Club rugby’s premier competition returns this Friday for its latest instalment – and Your Sharks will kick off the competition by hosting a Glasgow Warriors side boasting a host of international talent including Lions stars Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones. Tickets are still available here!
It’s the first of four huge challenges that Alex Sanderson’s men will have to overcome in the pool stage if they want to make it through to the knockout stage.
But how does the competition work? Here’s all you need to know about the competition PLUS our next pool stage opponents – Glasgow Warriors.
How does the competition work?
The Investec Champions Cup kicks off with a multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023/24 season, in which 24 elite clubs – eight each from the Gallagher Prem, URC and TOP 14 – are split into four pools of six.
Each club plays against four different opponents, home or away, in the pool stage and the four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the Round of 16.
The Investec Champions Cup will be played over eight weekends with four pool stage rounds and four knockout stage rounds culminating in the 2026 final which will be staged at Bilbao’s San Mamés Stadium on Saturday 23rd May.
2025/26 WEEKENDS
Round 1 – 5/6/7 December 2025
Round 2 – 12/13/14 December 2025
Round 3 – 9/10/11 January 2026
Round 4 – 16/17/18 January 2026
Round of 16 – 3/4/5 April 2026
Quarter-finals – 10/11/12 April 2026
Semi-finals – 1/2/3 May 2026
2026 Investec Champions Cup final – Saturday 23 May, San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao
