Saints' possible Investec Champions Cup pool-stage opponents confirmed

Those clubs also made it into Tier 1, with Toulouse winning the French Top 14, Bordeaux bagging Champions Cup glory for the second season in succession and Leinster triumphing in the United Rugby Championship.

Saints were crowned Gallagher PREM champions, earning them a place among the European elite.

And they can now look forward to seeing who they will face in the Champions Cup when the draw is made in Dublin on Wednesday afternoon.

They will not be able to play against another PREM side in the pool stages, meaning this is their list of possible opponents…

Top 14: Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Stade Français Paris, Racing 92, Section Paloise, Stade Rochelais, ASM Clermont Auvergne.

United Rugby Championship: Vodacom Bulls, Glasgow Warriors, DHL Stormers, Munster Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Lions, Connacht Rugby.

As was the case last season, Saints, who reached the quarter-finals, will play two pool matches at home and two away.

Each of the four pools will contain six teams, though, as previously mentioned, no teams from the same country will place against each other before the knockout stages.

Champions Cup organisers EPCR have announced two changes to the rules ahead of this season.

The changes are said to be 'designed to enhance the competitiveness and intensity of the pool stage fixtures by enhancing the battle for qualification to the Round of 16, and ensuring matches stay competitive for longer'.

Rule change 1: Qualification into the Round of 16

In a change to previous seasons, in which the four highest-ranked clubs in each pool all automatically qualified for the Round of 16, only the top three teams from each pool will automatically qualify.

From 2026/27, the three highest-ranked clubs in each pool will automatically qualify.

The remaining four Round of 16 places will go to the four clubs with the highest number of match points across all pools, regardless of which pool they are in.

This means clubs finishing below fourth place in their respective pool can still qualify, but only if they have enough points compared to clubs from other pools.

In a change to how ranking will be determined, if two clubs are tied on match points, the club with the greatest number of wins will be awarded higher ranking, before best points difference is taken into consideration.

Rule change 2. Try bonus points

EPCR is changing the system by which offensive bonus points are awarded, awarding bonus points for attacking performance if a team scores three or more tries more than their opposition.

The purpose of this change is to reward teams who continue to play attacking rugby AND who remain resolute in defence once victory appears certain, effectively ensuring tournament matches stay competitive for longer.

The change will also enable teams to deny their opponents an offensive bonus point if their defensive intensity drops, the status of the offensive bonus will remain uncertain until the conclusion of each fixture.

Unchanged to previous seasons, the defensive bonus point will remain available if a defeated team can limit the margin of defeat to seven points or fewer.