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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Ulster have discovered their opponents for the 2024/25 European Champions Cup pool stage.
The Irish side have been placed in a tough group for next season, Pool 1.
Ulster will play two Top 14 (French) sides and two Premiership (English) sides, but will not face the other URC club due to the rules of the competition of not playing the team from your same domestic division.
Richie Murphy’s side have been drawn against current champions Stade Toulousain (Toulouse). The French sides were crowned champions at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, beating Leinster in the final before winning the French title last weekend against Union Bordeaux Bègles (Bordeaux).
The other French side drawn in the group is Bordeaux, an imposing task for Ulster.
Exeter Chiefs and Michael Cheika’s Leicester Tigers are the two Premiership sides drawn in Ulster’s pool.
The other United Rugby Championship side drawn in Pool 1 is the Hollywoodbets Sharks, the current Challenge Cup champions. But Ulster will not face them.
Meanwhile, Leinster have been drawn into Pool 2 and will face ASM Clermont Auvergne, Stade Rochelais, Bristol Bears, and Bath Rugby, while the other URC team in their pool is Italian club Benetton Rugby.
The other Irish side in the Champions Cup, Munster, have been drawn against Premiership champions Northampton Saints, Saracens, Stade Français Paris, Castres Olympique, and Vodacom Bulls, the other URC side in Pool 3.
The only Irish side to fail to qualify for the Champions Cup was Connacht. They will play in the Challenge Cup.
They have been drawn in a group with other URC sides Cardiff Rugby and Zebre Parma, French Top 14 sides USA Perpignan and Lyon Olympique, with the Toyota Cheetahs rounding off Pool 1.
The final of both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will be be held in Cardiff for the 2024/25 campaign.
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