Heineken Champions Cup pool draw: Holders La Rochelle to play four-time winners Leinster in rematch of last year's final

Premiership duo Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks face an uphill battle to reach the knockout stage of the Champions Cup after being drawn alongside reigning champions La Rochelle and last season's beaten finalists Leinster in this season's pool draw. In a departure from last season's set up, 24 teams from England, France, Ireland, Wales and South Africa have been placed into four pools, each containing six club sides. Ad The four highest-ranked clubs from each pool will qualify for the Round of 16 and the clubs ranked number five in each of the pools will qualify for the knockout stage of the EPCR Challenge Cup.

PremiershipSaracens win sixth Premiership title with 35-25 final win over Sale27/05/2023 AT 16:10 South African giants DHL Stormers and Stade Francais complete Pool 4. Elsewhere, newly-crowned Premiership champions Saracens have been handed a favourable draw as they look to win the competition for the first since 2019. Three-time winners Saracens are the top ranked side in Pool 1, with Bordeaux-Begles, Connacht, Lyon and Premiership rivals Bristol Bears completing the six-team line up.

Harlequins join Bath in Pool 2, with the West Country giants making their return to Heineken Cup rugby after a season away. Record winners Toulouse join Quins and Bath in Pool 2 alongside French three-time runners-up Racing, Ulster and Cardiff. Pool 3 sees Challenge Cup winners Toulon return to the top table of European rugby.