EPCR has announced the full fixtures schedule for pool stages of the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, which marks the 30th season of the elite international club competitions.
Cardiff kick-off their European conquest away to Lyon on Saturday, December 7, before hosting Toyota Cheetahs on Saturday, December 14.
The Blue and Blacks travel to face Perpignan on Saturday, January 11, and finish the group stages against Connacht at the Arms Park on Friday, January 20.
Kingsholm Stadium hosts the first match of the season as Gloucester Rugby welcome Edinburgh Rugby on Friday 6 December (20.00 kick-off local time), before travelling to last season’s PRO D2 winners RC Vannes for Round 2.
The Cherry and Whites then welcome Scarlets to Kingsholm before rounding off the pool stage with a trip to the French Basque country to face Aviron Bayonnais.
RC Vannes will make their EPCR debut in Tbilisi to take on invited club Black Lion on Saturday 7 December at 17.00 (local time) in Round 1.
Click HERE for the 2024/25 EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures
Fellow invited club Toyota Cheetahs will welcome USAP and Zebre Parma in Rounds 1 (Sunday 8 December, 14.00 local time) and 3 (Sunday 12 January, 14.00 local time) to the NRCA Stadium in Amsterdam, their home venue for the EPCR Challenge Cup. The Cheetahs also play Cardiff Rugby at Cardiff Arms Park in Round 2 (Saturday 14 December) and Lyon Olympique Universitaire at Lyon’s Matmut Stadium de Gerland in Round 4 (Saturday 18 January).
EPCR Chairman Dominic McKay said: “We are delighted to confirm the full fixture schedule for the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, and I’d like to extend my thanks to the clubs, leagues and broadcast partners for their collaboration.”
“This will be the 30th season of this great competition which will see us celebrating incredible memories and witnessing the special moments these world-class fixtures continue to deliver.”
“Following the Pool Draws last week, the Road to Cardiff is very much underway and we look forward to seeing who will progress through the season to the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Finals at the Principality Stadium in May next year.”
“We will build on an exceptional season last year, including record growth on TV, digital platforms and in stadia, with scintillating fixtures lined up for the pool stages.”
EPCR CEO Jacques Raynaud added: “With input from the clubs, leagues and our broadcast partners, and following the EPCR Pool Draws just 10 days ago, we have again finalised the schedule in a short turnaround time.”
“Fans will no doubt be hugely excited to begin planning their EPCR weekends well in advance, for both home games and away weekends in Europe and South Africa.”
“We can expect world-class sporting action from these 42 elite clubs, and we very much look forward to the action getting underway on Friday 6 December.”
The fixture schedules were determined by using an algorithm which took into consideration the new, improved tournament formats, the outcome of the pool draws, league calendar restrictions, individual club calendar restrictions and broadcast requirements.
EPCR CHALLENGE CUP
- 18 clubs in three pools of six
- RC Vannes makes EPCR debut
- Four pool stage rounds, four knockout stage rounds
- Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the knockout stage
Click HERE for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools
2024/25 weekends
Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
EPCR Challenge Cup Final – Friday 23 May 2025, Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Investec Champions Cup Final – Saturday 24 May 2025, Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Tickets for the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Finals are available now, with Destinations Champions Club also offering limited travel packages through which fans can access match tickets, accommodation and exclusive experiences to make the ultimate rugby weekend even more memorable.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please click HERE
For more information about Destination Champions Club and to purchase weekend packages, please click HERE