and a new, third tournament, initially called the Qualifying Competition and now known as the European Rugby Continental Shield. [99] [100] On the same day, BT and Sky announced an agreement that divided coverage of the new European competitions. Both will split the pool matches, quarter-finals, and semi-finals equally, and both will broadcast the final. BT will get first choice of English Premiership club matches in the Champions Cup, with Sky receiving the same privilege for the Challenge Cup. [101]

Premiership Rugby and LNR were described as having employed "bully-boy tactics" by The Irish Times . [77]

Organisation

Shortly after the establishment of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) to administer the new competition from a new base in Neuchatel, Switzerland, the running of the inaugural 2014–15 tournament was subcontracted to the organisation it had been meant to replace, Dublin-based European Rugby Cup (ERC). This was despite the latter having been described by chairman of Premiership Rugby, Quentin Smith, as "no longer fit for purpose". This was described as "something of an about-turn" by The Daily Telegraph . [102]

EPCR were still looking to hire a permanent chairman and director-general more than a year after their establishment. [78]

2015 final

The inaugural Champions Cup final was brought forward by three weeks due to a French desire not to interrupt their domestic playoffs. This was said to have "devalued" and "diminished the status of the occasion as the pinnacle of European club rugby". [77] [78]

While the 2015 Heineken Cup final had been due to take place at the San Siro in Milan, the first European final to take place in Italy, the new organisers decided to move it to Twickenham Stadium in London in order to "guarantee the best possible financial return to clubs". [78] However, with less than two weeks to go before the final took place, it was reported that fewer than half of the stadium's 82,000 seats had been sold, with just 8,000 French supporters travelling to London to watch Toulon face Clermont. [103] The organisers subsequently made "free" tickets available on Ticketmaster (with only a £2 booking fee applicable), before admitting to this being a mistake – the offer supposed to have been linked to a purchase of a Premiership final ticket. This was described as an "embarrassing fiasco" by the Western Mail in Wales. [78] [104] 56,622 fans subsequently attended the game. EPCR were said to have "failed on many levels" by The Irish Times , with the attendance figure for the final "a fitting postscript to the hastily-convened decider to what was, after all the brinkmanship, a hastily-convened tournament". [77]

See also

Notes

  1. The 2020 final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. [43]
  2. Capacity limited to 10,000 due to national restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Rugby Championship</span> Annual rugby union competition in Europe and South Africa

The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munster Rugby</span> Rugby team in Ireland

Munster Rugby is one of the professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU's Munster Branch, which is responsible for rugby union throughout the Irish province of Munster. The team motto is "To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible." This is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy clan – "Forti et Fideli nihil difficile". Their main home ground is Thomond Park, Limerick, though some games are played at Musgrave Park, Cork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leinster Rugby</span> Rugby union team in Ireland

Leinster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial club rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Rugby Cup</span>

European Rugby Cup Ltd was the governing body and organiser of the two major European rugby union club tournaments: the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup. It was replaced by the European Professional Club Rugby governing body in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EPCR Challenge Cup</span> Annual European rugby union competition

The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception in 1996 to 2014, it was known as the European Challenge Cup and governed by European Rugby Cup (ERC). Following disagreements in the structure of the tournament's format and division of revenue, the English and French leagues withdrew to form the EPCR, which organized the Challenge Cup and the Champions Cup since the 2014–15 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Professional Club Rugby</span> Governing body and organiser of rugby union club tournaments

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) is the governing body and organiser of the two major club rugby union tournaments: the European Rugby Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup. A third tournament, the European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition was introduced as a qualification competition for clubs from minor nations to enter the Challenge Cup. EPCR shared control of this tournament with Rugby Europe, the international federation for rugby union in Europe, and with the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR). The tournament was discontinued after the 2018/19 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 European Rugby Champions Cup final</span> Football match

The 2015 European Rugby Champions Cup Final was the final match in the first European Rugby Champions Cup, and the twentieth European club rugby final in general, as the competition replaces the Heineken Cup.

The 2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup was the third European Rugby Champions Cup championship, the annual rugby union club competition for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. The competition replaced the Heineken Cup, which was Europe's top-tier competition for rugby clubs for the first nineteen years of professional European rugby union. The opening round of the tournament took place on the weekend of 14/15/16 October 2016. The final took place on 13 May 2017 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 European Rugby Challenge Cup</span> Second-tier rugby union competition

The 2018–19 European Rugby Challenge Cup is the fifth edition of the European Rugby Challenge Cup, an annual second-tier rugby union competition for professional clubs. Including the predecessor competition, the original European Challenge Cup, this is the 23rd edition of European club rugby's second-tier competition. Clubs from five of the nations that participate in the Six Nations Championship, along with club-sides from Romania and Russia, are competing.

The 2018–19 European Rugby Champions Cup is the fifth season of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the annual club rugby union competition run by European Professional Club Rugby (ECPR) for teams from the top six nations in Europe. It is the 24th season of pan-European professional club rugby competition. This competition is the first to be sponsored by Heineken since the 2013–14 season.

The 2018–19 European Rugby Champions Cup pool stage is the first stage of the 24th season of European club rugby union, and the fifth under the European Rugby Champions Cup format.

The 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup was the sixth season of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the annual club rugby union competition run by European Professional Club Rugby (ECPR) for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. It was the 25th season of pan-European professional club rugby competition.

The 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup pool stage is the first stage of the 25th season of European club rugby union, and the sixth under the European Rugby Champions Cup format. The competition involves twenty teams, across five pools of four teams, for eight quarter-final places – awarded to the five pool winners and the three top-ranked pool runners-up. The pool stage begins on the weekend of 15–17 November 2019, and will end, following 6 rounds of games, on the weekend of 18–19 February 2020.

The 2020–21 Munster Rugby season was Munster's twentieth season competing in the Pro14, alongside which they also competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It was Johann van Graan's fourth season as head coach.

The 2020–21 European Rugby Champions Cup was the seventh season of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the annual club rugby union competition run by European Professional Club Rugby (ECPR) for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. It was the 26th season of pan-European professional club rugby competition.

The 2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup was the eighth season of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the annual club rugby union competition run by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. It was the 27th season of pan-European professional club rugby competition.

The 2022–23 European Rugby Champions Cup was the ninth season of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the annual club rugby union competition run by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) for teams from the top five nations in European rugby and South Africa. It was the 28th season of pan-European professional club rugby competition.

The 2020–21 season was Ulster's 27th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's third season as head coach. Iain Henderson was captain. They competed in the Pro14, the Pro14 Rainbow Cup, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

The 2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup is the tenth season of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the annual club rugby union competition run by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) for teams from the top five nations in European rugby and South Africa. It was the 29th season of pan-European professional club rugby competition.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "European Rugby Cup : History". ERC. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  2. 1 2 "European Rugby Cup : Heineken Cup History 1995/96". ERC. Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  3. 1 2 Rees, Paul (30 March 2006). "Big boys plan for more lucrative Heineken Cup". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  4. 1 2 "A history of the Heineken Cup". Nobok. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
  5. 1 2 "European Rugby Cup : Heineken Cup History 1996/97". ERC. Archived from the original on 18 January 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  6. 1 2 "European Rugby Cup : Heineken Cup History 1997/98". ERC. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  7. 1 2 "Stade Francais 12–18 Toulouse". BBC. 22 May 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  8. "Munster 23–19 Biarritz". BBC. 20 May 2006. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  9. Callaghan, Joe (6 May 2022). "Rage, romance and rise of the Red Army: Munster-Toulouse in the early days". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  10. "2006–07 Heineken Cup delivered to over 100 countries". Sport Business. 31 October 2006. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  11. "Waspss crowned club champions in front of world record crowd". ERC. 20 May 2007. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  12. "French clubs to quit Heineken Cup". BBC. 17 January 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2007.
  13. "French blame RFU for Heineken Cup boycott". RTÉ Sport. 17 January 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2007.
  14. Jones, Stephen (9 April 2007). "Low division likely to fill Europe spots". Australian. Retrieved 9 April 2007.
  15. "ERC Press Statement". ERC. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
  16. Watterson, Johnny. "Leinster turn the tide". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  17. "Leinster enter record books". ERC. Archived from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  18. St, James; Sport, ley BBC. "European Rugby Champions Cup final: Toulon secure hat-trick". BBC Sport.
  19. "European Champions Cup: Postponed ties to be rescheduled". BBC Sport.
  20. "European Rugby Champions Cup: Stade Francais-Munster game off". BBC Sport.
  21. Spink, Alex (15 November 2015). "Toby Flood learns La Marseillaise in wake of Paris attacks for Toulouse clash". Daily Mirror .
  22. "Proposed date for postponed European Cup tie would hurt England's Six Nations hopes - JOE.co.uk".
  23. "Games must go ahead to respect Paris victims - Independent.ie". 17 November 2015.
  24. O'Sullivan, John. "Leinster not looking to repeat history against Scarlets". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  25. "Home". Guinness PRO14. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  26. Stadium, Gerry Thornley at the Aviva. "Leinster secure historic double to cap greatest ever season". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  27. Page at Onrugby.it
  28. "BREAKING | Saracens docked points and fined for breaching salary cap regulations". Ruck. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  29. Freeman, Joshua (6 November 2019). "Saracens Now on Thin Ice with EPCR". Hugerugby.com. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  30. Kennedy, Marisa (5 November 2019). "EPCR: Premiership Ruling Will Not Affect Saracens European Standing". Pundit Arena. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  31. Latham-Coyle, Harry (6 November 2019). "Saracens: EPCR consider action as defending champions fail to send representatives to Champions Cup launch". The Independent. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  32. "New EPCR tournament formats agreed for 2020/21 season". European Professional Club Rugby. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  33. "Key 2021/22 EPCR dates announced". European Professional Club Rugby. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  34. Investec announced as new Champions Cup title partner in landmark agreement Investec.com. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  35. 1 2 "EPCR announces key changes to Champions Cup qualification". epcrugby.com.
  36. 1 2 "European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR)". Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  37. "Watch the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Pool Draws live". ERCRugby.com. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  38. 1 2 "European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR)". Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  39. "Future of European Rugby resolved" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  40. "Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals". EPCR. 19 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  41. "Heineken Champions Cup semi-final venues". EPCR. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  42. "New Tournament formats agreed". epcrugby.com. European Professional Club Rugby. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  43. "Challenge Cup final will have fans in attendance". RTE. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  44. "Milestones". EPCR. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  45. "Heineken Champions Cup final records: Individual". EPCR . 1 September 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  46. "Tournament Statistics". historical-stats.epcrugby.com. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  47. "Heineken Cup: Try Scorers 2013-14". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  48. "Heineken Cup: Try Scorers 1996-97". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  49. "Heineken Cup: Try Scorers 2000-01". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  50. "Heineken Cup: Try Scorers 2004-05". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  51. "Heineken Cup: Try Scorers 2011-12". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  52. "Heineken Cup: Try Scorers 2012-13". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  53. 1 2 3 "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers 2000-01". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  54. "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers 1998-99". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  55. "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers 2010-11". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  56. 1 2 "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers 1997-98". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  57. "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers 1999-00". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  58. "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers 2005-06". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  59. "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers 2001-02". ERC . Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  60. "European Player of the Year". European Professional Club Rugby. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  61. "Owen Farrell wins Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy". Sky Sports. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  62. "O'Gara claims European Rugby honour". espnscrum. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  63. Robert Kitson (25 May 2011). "Sean O'Brien of Leinster named European Player of the Year". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  64. "Ireland's Rob Kearney wins ERC player of the year title". BBC Sport. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  65. "Jonny Wilkinson named European Player of the Year". BBC Sport. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  66. "Steffon Armitage named ERC European Player of the Year". BBC Sport. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  67. "Clermont Auvergne's Nick Abendanon named European player of the year". The Guardian. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  68. Andy Charles (15 May 2016). "Maro Itoje named European Player of the Year". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  69. "Owen Farrell: Saracens fly-half wins European player of the year award". BBC Sport. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  70. "Leone Nakarawa named European Player of the Year". Planet Rugby. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  71. "Alex Goode named European Player of the Year after Saracens win Champions Cup". BBC Sport. 19 May 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  72. "Sam Simmonds: Exeter No 8 named European Player of the Year". Sky Sports. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  73. Sam Smith (21 May 2021). "Antoine Dupont becomes first Frenchman to win EPCR European Player of the Year". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  74. "Van Der Flier Crowned EPCR European Player Of The Year". Irish Rugby. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  75. "EPOTY Alldritt eager for La Rochelle return". EPCR . 20 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  76. "Antoine Dupont named Investec Player of the Year 2024". EPCR . 25 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  77. 1 2 3 4 "European Cup's unique sense of occasion wins out despite final flaws". The Irish Times .
  78. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thomas, Simon (28 April 2015). "Has rugby's new Europe actually worked?".
  79. "Heineken returns as Champions Cup title partner". epcrugby.com. European Professional Club Rugby. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original on 4 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  80. "Rugby's relationship with alcohol under the spotlight as Heineken Cup prepares to kick off". The Guardian. 5 October 2009.
  81. "European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR)".
  82. "Euro cup has to wait for new sponsors". ESPN. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  83. "European Rugby Cups unveiled ahead of kick off". 7 October 2014.
  84. "Prestigious new European Professional Club Rugby trophies unveiled". Premiershiprugby.com. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  85. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Where to watch the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup: TV broadcast partners, live streams" (PDF). EPCR . Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  86. 1 2 3 4 5 "Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals – dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage announced". EPCR . 9 April 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  87. 1 2 Cunningham, Euan (7 December 2022). "Sky NZ and Viaplay in multi-year deals with EPCR". Sportcal. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  88. "BBC Radio 5 Live". EPCR . Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  89. 1 2 "RTE Sport and Newstalk retain European rugby radio rights in Ireland". EPCR . 2 October 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  90. Thornley, Gerry. "Leinster bring all the emotion, the intelligence and the rugby". The Irish Times.
  91. "Attendances by Season". EPCR. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  92. "French clubs withdraw threat to down Heineken". 10 January 2007.
  93. Reid, Alasdair. "Scots approach Welsh proposal with caution". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 September 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  94. "Heineken Cup: English & French clubs to set up new competition". BBC Sport . 10 September 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  95. Thomas, Simon (14 September 2012). "Analysis: Does English TV deal spell end of Heineken Cup?".
  96. "Anglo-French breakaway plan from rugby Heineken Cup not ideal: IRB chief Brett Gosper". 20 September 2013.
  97. "Welsh regions support Champions Cup". ESPN Scrum. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  98. "Background to the European rugby dispute". BBC Sport. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  99. "European Rugby Statement" (10 April 2014). The Rugby Paper. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  100. "New identity for the Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition" (Press release). European Professional Club Rugby. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  101. "BT and Sky sign joint agreement over European rugby". ESPN Scrum. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  102. "European Rugby Cup officials seconded to run the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup" . 9 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  103. Kitson, Robert (20 April 2015). "European Champions Cup organisers fear half-empty Twickenham final". The Guardian.
  104. "Free Champions Cup final ticket offer a mistake, claim organisers - SportsJOE.ie".