Champions Cup tightens try bonus rules for next season

A try bonus point in next season’s Investec Champions Cup pool stage will go only to teams that score at least three more tries than their opponents, ending the old reward for simply reaching four tries. European Professional Club Rugby said the change, together with a new knockout qualification path, is designed to make pool matches more competitive and keep them alive longer.

The shift matters because it changes the basic calculation for coaches. Under the old system, a side could take a bonus point by scoring four tries, even in a narrow, stop-start game. From 2026/27, that reward will disappear unless a team also opens up a clear three-try gap, pushing sides to chase attacking separation rather than simply accumulate scores. The losing bonus point stays in place, with one point still awarded for defeats by seven points or fewer.

EPCR said the rule changes followed its regular review of competition rules and came after consultation with stakeholders including the Gallagher PREM, United Rugby Championship and TOP 14. The new structure also keeps the competition closer to formats already used in the French Top 14 and other major tournaments that value a three-try differential.

The knockout-stage change is just as significant. From 2026/27, only the top three teams in each of the four pools will qualify automatically for the Round of 16. The final four places will go to the clubs with the highest match-point totals across all pools, which means a strong fourth-place finish in a tough section will no longer guarantee safe passage. Pool-stage tactics are likely to shift accordingly, with teams chasing not only wins but margin, points totals and, in some cases, a wider points haul against opponents from other pools.

EPCR said there will be no reduction in the number of participating teams until at least 2030, preserving the current scale of the competition for now. The pool draws for the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup are scheduled for Wednesday 1 July in Dublin at the Premier Sports studios, with pool-stage matchday one set for the weekend of 16-18 October 2026.

The draw will be led by four top seeds: defending Champions Cup winners Union Bordeaux Bègles, URC champions Leinster Rugby, Gallagher PREM champions Northampton Saints and Top 14 champions Toulouse. The Challenge Cup will also follow the new cross-pool points-ranking principle for Round of 16 qualification, while Georgia’s Black Lion and South Africa’s Toyota Cheetahs have again been confirmed as invitees, completing an 18-team line-up.