The first knockout stages of the Champions Cup will be played this weekend with three French teams still in contention. Discover the program.
The final phase of the Champions Cup begins this Friday, March 31 with two British teams, Leicester Tigers and Edinburgh. On Saturday April 2, other clubs will compete with the Sharks against Munster, the Stormers and Harlequins, Leinster and Ulsters or Stade Rochelais against Gloucester. Stade Rochelais is the favorite since the French club’s European campaign has been very successful. The Rochelais finished first in Group B without losing any match.
This is also the case for Stade Toulousain, which finished second due to the number of points scored. The Toulousains will play Sunday at home against the Bulls. They leave with a definite advantage, especially since the stars of the Top 14 team have returned (Ramos, Dupont, Ntamack…). Still on Sunday, there is Montpellier on a less favorable tie. The Héraultais will move to the Sandy Park lawn of the Exeter Chiefs who finished second in group A.
All the matches of the 1/8th finals of the Champions Cup are broadcast in full on bein Sports. Stade Rochelais’ matches against Gloucester and Stade Toulousain’s matches against the Bulls are also broadcast on France TV.
Three French teams will compete in the round of 16 of the 2023 European Rugby Cup scheduled for March 31 to April 2. Among them are Stade Rochelais, Montpellier and the leader of the Top 14, Stade Toulousain.
Friday March 31
- Leicester Tigers – Edinburgh Rugby, Mattioli Woods Welford Road (9 p.m.)
Saturday April 1
- Cell C Sharks – Munster Rugby, Hollywoodbets Kings Park (12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. in France)
- DHL Stormers – Harlequins, DHL Stadium (3pm, 4pm France)
- Leinster Rugby – Ulster Rugby, Aviva Stadium (6:30 p.m.)
- Rochelais Stadium – Gloucester Rugby, Stade Marcel Deflandre (6:30 p.m. on France TV)
Sunday April 2
- Exeter Chiefs- Montpellier Herault RugbySandy Park (1:30 p.m.)
- Saracens-Ospreys, StoneX Stadium (4 p.m.)
- Toulouse Stadium – Vodacom Bulls, Le Stadium (4 p.m. on France TV)
What are the results of the European Rugby Cup?
Discover all the results of the day of the European Rugby Cup
- FRIDAY JANUARY 20
- Pool A
- Lyons – Blue Bulls (31-7)
- Pool B
- Leicester-Ospreys (26-27)
- SATURDAY 21 JANUARY
- Pool A
- Harlequins-Sharks (39-29)
- Leinster- Racing 92 (36-10)
- Bordeaux-Bègles – Gloucester (17-26)
- Exeter- Castres (40-3)
- Pool B
- Northampton- La Rochelle (13-31)
- Stormers- Clermont (30-16)
- Ulster-Sales (22-11)
- SUNDAY 22 JANUARY
- Pool A
- Edinburgh – Saracens (20-14)
- Pool B
- Montpellier – London Irish 21-21)
- Toulouse – Munster (20-16)
The Rugby Europe Cup Round of 16 schedule runs between March 31 and April 1/2.
- Quarter-finals: 7/8/9 April 2023
- Semi-finals: 28/29/30 April 2023
- Champions Cup Final: Saturday 20 May 2023, Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Here is the classification of the two groups of the European Rugby Cup. The first eight of each group will qualify for the round of 16 of the competition.
Pool A
| 1 | Leinster | 20 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +150 | |
| 2 | Exeter | 16 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | +71 | |
| 3 | Sharks | 15 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +30 | |
| 4 | Saracens | 15 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +26 | |
| 5 | Edinburgh | 15 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +26 | |
| 6 | Harlequins | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | +5 | |
| 7 | Blue Bulls | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -37 | |
| 8 | Gloucester | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -78 | |
| 9 | Lyons | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | -10 | |
| 10 | Racing 92 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | -61 | |
| 11 | Bordeaux-Bègles | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -46 | |
| 12 | Castres | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | -76 |
Pool B
| 1 | La Rochelle | 18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +63 | |
| 2 | Toulouse | 17 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +57 | |
| 3 | Stormers | 15 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +38 | |
| 4 | Leicester | 14 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +27 | |
| 5 | Ospreys | 14 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +12 | |
| 6 | Munster | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +6 | |
| 7 | Montpellier | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -12 | |
| 8 | Ulster | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -39 | |
| 9 | Clermont | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -26 | |
| 10 | Dirty | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | -20 | |
| 11 | London Irish | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | -39 | |
| 12 | Northampton | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | -67 |
What are the winners of the European Rugby Cup?
Here is the detail of the winners since the creation of the European Rugby Cup in 1996:
- 2022: La Rochelle
- 2021: Toulouse
- 2020: Exeter
- 2019: Saracens
- 2018: Leinster
- 2017: Saracens
- 2016: Saracens
- 2015: Toulouse
- 2014: Toulouse
- 2013: Toulouse
- 2012: Leinster
- 2011: Leinster
- 2010: Toulouse
- 2009: Leinster
- 2008: Munster
- 2007: London Wasps
- 2006: Munster
- 2005: Toulouse
- 2004: London Wasps
- 2003: Toulouse
- 2002: Leicester
- 2001: Leicester
- 2000: Northampton
- 1999: Ulster
- 1998: Bath
- 1997: Brive
- 1996: Toulouse