There are no bad clubs in the Investec Champions Cup.
And with the travel to South Africa, and the roster gymnastics that go into the equations, matches that look tricky may not be tricky — and vice versa.
The Pool of Death looks like Pool 4, at least to this rugby observer.
But, using my Obi-Wan Kenobi voice, from a certain point of view, any pool can be the Pool of Death.
It’s all about perspective. And while some clubs are in difficult pools, they might have a favorable schedule.
All this begs the question: Which club has the easiest path to the knockout stages?
Why Bath Rugby, Munster Rugby Have the Easiest Path To The ICC Round of 16
Probably the best match in pool play is the Bath-Munster match in Round 1, so we acknowledge that.
But after?
For Bath (and Munster), it gets easier.
If Bath beats Munster — and even if Bath loses — the team’s trip to Toulon is the most difficult one remaining in pool play, and Bath very well could lose. But Toulon has been mid-tier in the Top 14 so far.
Castres also will be tough and has one of the best home crowds, but Castres, too, is not the class of the Top 14.
Edinburgh is at home, and while Edinburgh has played well, this should be winnable.
Munster gets Gloucester Rugby at home, and Gloucester hasn’t been great this year. Munster also goes to Toulon and then gets Castres at home.
Why Scarlets Has The Hardest Path To The ICC Round Of 16
A team from Pool 4 is going to have the toughest path, and the Scarlets doesn’t have it easy.
The club has underperformed so far in the URC after making the playoffs, which allowed the team to qualify for the Champions Cup.
Scarlets is the only Welsh club in the Champions Cup, thus the nation’s only hope to win the first Champions Cup for a team from Wales.
Here is the schedule:
- Dec. 6: Scarlets vs. Bristol Bears
- Dec. 13: Union Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Scarlets
- Jan. 10: Scarlets vs. Pau
- Jan. 18: Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets
Those are matches against two current table leaders, the defending champions and a talented Bristol club that also employs arguably the best Welsh player in the world.
Investec Champions Cup 2025-2026 Fixtures
Here’s a look at each round:
Investec Champions Cup Round 1
Friday, Dec. 5
- 3 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Glasgow Warriors, Salford Community Stadium
- 3 p.m. ET: Bayonne vs. DHL Stormers, Stade Jean Dauger
Saturday, Dec. 6
- 8 a.m. ET: Saracens vs. Clermont Auvergne, StoneX Stadium
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Loftus Versfeld
- 12:30 p.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Leicester Tigers, Stade Marcel Deflandre
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. Harlequins, TBD
- 3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Bristol Bears, Parc y Scarlets
- 3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Munster Rugby, The Rec
Sunday, Dec. 7
- 8 a.m. ET: Pau vs. Northampton Saints, Stade du Hameau
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, Kingsholm
Dec. 7–9 (TBD)
- Edinburgh Rugby vs. Toulon, TBD
Investec Champions Cup Round 2
Friday, Dec. 12
- 3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Leinster Rugby, Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Saturday, Dec. 13
- 8 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. La Rochelle, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Saracens, Hollywoodbets Kings Park
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Marcel-Michelin
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Scarlets, Stade Chaban-Delmas
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
- 3 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Toulouse, Scotstoun Stadium
Sunday, Dec. 14
- 8 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. Bayonne, Twickenham Stoop
- 8 a.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Pierre-Fabre
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Félix Mayol
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Vodacom Bulls, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Pau, Ashton Gate
Investec Champions Cup Round 3
Friday, Jan. 9
- 3 p.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Pierre-Fabre
- 3 p.m. ET: Edinburgh Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, TBD
Saturday, Jan. 10
- 8 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bristol Bears, Loftus Versfeld
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Glasgow Warriors, Stade Marcel-Michelin
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. La Rochelle, TBD
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Salford Community Stadium
- 3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Pau, Parc y Scarlets
- 3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Bayonne, Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Sunday, Jan. 11
- 8 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. DHL Stormers, Twickenham Stoop
- 8 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Munster Rugby, Stade Félix Mayol
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Northampton Saints, Stade Chaban-Delmas
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Saracens vs. Toulouse, StoneX Stadium
Investec Champions Cup Round 4
Friday, Jan. 16
- 3 p.m. ET: Pau vs. Vodacom Bulls, Stade du Hameau
- 3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby, The Rec
Saturday, Jan. 17
- 8 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Clermont Auvergne, Hollywoodbets Kings Park
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Bayonne vs. Leinster Rugby, Stade Jean Dauger
- 10:15 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. Leicester Tigers, DHL Stadium
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, Thomond Park
- 3 p.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Toulon, Kingsholm
Sunday, Jan. 18
- 8 a.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Ashton Gate
- 10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens
- 10:15 a.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Harlequins, Stade Marcel Deflandre
- 12:30 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Saracens, Scotstoun Stadium
Investec Champions Cup Fixtures By Pool
Here’s a breakdown of the schedule by pool:
Investec Champions Cup Pool 1
Round 1
- Friday, Dec. 5 – 3 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Glasgow Warriors, Salford Community Stadium
- Saturday, Dec. 6 – 8 a.m. ET: Saracens vs. Clermont Auvergne, StoneX Stadium
- Sunday, Dec. 7 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon
Round 2
- Saturday, Dec. 13 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Saracens, Hollywoodbets Kings Park
- Saturday, Dec. 13 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Marcel-Michelin
- Saturday, Dec. 13 – 3 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Toulouse, Scotstoun Stadium
Round 3
- Saturday, Jan. 10 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Glasgow Warriors, Stade Marcel-Michelin
- Saturday, Jan. 10 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Salford Community Stadium
- Sunday, Jan. 11 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Saracens vs. Toulouse, StoneX Stadium
Round 4
- Saturday, Jan. 17 – 8 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Clermont Auvergne, Hollywoodbets Kings Park
- Saturday, Jan. 17 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon
- Sunday, Jan. 18 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Saracens, Scotstoun Stadium
Investec Champions Cup Pool 2
Round 1
- Saturday, Dec. 6 – 3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Munster Rugby, The Rec
- Sunday, Dec. 7 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, Kingsholm
- Dec. 7–9 (TBD): Edinburgh Rugby vs. Toulon, TBD
Round 2
- Saturday, Dec. 13 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
- Sunday, Dec. 14 – 8 a.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Pierre-Fabre
- Sunday, Dec. 14 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Félix Mayol
Round 3
- Friday, Jan. 9 – 3 p.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Pierre-Fabre
- Friday, Jan. 9 – 3 p.m. ET: Edinburgh Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, TBD
- Sunday, Jan. 11 – 8 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Munster Rugby, Stade Félix Mayol
Round 4
- Friday, Jan. 16 – 3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby, The Rec
- Saturday, Jan. 17 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, Thomond Park
- Saturday, Jan. 17 – 3 p.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Toulon, Kingsholm
Investec Champions Cup Pool 3
Round 1
- Friday, Dec. 5 – 3 p.m. ET: Bayonne vs. DHL Stormers, Stade Jean Dauger
- Saturday, Dec. 6 – 12:30 p.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Leicester Tigers, Stade Marcel Deflandre
- Saturday, Dec. 6 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. Harlequins, TBD
Round 2
- Friday, Dec. 12 – 3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Leinster Rugby, Mattioli Woods Welford Road
- Saturday, Dec. 13 – 8 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. La Rochelle, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
- Sunday, Dec. 14 – 8 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. Bayonne, Twickenham Stoop
Round 3
- Saturday, Jan. 10 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. La Rochelle, TBD
- Saturday, Jan. 10 – 3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Bayonne, Mattioli Woods Welford Road
- Sunday, Jan. 11 – 8 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. DHL Stormers, Twickenham Stoop
Round 4
- Saturday, Jan. 17 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Bayonne vs. Leinster Rugby, Stade Jean Dauger
- Saturday, Jan. 17 – 10:15 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. Leicester Tigers, DHL Stadium
- Sunday, Jan. 18 – 10:15 a.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Harlequins, Stade Marcel Deflandre
Investec Champions Cup Pool 4
Round 1
- Saturday, Dec. 6 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Loftus Versfeld
- Saturday, Dec. 6 – 3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Bristol Bears, Parc y Scarlets
- Sunday, Dec. 7 – 8 a.m. ET: Pau vs. Northampton Saints, Stade du Hameau
Round 2
- Saturday, Dec. 13 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Scarlets, Stade Chaban-Delmas
- Sunday, Dec. 14 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Vodacom Bulls, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens
- Sunday, Dec. 14 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Pau, Ashton Gate
Round 3
- Saturday, Jan. 10 – 8 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bristol Bears, Loftus Versfeld
- Saturday, Jan. 10 – 3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Pau, Parc y Scarlets
- Sunday, Jan. 11 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Northampton Saints, Stade Chaban-Delmas
Round 4
- Friday, Jan. 16 – 3 p.m. ET: Pau vs. Vodacom Bulls, Stade du Hameau
- Sunday, Jan. 18 – 8 a.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Ashton Gate
- Sunday, Jan. 18 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens
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