Holders Toulouse draw Exeter, Leicester and Ulster
Toulouse celebrate their dramatic extra-time win over Leinster in the Investec Champions Cup final in May
- Published
Holders Toulouse have been drawn in Pool One for the 2024-25 Investec Champions Cup where they will face Premiership sides Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers, Irish province Ulster and the 2024 Challenge Cup winners Sharks from South Africa.
Top 14 side Bordeaux Begles make up the pool.
Leinster, losing finalists for the past three seasons, will play Clermont Auvergne, La Rochelle, Bristol Bears and Bath in Pool Two, with Italian side Benetton also in the group.
Premiership champions Northampton Saints are the Tier One team in Pool Three and their opponents will be Munster, Stade Francais, Bulls and Castres. Saracens are also in that pool.
United Rugby Championship victors Glasgow Warriors head Pool Four and will take on Racing 92, Sale Sharks, Toulon and Harlequins, with Stormers the sixth team in the group.
Same format as 2023-24 season
Toulouse go into the competition as defending champions after their dramatic 31-22 win over Leinster in the 2023-24 final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May.
The record six-time European champions followed that up by winning the Top 14.
Next season's tournament will follow the same format as last year with each team playing four different opponents at the pool stages, but not teams from their own league.
The fixtures will be announced at a later date, with games to be played on the weekends of 6-8 December, 13-15 December, 10-12 January and 17-19 January.
The final will be played at the Principality Stadium on Saturday 24 May 2025, with the Challenge Cup final being staged the previous day at the same venue.
Gloucester, who went down 36-22 to Sharks in May's Challenge Cup final, have been drawn in Pool Three for next year's competition with FC Vannes, Black Lion, Bayonne, Scarlets and Edinburgh.
Pool draws
Champions Cup draw: Pool One: Toulouse, Bordeaux Begles, Sharks, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers, Ulster
Pool Two: Leinster, Clermont Auvergne, La Rochelle, Bristol Bears, Benetton, Bath
Pool Three: Northampton Saints, Munster, Bulls, Stade Francais, Saracens, Castres
Pool Four: Glasgow Warriors, Racing 92, Sale Sharks, Stormers, RC Toulon, Harlequins
Challenge Cup draw: Pool One: Cardiff, Connacht, Cheetahs, Perpignan, Lyon, Zebre
Pool Two: Montpellier, Section Paloise, Newcastle Falcons, Dragons, Lions, Ospreys
Pool Three: FC Vannes, Black Lion, Bayonne, Scarlets, Edinburgh, Gloucester