2 years ago
The pool draws for the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions will be organized at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, 28 June.
The two draws will be streamed live on www.epcrugby.com and the occasion will begin at 12h00 (UK-Irish time)/13h00 (SA-Italian time) with the draw for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools, which will be trailed by the Heineken Champions Cup draw at around 12h25/13h25.
For the Heineken Champions Cup draw, which will highlight the DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks from South Africa interestingly, the 24 qualified clubs will be in four levels in light of their rankings from the TOP 14, Gallagher Premiership and the Vodacom URC, prior to being brought into two pools of 12 - Pool An and Pool B. Clubs from a similar association in a similar level won't be brought into a similar pool. (See qualifiers and levels beneath)
The number 1 and number 2 positioned clubs from each association will be in Tier 1 - this incorporates Castres Olympique and Montpellier Hérault Rugby, who will contend in TOP 14 last on Friday - the number 3 and number 4 positioned clubs will be in Tier 2, the number 5 and 6 positioned clubs will be in Tier 3, and the number 7 and number 8 positioned clubs will be Tier 4.
The Tier 1 and the Tier 4 clubs which have been attracted a similar pool, however which are not comparable, will play each other home and away more than four pool stage adjusts, as will the Tier 2 and Tier 3 clubs which have been attracted a similar pool, yet which are not comparable.
For instance, the DHL Stormers, who won last end of the week's Vodacom URC Grand Final, will be in Tier 1 and will be drawn against either ASM Clermont Auvergne or Lyon, and against either the Exeter Chiefs or London Irish from Tier 4.
Additionally, Leicester Tigers, who prevailed in the Premiership last, will likewise be in Tier 1 and will be drawn against either ASM Clermont Auvergne or Lyon, and against either Edinburgh Rugby or Ospreys from Tier 4.
In the mean time, the terrible TOP 14 semifinalists, Union Bordeaux-Bègles and Stade Toulousain, who will be in Tier 2, will be drawn against either Gloucester Rugby or Sale Sharks, and against either the Cell C Sharks or Munster Rugby from Tier 3.
The live-streamed draw for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools, which incorporates the Johannesburg-based Emirates Lions and the Toyota Cheetahs from Bloemfontein, will have 20 clubs in three levels to make two pools of 10 - Pool An and Pool B. Clubs from a similar association won't play against each other during the pool stage. (See qualifiers and levels underneath)
The number 1 and number 2 positioned clubs from the Vodacom URC, the TOP 14 and the Premiership will be in Tier 1, the number 3 and number 4 positioned clubs from each association, as well as the number 5 and number 6 positioned clubs from the Vodacom URC, will be in Tier 2. The Dragons, Zebre Parma, USAP, Aviron Bayonnais, Bath Rugby and the Toyota Cheetahs will be in Tier 3.
The Tier 1 and the Tier 3 clubs which have been attracted a similar pool, however which are not comparable, will play each other home and away north of four pool stage adjusts.
The Tier 2 clubs which have been attracted a similar pool, however which are not from a similar association, will play each other home and away during the pool stage.
To stick to the vital guideline of no equivalent association matches, Tier 2 clubs from the TOP 14 will just play against resistance from the Vodacom URC, and comparatively, Tier 2 clubs from the Premiership will likewise just play against resistance from the URC.
For instance, in Tier 2, the Lions will play against either Stade Francais Paris or CA Brive, and against either Worcester Warriors or Newcastle Falcons.
When the draws have been finished up, EPCR will set up the apparatus plans for the two competitions with a declaration of definite dates, scenes, start off times and TV inclusion to follow when practicable.
The 2022/23 season will be played north of eight ends of the week with four rounds of matches in the pool stage beginning in December, trailed by a knockout stage comprising of a Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, finishing in the Dublin finals at the Aviva Stadium on 19 and 20 May 2023.
2022/23 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS
TOP 14: Castres Olympique, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, 3 Union Bordeaux-Bègles, 4 Stade Toulousain, 5 Stade Rochelais, 6 Racing 92, 7 ASM Clermont Auvergne, 8 Lyon
Gallagher Premiership: 1 Leicester Tigers, 2 Saracens, 3 Harlequins, 4 Northampton Saints, 5 Gloucester Rugby, 6 Sale Sharks, 7 Exeter Chiefs, 8 London Irish
Vodacom United Rugby Championship: 1 DHL Stormers, 2 Vodacom Bulls, 3 Leinster Rugby, 4 Ulster Rugby, 5 Cell C Sharks, 6 Munster Rugby, 7 Edinburgh Rugby, 8 Ospreys
Heineken Champions Cup pool draw levels
Level 1: Castres Olympique, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Saracens, DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls
Level 2: Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Toulousain, Harlequins, Northampton Saints, Leinster Rugby, Ulster Rugby
Level 3: Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Gloucester Rugby, Sale Sharks, Cell C Sharks, Munster Rugby
Level 4: ASM Clermont Auvergne, Lyon, Exeter Chiefs, London Irish, Edinburgh Rugby, Ospreys
2022/23 EPCR CHALLENGE CUP QUALIFIERS
Vodacom United Rugby Championship: 1 Glasgow Warriors, 2 Scarlets, 3 Connacht Rugby, 4 Emirates Lions, 5 Benetton Rugby, 6 Cardiff Rugby, 7 Dragons, 8 Zebre Parma
TOP 14: 1 RC Toulon, 2 Section Paloise, 3 Stade Français Paris, 4 CA Brive, 5 USAP 6 Aviron Bayonnais
Gallagher Premiership: 1 Wasps, 2 Bristol Bears, 3 Worcester Warriors, 4 Newcastle Falcons, 5 Bath Rugby
Welcomed: Toyota Cheetahs
EPCR Challenge Cup pool draw levels
Level 1: Glasgow Warriors, Scarlets, RC Toulon, Section Paloise, Wasps, Bristol Bears
Level 2: Connacht Rugby, Emirates Lions, Benetton Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Stade Francais Paris, CA Brive, Worcester Warriors, Newcastle Falcons
Level 3: Dragons, Zebre Parma, USAP, Aviron Bayonnais, Bath Rugby, Toyota Cheetahs
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