Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors discover Champions Cup foes as Finn Russell and Co lurk

Scottish rugby sides Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors have discovered their Investec Champions Cup pool-phase opponents for the 2025/26 edition of the tournament.

Edinburgh have been placed in Pool B of the competition and will face Bath, Toulon, Munster, Castres and Gloucester, while Glasgow are in Pool A will take on Toulouse, Clermont, Sharks, Saracens and Sale.

It guarantees both teams some heavyweight encounters against the cream of European rugby. Edinburgh will once more face Scotland talisman Finn Russell and Bath, who they lost to in the semi-finals of Challenge Cup last season, while the Warriors have a mouthwatering encounter against French Top 14 champions Toulouse, who have Blair Kinghorn in their ranks.

Edinburgh Rugby will once again come up against Finn Russell and Bath. | SNS Group

The teams that finish in the top four of each pool progress to the last 16 of the Champions Cup, with the top two playing at home and third and fourth away from home. The team that finishes fifth will drop into the Challenge Cup last 16, while the bottom-placed team is eliminated entirely from European competition.

The first set of fixtures will be played in December, with the ties to be announced in due course. Each team plays four matches in total and will not face their league partners, meaning Edinburgh will not take on Munster and Glasgow avoid a clash with Sharks. The gameweeks have been set as the weekends of December 5, December 12, January 9 and January 16.

Glasgow Warriors made the quarter-finals last season before being soundly beaten 52-0 by Leinster in Dublin, while Edinburgh are making their return to the top table of European rugby following a two-campaign absence.

Defending champions Bordeaux-Begles are in Pool 4 alongside Scarlets, Bristol Bears, Pau, Northampton Saints and Bulls, while in Pool 3, URC champions Leinster have been pitted with Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, La Rochelle, Bayonne and Stormers.

Last season’s final was won by French Top 14 outfit Bordeaux-Belges after they overcame Gallagher Prem opposition in Northampton Saints 28-20 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff back in May.

Investec Champions Cup 2025/26 pools

Pool 1: Toulouse, Clermont, Sharks, Saracens, Glasgow Warriors, Sale.

Pool 2: Bath, Toulon, Munster, Castres, Edinburgh Rugby, Gloucester.

Pool 3: Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, La Rochelle, Bayonne, Stormers.

Pool 4: Bordeaux-Begles, Scarlets, Bristol Bears, Pau, Northampton Saints, Bulls.