Champions Cup
This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Champions Cup news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoTommy Freeman: I just want Northampton Saints to keep on winning
Tommy Freeman has yet to taste defeat this season for Northampton Saints and is looking to keep it that way today...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoHarlequins flanker Jack Kenningham – ‘Prepare to face a storm at The Stoop’
Jack Kenningham has told the Stormers to be prepared for a storm at The Stoop this afternoon, with Harlequins set on...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoSaracens vs Toulouse: Sarries putting their faith in youth
Mark McCall has backed his current crop of Saracens kids to emulate the Class of 2008 and take the club back...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoEdinburgh 26-24 Gloucester: Ewan Ashman keen to get one over his Scottish mates
Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman insists Edinburgh will head to The Rec on Friday intent on “throwing some punches” against Bath and...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoLeinster 25-24 La Rochelle: Harry Byrne comes on to win it with last kick of the match
Substitute Harry Byrne kicked a last-gasp penalty for Leinster against La Rochelle to settle a thriller that will take some beating...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoBulls 49-61 Bristol Bears: Nine-try visitors vanquish Bulls
Bristol Bears hit the heights at altitude against the Bulls. It sounds crazy to say in a game of 16 tries...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoSale Sharks 26-10 Durban Sharks: Northern outfit give their southern rivals a lesson
South African Sharks owner Marco Masotti may have to eat a tuna-lined humble pie after Sale confirmed there’s only one true...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoToulon vs Munster: Red Army looking to get things back on track as they prepare to enter the French cauldron
Having started the season as the URC’s pacesetters, Munster enter today’s Pool 2 clash in Toulon after suffering disappointing back-to-back defeats.
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoLeicester Tigers 57-14 Bayonne: Billy Searle hat-trick puts Geoff Parling’s side on the right track
Billy Searle was red hot for Leicester Tigers on a freezing night as returning Bayonne centre Manu Tuilagi endured a miserable...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoLeinster vs La Rochelle: Europe’s modern rivalry reaches its next chapter
With the return of the Champions Cup, a series of new rivalries will reignite, including the rematch between last season’s finalists...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoAlex Sanderson: Champions Cup is no distraction for Sale Sharks
Alex Sanderson admits it would “take something special” for Sale Sharks to rule Europe, but that’s not stopping him from having...
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Champions Cup
/ 4 months agoBordeaux-Begles will be a tough test says Northampton Saints prop Emmanuel Iyogun
Northampton Saints face a repeat of last season’s Champions Cup final when they travel to Bordeaux-Begles next Sunday, with Emmanuel Iyogun...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoPaul Rees: Champions Cup must return to its elite status
Paul Rees sees too many mismatches in last weekend’s European games… while problems mount for the men in red
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoGeoff Parling: Champions Cup should revert to the old system
Leicester Tigers boss Geoff Parling reckons European chiefs should turn back time to revive the Champions Cup and revert to their...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoSanti Carreras: I’ll play where I’m needed for Bath
Santi Carreras has settled in quickly at Bath even though he is not guaranteed a place or a position in the...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoNorthampton Saints second row Alex Coles out to seize his chance for England
Alex Coles has enjoyed a stand-out year with club and country, but is not getting ahead of himself as 2026 and...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoClermont 14-35 Sale Sharks: Alex Sanderson’s side turn on the power to topple European giants
Alex Sanderson saw his Sale Sharks dismantle European giants Clermont in their own backyard and kick-start their latest European crusade in...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoGlasgow Warriors 28-21 Toulouse: Rampaging Warriors fight back to stun Antoine Dupont & co
A stunning second-half comeback from 21-0 down saw Glasgow Warriors topple six-time European champions Toulouse in a thunderous Champions Cup encounter...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoSharks 28-23 Saracens: Sarries looking good but fail to take chances
This was a game Saracens could and should have won despite travelling to Durban with a much-changed team after putting Clermont...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoToulon vs Bath: Billy Sela handed Will Stuart role as Johann van Graan’s side take on French flyers
Billy Sela has been tasked with locking out the Bath scrum against Toulon in the absence of the injured Will Stuart.
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoMunster 31-3 Gloucester: The Red Army take their time to dispatch Cherry and Whites
A largely reserve Gloucester side frustrated Munster for 67 minutes before a yellow card broke their resistance and they conceded three...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoHarlequins vs Bayonne: Oscar Beard – I want to test myself against the best out there
Marcus Smith returns against Bayonne as Harlequins look to build on an impressive display against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium.
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoLeicester Tigers 15-23 Leinster: Adam Radwan told to force England to pick him
Geoff Parling had some straight advice for try-scoring Adam Radwan after the wing had raised hopes of a first Leicester Tigers...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoNorthampton Saints vs Pretoria Bulls: We’re ready for a battle, says George Hendy
Buoyed by their impressive win in Pau last Sunday, Northampton Saints boss Phil Dowson has made only two changes to the...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoBristol Bears vs Pau: Pat Lam says victory would be huge for his side
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has named a strong team for today’s clash against French high-flyers Pau, saying a...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoPaul Rees: Lawrence Dallaglio’s reasons to cheer for Prem clubs in Europe
Paul Rees talks to England’s World Cup winner about the Champions Cup – and Steve Borthwick’s selection choices
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoLeo Cullen on why perfection isn’t realistic after Leinster’s seven-try Champions Cup win over Harlequins
For many in the Leinster camp, it feels like the start of the season with the return of the international players...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoNorthampton Saints full-back George Furbank fighting fit on his new fish diet
George Furbank has put the frustrations of the last year behind him as he looks to regain his place in the...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoGloucester aim to build momentum in Europe, says Ben Redshaw
Ben Redshaw wants Gloucester to use last weekend’s Prem victory over Harlequins as a springboard when they welcome Castres today in...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoSaracens 47-10 Clermont Auvergne: Elliot Daly’s star of the show as Sarries open in style
Elliot Daly showed there is plenty of life in the old dog yet as Saracens opened their Champions Cup account with...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoToulouse v Sharks: Visitors will fight hard to send John Plumtree off with a victory
Record six-time winners Toulouse launch their Champions Cup title pursuit today with several star players returning to a fixture that will...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoSale Sharks 21-26 Glasgow Warriors: Sharks reeled in by rugged Warriors
Sale Sharks has proved a notoriously difficult venue for visiting teams, as evidenced by their outstanding home record in recent years.
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoBath 40-14 Munster: Johann van Graan’s side issue a warning to Europe elite
Bath issued a thunderous statement to Europe’s elite as they ruthlessly swept Munster aside at a rain-soaked Rec.
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoGloucester v Castres: George Skivington – Nine-week block key to season
Gloucester launch their Champions Cup campaign today aiming to build on their recent revival against Castres.
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoLeinster 45-28 Harlequins: Leo Cullen’s side find strong finish to quell plucky Quins
Despite falling short of a statement victory, Jason Gilmore’s Harlequins can hold their heads high after a commendable display against Leinster.
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoLa Rochelle 39-20 Leicester Tigers: Fearless Tiger cubs go down fighting
Leicester Tigers were more cubs than tigers with youth given its head, but they pushed the former champions La Rochelle hard...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoPau v Northampton Saints: Phil Dowson’s side ready for rumble with French high-flyers
Last season’s finalists Northampton Saints begin their campaign with a daunting trip to high-flying Section Paloise today and Phil Dowson is...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoScarlets 16-17 Bristol Bears: Pat Lam’s men hold firm for gritty opening win
Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears slugged out a narrow victory across the border against Scarlets to get their latest European campaign up...
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Champions Cup
/ 5 months agoBath scrum-half Ben Spencer gunning for European glory
Ben Spencer has seen the lot in the Champions Cup and insists his Bath side are primed to challenge Europe’s best...
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Autumn Internationals
/ 5 months agoPaul Rees: Springboks are setting the standard
Paul Rees reflects on the Autumn Tests and what the implications might be for the Champions Cup and beyond.
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoDamian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey: A pair of aces who fill our hearts with joy
If the level of mastery is unusually high, the depth of mystery is unfathomable.
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoPeter Jackson: Barmy to downgrade the Champions Cup
According to its promoters, the ‘wonderful’ Champions Cup stands on a pinnacle above everything else as ‘the greatest club competition in...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoJeff Probyn: Another battling show by Bordeaux
What a great game last weekend’s Champions Cup final turned out to be with both of the finalists, Northampton and Bordeaux...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoCharlie Elliott: The Best Moments of the 2024/25 Champions Cup
The Champions Cup has concluded, and European rugby’s premier competition delivered some great moments. We saw plenty of drama in the pool stages, a lot of shocks...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoRugby’s Social Media Moments of the Week: Matthieu Jalibert gives it back to Henry Pollock
Rugby saw the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals take place this weekend, with Bordeaux-Begles beating Northampton Saints and Bath beating...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoChampions Cup Team of the Season: Bordeaux Begles dominate after earning their first star
The Champions Cup concluded with Bordeaux Begles winning the competition for the first time in their history, with a 28-20 win...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoBordeaux Begles accused of Henry Pollock vendetta
Fin Smith accused Bordeaux Begles of having a vendetta against Henry Pollock as Northampton Saints’ 28-20 Champions Cup final defeat ended...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoNorthampton Saints 20-28 Bordeaux Begles: Saints’ warriors battle to the very end
Fraser Dingwall’s Northampton Saints saw their European adventure end in acrimony and heroism in equal measure as they went out on...
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Champions Cup
/ 12 months agoBrave Northampton Saints didn’t have enough in reserve
Injuries have cursed Northampton Saints’ season and there was no relief on their biggest day of the decade.
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Challenge Cup
/ 12 months agoCharlie Elliott: Best head-to-head matchups in the European Finals
The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals will both take place this weekend in Cardiff, providing an opportunity to determine the European champions. Both will see Premiership...
International Rugby
Will Genia backs the Henry Pollock hype but feels England need to be more fluid
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