2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup

Not to be confused with 2025–26 European Rugby Champions Cup.

2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup
The EPCR Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Countries	England France Georgia Ireland Italy South Africa Wales
Tournament statistics
Final
Venue	San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao

The 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup, known colloquially as the 2025-26 European Challenge Cupwill be the twelfth edition of the EPCR Challenge Cup, an annual second-tier rugby union competition for professional clubs competing in elite European competition. Including the predecessor competition, the original European Challenge Cup, this is the 30th edition of European club rugby's second-tier competition.

The final will played at in San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao.

The English team, Bath Rugby, are the reigning champions, and therefore qualified for the 2025–26 European Rugby Champions Cup as a consequence. As they also have a top four domestic finish, the team will not defend their title.

Teams

Sixteen teams qualified for the 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup from Premiership Rugby, the Top 14 and the United Rugby Championship as a direct result of their domestic league performance having not qualified for the Champions Cup. Two further sides received invitations, South Africa's Cheetahs and Georgia's Black Lion.

The distribution of teams are:

• England: two teams
  • Teams in the 2025–26 Premiership season that did not qualify for the 2025–26 Champions Cup.
• France: six teams
  • Teams taking part in the 2025–26 Top 14 season that did not qualify for the 2025–26 Champions Cup.
• Georgia: one team
  • one team, invited, Black Lion
• Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales: eight teams
  • Eight teams in the 2025–26 United Rugby Championship season that did not qualify for the 2025–26 Champions Cup. This season, these consist of three teams from Wales (Cardiff, Dragons, and Ospreys), two from Ireland (Ulster Rugby and Connacht Rugby), two from Italy (Benetton and Zebre Parma), and one from South Africa (Lions).
• South Africa: one further team
  • One team, invited, the South African team, Cheetahs, playing their home games in the Netherlands.

At the knockout stage, a further four teams will enter the competition from the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Entry Point	Premiership	Top 14	United Rugby Championship					Invited
—	England	France	Ireland	Italy	Scotland	Wales	South Africa		Georgia
Pool stage	Exeter Chiefs Newcastle Falcons	Stade Français Lyon Montpellier Racing 92 Perpignan Montauban	Connacht Ulster	Benetton Rugby Zebre Parma	n/a	Cardiff Dragons Ospreys	Lions	Cheetahs	Black Lion
Knockout stage	from 2025–26 European Rugby Champions Cup pool stage

Bracket

	Round of 16					Quarter-finals					Semi-finals					Final
	3
	14
	6
	11
	7
	10
	2
	15
	4
	13
	5
	12
	1
	16
	8
	9

Notes: