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European Challenge Cup 2026/27: Tournament Information
This European Challenge Cup preview and betting guide covers the 13th edition of the tournament under the EPCR, which runs from 16 October 2026 to the final in Lyon on 21 May 2027.
The EPCR has governed the competition since 2014. Before that, it was run by the European Rugby Cup (ERC), and the Challenge Cup was first staged in 1996-97.
Below, we look ahead to the new season, look back at past champions and tournament records, and use historical odds to show how often favourites have won. For the senior European competition, see our European Champions Cup preview.
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European Challenge Cup 2026/27 Preview: Format, Dates & Tips
Who won the 2025–26 European Challenge Cup?
Montpellier won the 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup, beating Ulster 59–26 in the final at San Mamés in Bilbao. It was the French club's third title, following wins in 2016 and 2021, while Ulster were playing in their first Challenge Cup final.
Montpellier beat the Dragons in the semi-final, while Ulster knocked out Exeter Chiefs to reach the final.
Nick Timoney scored an early try to put Ulster ahead, but Montpellier hit back just three minutes later through Gabriel N'Gandebe to level the scores.
Montpellier added three more first-half tries through Taofifénua, Vunipola and Bécognée, while Izuchukwu scored for Ulster. The French side led 26–12 at half-time.
The tries kept coming after the break. Taofifénua scored a second, and Nouchi, Erdocio, Hounkpatin and Vincent also crossed, helping Montpellier to a comfortable 59–26 victory over the Irish side.
When does the 2026/27 European Challenge Cup start?
The 2026/27 European Challenge Cup starts on 16 October 2026 and ends with the final at Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon on Friday 21 May 2027. Each club plays four pool matches before the knockout rounds.
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Pool Round 1 | 16/17/18 October 2026 |
| Pool Round 2 | 11/12/13 December 2026 |
| Pool Round 3 | 8/9/10 January 2027 |
| Pool Round 4 | 15/16/17 January 2027 |
| Round of 16 | 2/3/4 April 2027 |
| Quarter-finals | TBC |
| Semi-finals | TBC |
| Final | Friday 21 May 2027, Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon |
Who are the favourites to win the European Challenge Cup?
French and English clubs have won eight of the last ten Challenge Cups (six French, two English), so sides from those two countries have traditionally been the ones to beat. Check the bookmakers for current outright prices, and see our favourite statistics for how often the favourite has actually won.
Who will win the 2026/27 European Challenge Cup?
Head over to the OLBG Rugby Tips page to see who our tipsters are backing, from the outright winner to individual matches throughout the tournament.
If you only want tips from the top tipsters, those who have shown a profit on rugby over the past year, visit the Best Rugby Tipsters page.
What is the European Challenge Cup format?
Eighteen clubs take part: sixteen qualify through the Premiership, the Top 14 and Pro D2, and the United Rugby Championship, and two are invited.
| Country / League | Teams | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| England | 2 | Premiership teams finishing 9th and 10th |
| France | 6 | Top 14 teams finishing 9th to 13th, plus the Pro D2 champions |
| United Rugby Championship | 8 | Teams finishing 9th or lower |
| Invited clubs | 2 | Invited places |
| Total | 18 | Three pools of six teams |
The top three clubs in each pool reach the round of 16 automatically. They are joined by the three best remaining clubs on match points across all pools, plus four clubs that drop down from the Champions Cup.
The bonus points have also changed for 2026/27. An attacking bonus point is awarded for scoring three or more tries more than the opposition, and the losing bonus point for defeats by seven points or fewer remains.
How to watch the European Challenge Cup on TV
Premier Sports shows the EPCR Challenge Cup live in the UK and Ireland, under a deal that runs to the end of the 2026/27 season.
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European Challenge Cup Winners: Past Champions & Final Results
Montpellier, the 2025–26 winners, now have three European Challenge Cup titles, following wins in 2015–16, 2020–21 and 2025–26. That puts them level with Clermont and Harlequins at the top of the list of past winners.
Bath, Cardiff, Gloucester, Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks have two titles each.
Which clubs have won the most European Challenge Cups?
| Club | Titles | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Montpellier | 3 | 2015–16, 2020–21, 2025–26 |
| Clermont | 3 | 1998–99 (as Montferrand), 2006–07, 2018–19 |
| Harlequins | 3 | 2000–01, 2003–04, 2010–11 |
| Bath | 2 | 2007–08, 2024–25 |
| Cardiff | 2 | 2009–10, 2017–18 |
| Gloucester | 2 | 2005–06, 2014–15 |
| Northampton Saints | 2 | 2008–09, 2013–14 |
| Sale Sharks | 2 | 2001–02, 2004–05 |
Which country has won the most European Challenge Cups?
England and France are level on 13 titles each, with Montpellier's 2025–26 win bringing France level with England. Welsh, Irish and South African clubs have also lifted the trophy. In 2023–24, the Sharks became the first South African club to win it.
| Nation | Titles | Winning clubs |
|---|---|---|
| England | 13 | Harlequins (3), Bath (2), Gloucester (2), Northampton Saints (2), Sale Sharks (2), Wasps (1), Bristol (1) |
| France | 13 | Clermont (3), Montpellier (3), Bourgoin, Colomiers, Pau, Biarritz, Stade Français, Lyon, Toulon (1 each) |
| Wales | 2 | Cardiff (2) |
| Ireland | 1 | Leinster (1) |
| South Africa | 1 | Sharks (1) |
Last ten European Challenge Cup winners and final results
| Season | Winner | Score | Runners-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Montpellier | 59–26 | Ulster | San Mamés, Bilbao |
| 2024–25 | Bath | 37–12 | Lyon | Principality Stadium, Cardiff |
| 2023–24 | Sharks | 36–22 | Gloucester | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London |
| 2022–23 | Toulon | 43–19 | Glasgow | Aviva Stadium, Dublin |
| 2021–22 | Lyon | 30–12 | Toulon | Stade Vélodrome, Marseille |
| 2020–21 | Montpellier | 18–17 | Leicester | Twickenham Stadium, London |
| 2019–20 | Bristol | 32–19 | Toulon | Stade Maurice David, Aix-en-Provence |
| 2018–19 | Clermont | 36–16 | La Rochelle | St James' Park, Newcastle |
| 2017–18 | Cardiff | 31–30 | Gloucester | San Mamés, Bilbao |
| 2016–17 | Stade Français | 25–17 | Gloucester | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh |
European Challenge Cup Favourites: How Often Do They Win?
Our records cover 518 European Challenge Cup matches from 2016–17 to 2025–26. In that time, the bookmakers' favourite has won 414 of them, a win rate of 79.92%. That works out at roughly four wins in every five matches. Draws, including matches level after extra time, are counted as non-wins for the favourite.
The rate has varied by season, from a low of 66.67% in 2020–21, when the competition was played in a reduced format because of COVID-19, to a high of 87.88% in 2018–19. The favourite won exactly 75.00% of matches in both 2017–18 and 2025–26.
Some clubs have rarely let their supporters down when priced as favourites. Benetton, who are in the 2026/27 field, have won all 20 of their matches as favourites in our records. Montpellier and Clermont both stand at 14 wins, no draws and one defeat from 15 matches as favourites, although neither is in this season's Challenge Cup.
European Challenge Cup favourite win rate by season
| Season | Matches | Favourite wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | 65 | 55 | 84.62% |
| 2017–18 | 68 | 51 | 75.00% |
| 2018–19 | 66 | 58 | 87.88% |
| 2019–20 | 66 | 53 | 80.30% |
| 2020–21 | 27 | 18 | 66.67% |
| 2021–22 | 41 | 35 | 85.37% |
| 2022–23 | 51 | 39 | 76.47% |
| 2023–24 | 51 | 41 | 80.39% |
| 2024–25 | 31 | 25 | 80.65% |
| 2025–26 | 52 | 39 | 75.00% |
| Total | 518 | 414 | 79.92% |
European Challenge Cup Odds Breakdown: Win Rates by Odds Range
Here we have split the historical odds into ranges, so you can see how often teams have won European Challenge Cup matches at each price. The figures cover the 2016–17 to 2025–26 seasons. Each bar in the chart shows the win rate for teams priced in that range, compared with the probability the odds imply. Draws, including matches level after extra time, count as non-wins.
How often do European Challenge Cup teams win at each price?
Teams priced between 1.01 and 1.09 have won 93.33% of their matches, while teams priced at 4.00 or bigger have won fewer than one match in eight. The table gives the full breakdown. Some of the bigger-priced ranges include only a few wins, so treat their percentages with caution.
European Challenge Cup 2026/27 Teams: Pools & Stadiums
Eighteen teams are split into three pools of six for the 2026/27 European Challenge Cup. The field includes eight United Rugby Championship clubs, five from the Top 14, the Pro D2 champions, two Premiership clubs, and two invited sides. Clubs from the same country cannot share a pool, except for France, which has two clubs in each. No pool can contain more than three URC teams. The tables below list each pool with the clubs' stadiums and capacities.
European Challenge Cup 2026/27 Pool 1
| Team | Qualified via | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayonne | Top 14 | Stade Jean-Dauger | 14,370 |
| Cheetahs | Invited | NRCA Stadium | 5,000 |
| Dragons | URC | Rodney Parade | 8,700 |
| Perpignan | Top 14 | Stade Aimé Giral | 14,593 |
| Ulster | URC | Affidea Stadium | 18,196 |
| Zebre Parma | URC | Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi | 5,000 |
European Challenge Cup 2026/27 Pool 2
| Team | Qualified via | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benetton | URC | Stadio Comunale di Monigo | 5,000 |
| Castres | Top 14 | Stade Pierre-Fabre | 12,500 |
| Lyon ⭐ | Top 14 | Matmut Stadium de Gerland | 25,000 |
| Newcastle Red Bulls | Premiership | Kingston Park | 11,200 |
| Scarlets | URC | Parc y Scarlets | 14,870 |
| Sharks ⭐ | URC | Hollywoodbets Kings Park | 52,000 |
European Challenge Cup 2026/27 Pool 3
| Team | Qualified via | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Lion | Invited | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium | 27,223 |
| Edinburgh | URC | Hive Stadium | 7,800 |
| Harlequins ⭐⭐⭐ | Premiership | Twickenham Stoop | 14,800 |
| Ospreys | URC | St Helen's | 8,000 |
| Toulon | Top 14 | Stade Mayol | 17,500 |
| Vannes | Pro D2 champions | Stade de la Rabine | 11,303 |
The top three in each pool qualify automatically for the round of 16, along with the three best remaining clubs. Four clubs drop down from the Champions Cup to join them.
The ⭐ indicates the number of times the club has won the tournament.
European Challenge Cup Records: Most Appearances, Tries & Points
Who has made the most European Challenge Cup appearances?
Michael Swift holds the record for most European Challenge Cup appearances, with 67 games. The majority of them (65) came for Connacht, and the other two were for Richmond.
He is the only player to have featured in more than 60 games. Several players have reached the 50s, led by Micky Ward, who played 58 times for Newcastle Falcons, and Florin Vlaicu, who is one game behind him.
| Rank | Player | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Swift | 67 |
| 2 | Micky Ward | 58 |
| 3 | Florin Vlaicu | 57 |
Who has scored the most tries in the European Challenge Cup?
Only four players have scored 20 or more tries in the European Challenge Cup. Tom Varndell is top of the list with 25, made up of 20 for Wasps and 5 for Bristol.
Julien Arias is next with 22, scored with Stade Français (13) and Colomiers (9). Richard Haughton and Topsy Ojo both have 20.
| Rank | Player | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Varndell | 25 |
| 2 | Julien Arias | 22 |
| 3= | Richard Haughton | 20 |
| 3= | Topsy Ojo | 20 |
Who has scored the most points in the European Challenge Cup?
Ludovic Mercier is the only player to have passed 500 points, with 520 across six clubs. His biggest haul came at Petrarca, where he scored 134.
The closest to him is Jonny Wilkinson, who scored 317 for Newcastle Falcons and 168 for Toulon, a total of 485 and 35 points behind Mercier.
Two others have also passed 400 points: Eric Elwood, whose 473 all came for Connacht, and Olly Barkley, who scored 418, 408 of them for Bath.
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ludovic Mercier | 520 |
| 2 | Jonny Wilkinson | 485 |
| 3 | Eric Elwood | 473 |
| 4 | Olly Barkley | 418 |
Contributor Information
The data in this European Challenge Cup Preview & Betting Guide is managed by Andy Powell, who looks after the rugby tipsters and results in our Rugby Union tips section. Luke Bradshaw-Lee, our Commercial Content Manager and a keen rugby fan, fact-checks the article for accuracy and prepares it for publication. Together, they produce our Rugby Union Previews and Rugby League Previews. You can meet the rest of the team on our experts page.
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