EPCR overhauls bonus-point system and pool qualification rules for Champions Cup

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has confirmed two major rule changes to the Investec Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, both set to take effect from the 2025/26 season onwards.

The most significant adjustment targets the bonus-point system. Under the current format, any team that scores four or more tries in a match earns a bonus point regardless of the result. From next season, that reward will only be available to the winning side, and only when they outscore their opponents by three or more tries. The change brings the competitions into line with the Top 14, the Rugby Championship, the Rugby Europe Championship, and Super Rugby, all of which have adopted the same differential model in recent years. The losing bonus point — awarded to any team that finishes within seven points of their opponents — remains unchanged.

The second reform reshapes how teams advance from the pool stage. Previously, finishing in the top four of a pool was enough to guarantee a place in the Round of 16. Under the new system, only the top three teams in each pool will qualify automatically; the remaining four spots will go to the next-best teams by total points across all pools, regardless of which pool they played in. The change is designed to raise the stakes throughout the pool phase and reduce the number of dead-rubber matches.

The Challenge Cup will follow a similar structure, adapted for its slightly different format. The three highest-ranked clubs in each pool will qualify automatically for the Round of 16, with the final three places awarded to the highest-ranked remaining teams across all pools.

On the competition’s invited participants, Georgia’s Black Lion and South Africa’s Toyota Cheetahs have both been confirmed for the Challenge Cup once more. Black Lion has been invited for a further two seasons, while the Cheetahs return for the upcoming campaign, completing an 18-team field. Speculation over a potential Spanish representative side did not materialise.

The pool draws for both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup are scheduled to take place in Dublin on Wednesday, 1 July.

The announcement follows a 2024/25 Champions Cup final in which Leinster suffered a 41-19 defeat to Bordeaux at San Mamés Stadium, ending their bid for a fifth European title.