Champions Cup

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Champions Cup news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

stdClass Object ( [id] => 4 [league_name] => Champions Cup [league_logo_id] => 0 [league_logo_url] => [parent_league_id] => 0 [wp_league_id] => 47 )

Bath

Bordeaux

Bulls

Castres

Clermont

Edinburgh

Exeter

Glasgow

Gloucester

Harlequins

La Rochelle

Leinster

Lyon

Montpellier

Northampton

Ospreys

Racing 92

Sale

Saracens

Sharks

Ulster

Regard has the final word for Lyon in pulsating win over the Bulls

17 December 2023 0 comments

By ALFIE ROSE Lyon………………..29pts Tries: Dumortier 22, Pacheco 38, Parisien 45, Charcosset 61, Regard 71 Conversions: Page-Relo 23, Jackson 62 Bulls ……………….28pts Tries: Burger 1, […]

Bordeaux put Bears through the mixer

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Bordeaux…………………….. 36pts Tries: Lucu 4, Bielle-Biarrey 16, Penaud 32, Tapuai 55, Nanette 66 Conversions: Lucu 5, 33, 56; Jalibert 67 Penalties: Lucu […]

Lam: I’m proud of how we played

17 December 2023 0 comments

ALTHOUGH his team were well beaten, Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam was pleased with much of what he saw. He said: “I’m very proud […]

Cardiff push Bath’s all-stars to the limit

17 December 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ………………………… 32pts Tries: Adams 4, 19; Hamer-Webb 37, Thomas 43 Conversions: de Beer 5, 20, 44 Penalties: de Beer 18, 26 […]

McCloskey confident Ulster can get back on right track

17 December 2023 0 comments

By KEVIN FALLON Ulster ……………..31pts Tries: Timoney 3, 46; McCloskey 22, Rea 36 Conversions: Cooney 4, 23, 37, 47 Penalties: Cooney 70 Racing 92 ………15pts […]

Quins out to collect another big scalp

17 December 2023 0 comments

■By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Harlequins v Toulouse Today, kick-off 3.15pm Twickenham Stoop FULL of confidence after their brilliant 31-28 win away to Racing 92, Harlequins […]

Lockett’s late score has Saints believing

17 December 2023 0 comments

ROB WILDMAN Northampton………………. 22pts Tries: Seabrook 6, Furbank 28, 57; Lockett 77 Conversions: Smith 77 Toulon …………………………..19pts Tries: Jaminet 54, Ribbans 65 Penalties: Herve 5, […]

‘We had resilience to see it through’

17 December 2023 0 comments

SAINTS boss Phil Dowson praised his team’s resilience. He felt Northampton has lost momentum like the previous win over Glasgow but attributed the win to […]

Warriors win ugly to keep Euro hopes alive

17 December 2023 0 comments

■By BRYN PALMER Bayonne………… 11pts Try: Bosch 33 Penalties: Lopez 28, 49 Glasgow…………12pts Tries: Miller 37, McKay 56 Conversion: Thompson 38 GLASGOW’S Champions Cup hopes […]

Baxter: We must be ready for war

17 December 2023 0 comments

■By MARK STEVENS PREVIEW… Exeter v Munster Today, kick-off 1pm Sandy Park Delight: Exeter celebrate their last-gasp win in Toulon PICTURE: Alamy ROB Baxter this […]

Sale give Leinster plenty of problems

17 December 2023 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Leinster……………………….. 37pts Tries: van der Flier 40, Gibson-Park 43, Henshaw 57, Baird 62, Healy 70 Conversions: Frawley 57, 63, Prendergast 71 Penalties: […]

Ringrose relieved to get win

17 December 2023 0 comments

LEINSTER joint captain Garry Ringrose was relieved to get the win after being forced to dig deeper than anticipated. “We are delighted to get five […]

La Rochelle beaten again as Libbok lands 81st-minute conversion

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Stormers………..21pts Tries: Loader 52, Venter 79 Conversions: Libbok 81 Penalties: Libbok 36, 41, 44 La Rochelle……20pts Tries: Kerr-Barlow 7, Tanga 46 Conversions: […]

Rogerson is aiming to shine in Paris

17 December 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN FLANKER Matt Rogerson has re-found his love for rugby at Leicester Tigers after going through the turmoil of London Irish, and is […]

Toulouse’s victory over Quins is top of my list

17 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS THE greatest single performance in the Heineken Cup? That’s a tricky one, there have been so many, but when pressed I normally opt […]

Ryan has to wise up and show respect

17 December 2023 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Maybe one day James Ryan will find it in him to send a note of gratitude to […]

French giants are the ones to beat again, says O’Driscoll

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Three-time Champions Cup winner Brian O’Driscoll believes English sides will be up against it again in Europe this season when the tournament […]

Social media can hurt even the best

17 December 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Last weekend saw some of the best rugby we have seen this season, including the World […]

Champions Cup round two Friday and Saturday preview

15 December 2023 0 comments

The 2023/24 Champions Cup began with a bang last weekend, showcasing thrilling moments and a remarkable start for English teams, as seven out of the […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Sunday round-up

11 December 2023 0 comments

Sunday saw a fourth meeting in as many seasons of La Rochelle and Leinster in the Champions Cup, with their last two clashes both having […]

Quins stun Racing in Paris thriller

10 December 2023 0 comments

Racing 92…………………………….28 Tries: Le Garrec 15, 42; Gibert 40, Diallo 58 Conversions: Le Garrec 16, 40+1, 43, 59 Harlequins…………………………..31 Tries: Smith 22, Esterhuizen 25, Dombrandt […]

French power will be so tough to overcome

10 December 2023 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK English clubs are up against it in the Champions Cup because they are competing against French clubs which […]

Saracens make it too easy for Bulls

10 December 2023 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Bulls …………………………….. 27pts Tries: Kriel 2, Swanepoel 39, Moodie 48 Conversions: Daly 61, McFarland 71 Goosen 3, 39, 49 Penalties: Saracens ……………………… […]

Ice-cool Sheedy the hero for Bears

10 December 2023 0 comments

By TOM BRADSHAW Bristol ………………………….. 36pts Tries: Lane 5, Luatua 23, Thacker 30, Randall 48, Oghre 53 Conversions: Sheedy 6, 24, 31, 49 Drop goals: […]

Rampant Bath storm to the winning post

10 December 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Bath ……………………………… 37pts Tries: Cokanasiga 27, 73; Dunn 45, du Toit 69, Gallagher 79 Conversions: Spencer 46, 70; Bailey 80 Penalties: Spencer […]

Seven-try Toulouse too swift for Cardiff

10 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Toulouse …………………….. 52pts Tries: Lebel 5, Arnold 9, Kinghorn 26, 80; Jelonch 38, Retiere 46, Placines 70 Conversions: Ramos 6, 10, 27, […]

Slade leads Chiefs on smash and grab raid

10 December 2023 0 comments

By MARK STEVENS Toulon ………………………….. 18pts Tries: Gigashvili 20, White 24 Conversion: Herve 21 Penalties: Herve 35, 38 Exeter …………………………… 19pts Tries: Skinner 16, Norey […]

Freeman double has Saints on the march

10 December 2023 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow……………………….. 19pts Tries: Cancelliere 4, Smith 68, Penalty 77 Conversions: Thompson 69 Northampton………………. 28pts Tries: Lawes 13, Freeman 20, 29 Conversions: Smith […]

Sorry to see European Champions Cup lose its shine

10 December 2023 0 comments

The quality of rugby union’s competitions is crucial to its future as a professional sport. However, what we are witnessing is gold standard club/provincial competitions […]

No room at the top for Welsh regions

10 December 2023 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW AS Anglo-Welsh duels of the blood-and-guts variety go, one springs foremost to mind: a humdinger of a […]

Champions Cup round one Friday and Saturday preview

8 December 2023 0 comments

The 2023/24 Champions Cup kicks off this weekend, with England captain Owen Farrell set to return to action for Saracens for the first-time since announcing […]

Big clubs ready to rumble

3 December 2023 0 comments

Paul Rees looks forward to the Champions Cup, kicking off this weekend THE Champions Cup returns this week with a tweaked format that does away […]

“Shameful” – McCall blasts treatment of Farrell

30 November 2023 0 comments

Owen Farrell’s club boss Mark McCall has described treatment of him as “shameful” and “not right” after the England captain announced he was taking a […]

Sexton escapes World Cup punishment in hearing

17 July 2023 0 comments

Johnny Sexton has been handed a three-match ban for his conduct after the European Champions Cup Final but will be available to play throughout the […]

McKellar’s tough opening with Tigers

16 July 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Dan McKellar has vowed to bring success to Leicester, but they will have to do it the hard way in the Heineken […]

Champions Cup fixtures

16 July 2023 0 comments

It is advisable to check matches and kick-off times with the clubs … Continue reading… Access all our premium content from as little as 14p […]

Champions Cup draw suits Bears

25 June 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Bristol Bears sneaked into the Champions Cup through the cat flap rather than the back door, but they will be more content […]

Series 2, Episode 24: European Cup format and reattempting an England XV

21 June 2023 0 comments

This week on the Rugby Paper Podcast, host Ollie Little is joined by columnists Brendan Gallagher, Nick Cain and Chris Hewett to discuss the format […]

Heineken pull plug on Europe

18 June 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON EXCLUSIVE Global brewing giants Heineken are to step down as title sponsors of rugby’s Champions Cup, leaving tournament organisers with a big […]

From European Cup honour to Eurotrash

18 June 2023 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The European Cup is sinking thanks to the tinkering of EPCR and its stakeholders in the Premiership, […]

O’Driscoll: Defeat was emotional

11 June 2023 0 comments

By NICK POWELL Leinster and Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll feels Leinster’s second-straight Champions Cup Final defeat to La Rochelle could “leave a mark”. O’Driscoll was […]

Leinster defeat in final a “body blow” – O’Driscoll

31 May 2023 0 comments

Leinster and Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll expressed immense sympathy for his former club’s defeat in the Champions Cup Final, and feels a second-straight showpiece defeat […]

O’Gara breaks Leinster hearts

21 May 2023 0 comments

La Rochelle retained the Champions Cup by breaking Leinster’s hearts for the second year running in a thrilling final in Dublin. Leo Cullen’s side opened […]

We’ll get over the line some day says Cullen

21 May 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Leinster head coach Leo Cullen feels they just need to continue putting themselves in the positions to win finals and they’ll eventually […]

Colombe try leaves the Aviva stunned

21 May 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES Leinster……………………….. 26pts Tries: Danty 19, Seuteni 37, Colombe 71 Conversions: Hastoy 20, 38, 72 Penalties: Hastoy 42, 49 La Rochelle …………………. 27pts […]

European Champions Cup final preview

19 May 2023 0 comments

357 days and 62 matches later, the Heineken Champions Cup final is poised for a hugely-anticipated rematch as Leinster take on La Rochelle. This time […]

Bath battle back to grab elite spot

14 May 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES The final round of the regular Premiership season boiled down to who would claim England’s final place in next season’s Champions Cup. […]

Doris looking for revenge against La Rochelle

14 May 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Caelan Doris is hellbent on inflicting revenge on Saturday when Leinster meet La Rochelle in a re-run of last season’s Champions Cup […]

Series 2, Episode 17: Irish superiority in Europe with Stephen Ferris

1 May 2023 0 comments

In a blockbuster weekend of rugby, the Red Roses claimed the Grand Slam in a record-breaking decider at HQ, and La Rochelle and Leinster set […]

La Rochelle set up Leinster rematch with dominant Exeter win

30 April 2023 0 comments

By Nick Powell, Online Editor La Rochelle………………47 Tries: Rhule 9, 44; Seuteni 23, Aldritt 34, Kerr-Barlow 40, 68 Conversions: Hastoy 10, 24, 40+1, 45, 69 […]

Champions Cup

Bath

Bordeaux

Bulls

Castres

Clermont

Edinburgh

Exeter

Glasgow

Gloucester

Harlequins

La Rochelle

Leinster

Lyon

Montpellier

Northampton

Ospreys

Racing 92

Sale

Saracens

Sharks

Ulster

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