Northampton Saints England’s best hope in Investec Champions Cup January 21, 2025 It wasn’t in the 66 points that came before full-time, nor in the sledging match in the stands that decided an all-time epic between Northampton Saints and Munster in round four of the Investec Champions Cup. Instead it was the colossal mitts of one Henry Pollock, the East Mids star quickly forming a rugby reputation [...]
Investec Champions Cup: Benetton shine and Castres shock January 20, 2025 Nearly 50 matches after we began, the great and good of European rugby have been whittled down to 16 teams. The Investec Champions Cup round of 16 will see a number of firsts for the game intertwined with some classic fixtures synonymous with the competition. Because after the four rounds of pool games, South African [...]
Investec Champions Cup: Saints and Munster to serve up classic January 17, 2025 Though there has been some debate surrounding the format of the Investec Champions Cup, few can deny that it has led to a final weekend of fixtures with (nearly) everything on the line. Bar the Bulls, who cannot reach the round of 16, there are 23 teams fighting for a spot in the knockouts or [...]
Investec Champions Cup needs South Africa success January 16, 2025 It looks as though European Rugby has nailed its colours to the mast in supporting the inclusion of South African franchises in the Investec Champions Cup. For the competition it offers a new rugby-mad market to venture into, for clubs it aligns European Professional Club Rugby with the United Rugby Championship, and for title sponsors [...]
Can Italy’s challenger European rugby project win them a World Cup? January 14, 2025 Rugby authorities in Italy have reportedly submitted plans for a new European rugby competition. But can it be viable, and is the World Cup the end goal? The new president of Italy’s rugby federation, Andrea Duodo, caused a little bit of a stir recently when he confirmed that new proposals for a European club rugby [...]
Steve Borthwick England squad: Three Champions Cup bolters to watch January 14, 2025 This morning England manager Steve Borthwick names his squad for the Six Nations, with a trip to Dublin up first next month. Last weekend’s Investec Champions Cup action, then, was the very last chance for players to give a good account of themselves before today’s announcement. But it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies for hopefuls [...]
Investec Champions Cup: Leinster, Glasgow and Toulon secure home ties January 13, 2025 There may be a round of Investec Champions Cup matches to go but for some clubs their future has already been decided. For South African side the Bulls, it’s done and dusted with the Pretoria-based outfit unable to reach the round of 16 in April, no matter how good or bad their result against Stade [...]
Leinster, Munster and Ulster need to end Irish Champions Cup drought January 10, 2025 Of Ireland’s four rugby provinces, the three in this year’s Investec Champions Cup share seven titles between them. Dubliners Leinster have won the competition four times and featured in eight finals, Munster have won two from four showpiece matches and Ulster are one win from two finals. But all is not well on the Emerald [...]
Champions Cup: Le Showbizz Racing 92 must rediscover je ne sais quoi January 9, 2025 For all of the pizzazz, grandeur and elegance that comes with saying you’re a Racing 92 player, there’s little to show for it in the trophy cabinet. In the professional era the Parisian powerhouse have won just one major trophy, a 2016 Top 14 final against Toulon, and have lost three Investec Champions Cup finals [...]
Glasgow Warriors shining light for Scotland in Champions Cup December 14, 2024 North of Hadrian’s Wall there’s a proud rugby nation in Scotland. Their two flagship clubs, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh, host the majority of the national team and the nation’s biggest overseas stars ply their trade in the country. But the Investec Champions Cup and its predecessor top level competitions have never been a happy hunting [...]