The games are not yet made for the next winner and the places of honor, but it is now possible to take the bets for the next Champions Cup, the European Rugby Cup. This Wednesday, in Lausanne, the draw selected the opponents of the eight Top 14 clubs in the running. Those of Toulouse, winner, and La Rochelle, finalist of the previous edition, are within their reach. The 24 teams were divided into two pools of 12. Each team will play two round-trip confrontations against the two clubs from the other two championships (Top 14, Premiership, Pro 14) located in the opposite hat (1 against 4, 2 against 3 ).
In pool 2, the Toulouse, who managed a magnificent double European Cup / championship will first be opposed to London Wasps and Welsh Cardiff.
There was no mystery before the draw since Toulouse (hat 1) could only meet clubs from hat 4, namely London, Cardiff, and not Castres.
🏆 𝙉𝙤𝙨 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙚𝙣 @ChampionsCup 21-22 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙨!
The 🔴⚫ will face @WaspsRugby and @Cardiff_Rugby in Pool B ⚔️
⚡ 🔽
- Stade Toulousain (@StadeToulousain) July 21, 2021
The case is identical in pool 1 for La Rochelle, which will therefore be opposed to the English in Bath and the Scots in Glasgow, the vice champion of France therefore avoiding Montpellier.
#ChampionsCup Present in Pool A, the Maritimes now know their two opponents!
#FievreSR 👇
🏴 @BathRugby
🏴 @GlasgowWarriors https://t.co/75lfwgGrwm
- Stade Rochelais (@staderochelais) July 21, 2021
Relegated to hat 4 because of their victory in the Challenge Cup (the other European Cup), the Montpellier residents inherited the Chiefs of Exeter, European champions 2020 and second in the last English championship, then the Leinster, four-time European champion and 2021 semi-finalist.
It will also be complicated for Castres who will have to fight against the Harlequins (champions of England) and the Irish of Munster.
Stade Français, which is back in competition after five years of scarcity, will play the Bristol Bears and the Irish from Connacht.
The operation promises to be easier for Racing 92 against Northampton and the Swansea Ospreys.
Clermont will play the Sale Sharks and Ulster.
Finally, UBB (Bordeaux-Bègles) will face the Leicester Tigers and the Welsh Llanelli Scarlets.
Starting in December, matches will take place over nine weekends.
The best eight clubs from each pool (therefore four eliminated per pool) will qualify for the round of 16 back and forth, and so on.
The final is scheduled for Marseille on May 28, 2022.
The draw for the 2021-2022 European Cup for French clubs
POOL A
Stade Rochelais (FRA), against Bath (ENG) and Glasgow Warriors (SCO)
Montpellier (FRA), against Exeter Chiefs (ENG) and Leinster (IRL)
Racing 92 (FRA), against Northampton Saints (ENG) and Ospreys (WAL)
Clermont (FRA), against Sale Sharks (ENG) and Ulster (IRL)
POOL B
Stade Toulouse (FRA), against Wasps (ENG) and Cardiff (WAL)
Castres (FRA), against Harlequins (ENG) and Munster (IRL)
Bordeaux-Bègles (FRA), against Leicester Tigers (ENG) and Scarlets (WAL)
Stade Français (FRA), against Bristol Bears (ENG) and Connacht (IRL)
