Investec Champions Cup: Where the best of club rugby comes together

Share current article via FacebookShare current article via TwitterShare current article via LinkedInEnter fullscreen mode displaying this image.ExpandWhich team will take home the trophy in the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup? The finals will be held in Lyon, France, on May 22 2027. (Investec) Twenty-four teams. Six nations. One coveted trophy.

The Investec Champions Cup represents the pinnacle of club rugby, bringing together the leading teams from South Africa and Europe in pursuit of one of the game’s most prestigious prizes.

For more than three decades it has been rugby’s equivalent of the UEFA Champions League: a stage reserved for the best of the best, and one of the toughest competitions to win.

Each season, the United Rugby Championship, England’s Gallagher PREM and France’s Top 14 send their leading teams and biggest stars into battle for supremacy, and audiences have responded, with the reach of the competition growing impressively every year.

Last season attracted a total TV audience of 53.4-million, while 1.1-million supporters attended matches in person, and the tournament generated 180-million social media video views.

The numbers tell a story, and for millions of fans around the world, the Investec Champions Cup is where club rugby’s best come together.

South Africa’s Hollywoodbets Sharks faced off against France’s ASM Clermont Auvergne during the 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup. (INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart via Investec) International qualitySouth Africa. Ireland. France. England.

Home to four of the world’s five highest-ranked men’s international teams*, each of these countries has its leading clubs represented in the Investec Champions Cup.

This provides the perfect stage for some of the globe’s top players to showcase their talent and push for inclusion in their national teams at next year’s World Cup in Australia.

Union Bordeaux Bègles, Stade Toulousain, Stade Rochelais, Leinster, Munster, Saracens, Bath, Northampton Saints, Glasgow Warriors, DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls, and 10bet Lions — club names that roll off the tongue. And when you add the leading clubs from Scotland and Wales, you have a veritable “who’s who” of the international game.

But from that field, only one champion can emerge.

The journey begins when the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup season kicks off on October 16, culminating seven months later when the final is played in Lyon, France, on May 22 2027.

Players from the 24 competing clubs gathered in Lyon, France, on September 30 2026, for the official launch of the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup. (Investec) PartnershipsAs title sponsor of the Investec Champions Cup, and through its partnerships with European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) and broadcaster SuperSport, Investec continues to demonstrate the power of brand collaboration in sport.

Beyond the rugby itself, Investec continues to invest in creating memorable experiences for fans, clients, media and colleagues alike.

The new season provides another opportunity to deepen that connection, celebrating the passion, excellence and sense of occasion that make the Investec Champions Cup such a compelling global sporting spectacle.

Supporters packed the stands during the 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup, with 1.1-million fans attending matches in person throughout the tournament. (INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Christiaan Kotze via Investec) That extends to Investec’s continued support of the School of Hard Knocks, an organisation that helps young people use sport to overcome trauma, develop life skills, and strengthen their emotional wellbeing, giving them greater opportunity to realise their potential.

The Investec Champions Cup is about more than 80 minutes on the field. It’s about the rivalries, traditions and shared experiences that make club rugby special.

It brings together teams and supporters from different countries and cultures, while giving some of the world’s finest players the opportunity to compete against one another on the biggest stage in the club game.

The winners of the 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup: France’s Union Bordeaux-Bègles. (INPHO/James Crombie via ) As the new season prepares to kick off, that combination of sporting excellence, passionate support and unforgettable experiences will once again be on show across South Africa and Europe, all the way to Lyon and the crowning of a new champion.

“The Investec Champions Cup has the ability to connect people across countries and cultures,” says Abey Mokgwatsane, Investec’s chief marketing officer.

“Our ambition is to help make that experience even more engaging and memorable, while celebrating the excellence, partnership and shared passion that make this competition so special.”

The Investec Champions Cup. A competition like no other.

For more information, visit the Investec Champions Cup website.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu of South Africa’s DHL Stormers in action during the 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup. (INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/EJ Langner via ) This article was sponsored by Investec.