European Rugby Challenge Cup

Badge

Poster

Established
1996 (29 years old)

First Recorded Event
2021-12-10

Current Season
2025-2026

Current Round
2

Sport
Sport Icon

Rugby

Location
Europe

Gender
Male

TV Rights
Austria - More Than Sports
Australia - beIN Sports
Canada - Flo Rugby
Denmark - Viaplay
Estonia - Viaplay
Finland - Viaplay
France - beIN Sports
France - France TV
Germany - More Than Sports
Iceland - Viaplay
Ireland - TNT Sports
Ireland - Premier Sports
LATAM - ESPN
Latvia - Viaplay
Lithuania - Viaplay
Malta - GO
Netherlands - Viaplay
New Zealand - Sky Sport
Norway - Viaplay
Poland - Polsat
Portugal - Sport TV
Romania - DIGI
SEA - Premier Sport
Spain - Telefonica
SSA - Super Sport
Sweden - Viaplay
Switzerland - More Than Sports
United Kingdom - TNT Sports
United Kingdom - S4C
United Kingdom - Viaplay
USA - Flo Rugby
Rest of World - epcrugby.tv

Logo

Upcoming
10 Jan	Stade Fra	1:00pm	Exeter Ch
10 Jan	US Montau	1:00pm	Black Lio
10 Jan	Cardiff R	3:15pm	Racing M�
10 Jan	Lions	3:15pm	Lyon OU
10 Jan	Benetton	5:30pm	Dragons
10 Jan	Newcastle	1:00pm	USA Perpi
11 Jan	Montpelli	1:00pm	Connacht
11 Jan	Zebre	1:00pm	Ospreys
11 Jan	Cheetahs	3:15pm	Ulster
16 Jan	Dragons	8:00pm	Newcastle
Results
14 Dec	Dragons	23 - 21	Lyon OU
14 Dec	Racing M�	31 - 31	Exeter Ch
13 Dec	Newcastle	14 - 10	Lions
13 Dec	Connacht	52 - 0	Black Lio
13 Dec	Cardiff R	29 - 26	Ulster
13 Dec	US Montau	22 - 33	Ospreys
13 Dec	Cheetahs	22 - 45	Stade Fra
13 Dec	Benetton	44 - 31	USA Perpi
12 Dec	Montpelli	31 - 7	Zebre
07 Dec	Exeter Ch	42 - 12	Cheetahs

Description

The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception in 1996 to 2014, it was known as the European Challenge Cup and governed by European Rugby Cup (ERC). Following disagreements in the structure of the tournament's format and division of revenue, the English and French leagues withdrew to form the EPCR, which organized the Challenge Cup and the Champions Cup since the 2014–15 season.

The Challenge Cup is currently contested between 18 teams; 16 of which qualify from the three main European domestic leagues (Premiership Rugby, Top 14, and United Rugby Championship). In 2023–23, the Cheetahs, a South African team who do not play in either of the three leagues, but has close historical connections to the URC, also take part in the Challenge Cup as an invited team. For the 2023-24 season, Georgia's Black Lion were also invited to take part in the tournament.

Toulon are the current Challenge Cup holders, having won the 2022–23 EPCR Challenge Cup.

Seasons

Teams

ASM Clermont Auve	Aviron Bayonnais	Benetton	Black Lion
Castres Olympique	Cheetahs	Connacht	Dragons
Edinburgh	Gloucester	Lions	Montpellier Héra
Newcastle Red Bul	Ospreys	Sale Sharks	Scarlets
Section Paloise	The Sharks	Ulster	USA Perpignan
Zebre