Today · 1:00 AM UTC
Drury University vs Purdue Northwest
Men's Hockey
  Jan 18, 11:00 PM UTC
Humboldt vs CSUSM
Men's Basketball
  Today · 12:10 AM UTC
West Florida vs Montevallo
Men's Basketball
  Today · 12:15 AM UTC
Schreiner vs Dallas - Men's
Men's Basketball
  Today · 12:30 AM UTC
Chapman vs CMS - Men's
Men's Basketball
  Today · 1:45 AM UTC
Wyoming vs Davenport
Hockey
  Today · 12:30 AM UTC
La Verne vs Pomona-Pitzer - Men's
Men's Basketball
2024 Bath Rugby vs Stade Rochelais

Investec Champions Cup Power Poll: Here's Who's On Top Entering Round 1

Investec Champions Cup Power Poll: Here's Who's On Top Entering Round 1

The Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 season begins Dec. 6 with Bath vs. La Rochelle. Here's how we rank the teams entering the competition.

Dec 4, 2024 by Joe Harrington
What's The Best Stadium In the Champions Cup?

The Investec Champions Cup season is upon us, rugby fans, and that means Europe and South Africa’s top professional clubs are ready to begin a march to Cardiff, Wales. 

For two the next two weeks, domestic league competition pauses, as clubs from the United Rugby Championship, Gallagher Premiership and the Top 14 enter either the Investec Champions Cup or the EPCR Challenge Cup. 

There are 24 teams in all playing for the Champions Cup, which celebrates its 30th year and will host the Championship Final in May at Principality Stadium. 

The clubs are divided into four pools of six, with two clubs from each league in the pools. 

Every club in the competition is ranked in the FloRugby Top 50, and there are few teams that enter Round 1 without some type of legitimate argument for why they can win it all. 

Here’s our Investec Champions Cup Power Poll entering Round 1:

Investec Champions Cup Power Rankings

Here are the power rankings entering Round 1.

1. Leinster Rugby (7-0-0, Pool 2)

Leinster is the only club that enters Champions Cup action undefeated in its domestic league, URC, and is only getting stronger with All Blacks star Jordie Barrett expected to make his debut this week. 

Leinster, however, could be missing several key players, as the Irish national team's season ended a week before their Round 1 match. 

2.  Toulouse Rugby (8-0-3, Pool 1)

The defending champions missed Antoine Dupont to start the season and this autumn, and that has led to losses. The team probably is undefeated if Dupont is on the field in those matches. There is a gap, seemingly, between the top-2 clubs and everyone else. 

3. Bath Rugby (6-0-1, Pool 2)

Finn Russell and the lads are atop of the Gallagher Premiership entering Champions Cup play. Many of the Champions Cup qualifying Premiership teams lost in the lead-up to Round 1, but not Bath, which beat Exeter 19-15. 

4. UBB Rugby (8-0-3, Pool 1) 

Tied at the top of the Top 14 standings, UBB has a win over Toulouse but trails in the points, 39-37. 

UBB clearly is the best of the bunch not aren’t leading their leagues, but the health of Damian Penaud will be key in their performance. They squeaked by MHR 9-6 on Nov. 30. 

5. Glasgow Warriors (5-0-2, Pool Pool 4)

The Warriors give Scotland its best chance ever for a Champions Cup title, but the club rolls into Champions Cup play after a surprisingly tough match in Glasgow against Scarlets, a 17-15 win, in Round 7. 

6. Vodacom Bulls (5-0-1, Pool 3)

The Bulls are the best of the bunch when it comes to South African teams that could win the Champions Cup, but by a little, as the Sharks are rounding into form. 

The Bulls have a talented roster led by Elrigh Louw and Maine Libbok. Though they lose star Kurt-Lee Arendse, who is leaving to join the Sagamihara Dynaboars, the Bulls will be a force. 

7. Clermont Rugby (7-0-4, Pool 2)

One of our Champions Cup dark horses hasn’t looked like a dark horse. 

Clermont has had a great start to the Top 14 season and will get Argentina international Marcos Kremer back from the Autumn Nations. They enter Round 1 after a 54-10 win over Castres. 

8. Bristol Bears (5-0-2, Pool 2) 

The second team on the Premiership table, the Bears demolished Harlequins 48-24 on Nov. 29.  

9. Hollywoodbets Sharks (4-0-2, Pool 1)

The Sharks are loaded with Springboks and enter Champions Cup play as a legit Champions Cup contender. 

The Sharks beat the DHL Stormers in Durban this past week in URC play without Eben Etzebeth. 

10. Toulon (7-0-4, Pool 4)

Winner of three matches in a row after a 57-5 loss to Toulouse, Toulon beat Bayonne 39-19 on Nov. 23. 

11. Sale Sharks (4-0-3, Pool 4)

The Sharks beat the Tigers 39-25, which is why they rank one spot hire than the Tigers, despite being below them on the Gallagher Premiership table.  

12. Leicester Tigers (5-0-2, Pool 1)

The Tigers are third on the table in the Premiership, but they returned from the monthlong Autumn Nations Series hiatus with a loss to the Sale Sharks 39-25 on Dec. 1 to stall some momentum.

13. Munster Rugby (3-0-4, Pool 3)

The return of Thaakir Abrahams and a win over the Emirates Lions in Round 7 has boosted the otherwise struggling Irish power that fired their coach in October. 

The Lions were near the top of the table and playing some of the best rugby in the URC before the Autumn Nations Series hiatus. Interim coach Ian Costello is trying to show he deserves the full-time job.

14. Saracens (4-0-3, Pool 3)

Saracens still was missing several players, like many of these squads were, on Nov. 29 in a loss to the Newcastle Falcons, 17-12

15. Ulster Rugby (3-0-4, Pool 1)

The status of star Jacob Stockdale weighs heavy on Ulster's Champions Cup chances, as the club already was facing a challenging road in the loaded Pool 1. But this club can beat anyone in Belfast (ask the Glasgow Warriors) and played Leinster tough in a 27-20 loss.  

16. Stade Francais (4-0-7, Pool Pool 3) 

Stade Francais lost to Bayonne on Dec. 1 but beat Racing 92 40-24 on Nov. 24 and ended October with a 36-6 win over Clermont. Still, it's been a struggle of a season for the club after a strong 2023 season. 

17. Castres Rugby (6-0-5, Pool 3)

Castres is one of the teams that makes Pool 3 so good. 

There's a lot of struggling teams that should be better (Munster, Northampton Saints, Stade Fracais), but Castres is one that enters with a winning record in domestic play, and despite losing by 44 points to Clermont on Nov. 30, has wins over La Rochelle and Toulouse this season. 

18. La Rochelle (6-0-5, Pool 2) 

La Rochelle enters Champions Cup play not just as the loser of back-to-back matches, but having the second loss being to Top 14 bottom-of-the-table dweller RC Vannes, 23-14 at home. 

La Rochelle lost the week earlier to Castes 28-24. 

19. Harlequins (3-0-4, Pool 4)

The Quins were beaten soundly, 48-24 by Bristol just before Champions Cup, but they also were without key England nationals. 

It has been a tough season so far for the club, but it could be rounding into form soon. 

20. Northampton Saints (3-0-4, Pool 3)

Yes, it's been a transition year, but the defending Gallagher Premiership champions being this low, after reaching the semifinals of this competition last season, is stunning. 

But this club could be ready to explode in Champions Cup action. 

Still, they enter Round 1 after a loss to the spry Gloucester Rugby club 25-17.  

21. DHL Stormers (2-0-4 Pool 4)

The South African power from Cape Town seems out of place here, but international play and injuries have impacted the club so far. 

The record justifies the place here, but make no mistake, the Stormers are dangerous. They have lost  back-to-back matches, but have been competitive against the Warriors and the Sharks. They also beat Munster before the break, 34-19, which led to Graham Rowntree's firing. 

Read more about the DHL Stormers

22. Benetton Rugby (2-1-4, Pool 2)

A maddeningly inconsistent URC season got worse in Round 7 when Benetton lost to Edinburgh Rugby 50-33 just before Champions Cup play. They have lost back-to-back Champions Cup matches. 

23. Racing 92 (5-0-6, Pool 4)

The signing of Owen Farrell has not yielded winning results, but the club will be a team to watch in Pool 4. 

Racing 92 gave an Antoine Dupont-less Toulouse club a tough matches in Paris before losing 21-17. 

Racing enters Champions Cup play with three straight losses. 

24. Exeter Chiefs (0-0-7, Pool 1)

It’s a surprisingly bad season for a club that reached the quarterfinals of the Champions Cup a year ago and the semifinals two years ago, but here we are. 

The Chiefs have yet to win a game in Premiership play. 

Investec Champions Cup Fixture And Rugby Schedule

Here is the complete Investec Champions Cup schedule:

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Round 1

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025  Round 2

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Round 3

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Round 4

Investec Champions Cup Format 

Key points of the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup:

  • A multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023-2024 season
  • 24 elite clubs - eight each from the Gallagher Premiership, URC and TOP 14 - in four pools of six
  • Sporting jeopardy, with each club playing against four different opponents, home or away, in the pool stage
  • Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the Round of 16
  • The Investec Champions Cup will be played over eight weekends, with four pool rounds and four knockout rounds culminating in the 2025 final, which will be staged at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Saturday, May 24.

Investec Champions Cup 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
  • 2025 Investec Champions Cup final – Saturday, May 24, Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Champions Cup Qualifications 

Twenty-four clubs have qualified for the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup as follows:

  • United Rugby Championship (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
  • TOP 14 (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
  • Gallagher Premiership Rugby (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
  • If not already qualified, the winner of the 2024 Investec Champions Cup will take the place of the eighth-ranked club in its league.

Investec Champions Cup Qualifiers 

  • TOP 14 – Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Français Paris, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne
  • GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers
  • UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks

When Does The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup Begin? When Is The Champions Cup Final?

The Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup begin Dec. 6, and the four-round pool-play action ends Jan. 19, 2025. The Round of 16 starts on April 4, while the quarterfinals are April 11-13. The semifinals are May 2-4. 

The EPCR Championships weekend is in Cardiff, Wales at Principality Stadium. There are championship games on May 23 (EPCR Challenge Cup) and May 24 (Investec Champions Cup). 

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

FloRugby and FloSports also are the US home to: 

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social