As the PREM, United Rugby Championship (URC) and TOP 14 reach their final stages, the 24 clubs to have qualified for next season’s Investec Champions Cup are now locked in.
England’s PREM and France’s TOP 14 saw their final matchdays of the regular season last weekend as the last spots in the Investec Champions Cup were up for grabs.
It was a tense battle in the PREM as Harlequins were challenging Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby for the final spot, but wins for the latter two meant Gloucester were the ones to secure a place in next year’s competition.
Over in the TOP 14, there was no change in the top eight on the final day, but the race for the play-off spots was the main storyline.
Recent Investec Champions Cup winners Union Bordeaux Bègles narrowly missed out, while two-time winners Stade Rochelais finished sixth. EPCR Challenge Cup champions Montpellier Hérault Rugby finished strongly in the top two and qualified for the semi-finals. Both Montpellier and Stade Toulousain will be going all out for the title and, in turn, secure a Tier 1 spot for the pool draw on 1 July.
Investec Champions Cup finalists Leinster Rugby qualified for another URC final when they saw off DHL Stormers, while South African side Vodacom Bulls got revenge over Glasgow Warriors in the other semi-final, having lost in Scotland in the Round of 16 of the Investec Champions Cup.
All 24 qualified sides for the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup:
TOP 14: Union Bordeaux Bègles, Stade Toulousain, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Stade Français Paris, Section Paloise, Racing 92, Stade Rochelais, ASM Clermont Auvergne.
URC: Glasgow Warriors, Leinster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls, Munster Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Fidelity Securedrive Lions, Connacht Rugby.
PREM: Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Exeter Chiefs, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks, Gloucester Rugby.
