Champions Cup and Challenge Cup to return to multi-pool format next season

The European Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup will return to a multi-pool format for 2023-24 season after consultation with the major leagues, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said on Wednesday.

The Champions Cup will have 24 teams - the top eight from TOP 14, Premiership and United Rugby Championship (URC) - split into four pools of six clubs each while the Challenge Cup will have three pools of six.

The 2021-22 and 2022-23 Champions Cup seasons had a two-pool tournament format that was initially adopted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12 teams in each pool where each team played two other teams twice - home and away.

The switch back to the "tried and tested" format was devised with Premiership Rugby, Ligue Nationale de Rugby and the URC giving it the nod.

"We've been working hard with our Leagues and key stakeholders to ensure we have the right competition structures - for players and clubs - but also crucially for supporters," EPCR chairman Dominic McKay said in a statement.

"Our focus has always been to ensure that everyone can easily understand, engage with and follow our tournaments, and also to ensure we have a structure that creates real sporting jeopardy in as many matches as possible."

EPCR said both competitions will be played over eight weekends with four pool stage rounds and four knockout stage rounds before the finals in May 2024 which will be staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

French side La Rochelle edged Leinster to win back-to-back Champions Cups last season while Toulon beat Glasgow Warriors to lift the Challenge Cup.