The Heineken Champions Cup will return to a multi-pool format subsequent season. Event organisers have scrapped the 2 teams of 12 system, with the 24 qualifiers now that includes in 4 swimming pools, every containing six groups.

There might be a most of two golf equipment from the identical league – Gallagher Premiership, URC and French Prime 14 – in every pool. There aren’t any matches between golf equipment from the identical league. Every workforce will play 4 video games towards 4 totally different golf equipment who will not be from the identical league, both house or away, in the course of the pool stage.

The main 4 golf equipment in every pool will qualify for the spherical of 16, and every fifth-placed workforce progress to the European Problem Cup knockout section.

The Challenge Cup will comprise 18 teams in three pools of six, with games in both tournaments being played over eight weekends and culminating in finals at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next May.

EPCR chairman Dominic McKay said: “Our focus has always been to ensure that everyone can easily understand, engage with and follow our tournaments, and also to ensure we have a structure that creates real sporting jeopardy in as many matches as possible.

“We will continue to work with our stakeholders to look at ways in which we can improve both tournaments, an objective which is at the heart of our strategy and commitment to fans, clubs and partners.

“Our competitions truly are the pinnacle of professional club rugby, and we have to ensure that they continue to engage and to enthral existing and new audiences along the way.”

The pool draws will take place in London on June 21, with the opening round of games taking place in December.

Champions Cup qualifiers: Saracens, Sale Sharks, Leicester, Northampton, Harlequins, Exeter, Bath, Bristol, Munster, DHL Stormers, Leinster, Ulster, Glasgow, Vodacom Bulls, Connacht, Cardiff, La Rochelle, Toulouse, Racing 92, Bordeaux-Begles, Lyon, Stade Francais, Toulon, Bayonne.

Challenge Cup qualifiers: Gloucester, Newcastle, Cell C Sharks, Emirates Lions, Benetton, Edinburgh, Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons, Zebre Parma, Castres, Clermont Auvergne, Montpellier, Pau, Perpignan, Oyonnax, plus two invited teams.