The closest thing professional club rugby has to a Kumite is the Investec Champions Cup, and the battle for European dominance begins on Dec. 5.

At least that’s the case for now.

The Club Rugby World Cup in 2028, which will stream on FloRugby, will feature eight teams from the Champions Cup, six from Super Rugby Pacific, and likely two teams from Japan Rugby League One.

It’ll be an event rugby fans have never seen before and could answer the question FloRugby tries to every week with the Club Rankings: Who is the best club team in the world?

But even that competition likely won’t have quite the grueling nature of 48 pool matches and a 16-team playoff culminating with a grand final.

For now, the closest thing rugby has to a professional club world cup is the Champions Cup — especially after South African clubs joined to form what is now the United Rugby Championship.

At the end of the day, it’s the matches and the level of play that make the Champions Cup the top competition in the world, and of those 48 pool-play matches, there are, as the kids say, some real bangers.

Of the 48 matches over the two weeks in December and two weeks in January, here are our favorite fixtures.

Bath Rugby vs. Munster Rugby, Round 1, Pool 2 | 3 p.m. ET, Dec. 6

How can you be romantic about the Champions Cup?

Bath Rugby — the EPCR Challenge Cup, Gallagher PREM Rugby, and PREM Cup winners a year ago — against the men of Munster? The only thing Bath needs to complete its 18-month Infinity Gauntlet of titles is a Champions Cup. Leicester Tigers’ loss in Round 4 of the Gallagher PREM season aside, they have looked like the best team in PREM Rugby this season.

And Munster has looked like the best team in the United Rugby Championship through four rounds.

When the Champions Cup started more than 30 years ago, this is the type of matchup they envisioned.

Pau vs. Northampton Saints, Round 1, Pool 4 | 8 a.m. ET, Dec. 7

The winds are changing fast in France this Top 14 season, so there’s no telling if Section Paloise, or Pau, will still be at the top of the table come November, let alone December. But a matchup of the current table toppers in the Top 14 and Gallagher PREM playing Round 1 on the first Sunday of the competition is, well, an early Christmas gift. Both clubs look like they could win it all.

Others from Round 1:Toulouse vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks: Antoine Dupont return? Please? Could happen. Imagine the star power in this match if it does… oh my. Vodacom Bulls vs. Bordeaux: This should be one of the five games… if UBB weren’t eighth on the Top 14 table, it would be. Edinburgh vs. Toulon: Edinburgh has been playing lights out of late, and Toulon has a championship history.Glasgow Warriors vs. Toulouse Rugby, Round 2, Pool 1 | 3 p.m. ET, Dec. 13

These clubs have not played often. The Warriors, the 2024 URC Champions, last beat Toulouse in 2009 in the Champions Cup. They last met at all in 2014, a 12–9 Toulouse win. While a home match in Round 1 on Dec. 5 may seem like a more obvious return game for Dupont — the No. 2 player in the world recovering from a torn ACL he suffered against Ireland in the Six Nations — this match in Scotland is one where he could seriously be needed. The Warriors are as tough of an out as there is in rugby, especially in Scotland, where they hardly ever lose. Plus, Blair Kinghorn, arguably the third — and maybe even second — best Scottish player in the world, plays for Toulouse.

Others from Round 2:Leicester Tigers vs. Leinster Rugby: Leinster Rugby seemingly plays the same clubs every year in the Champions Cup. They’ve met Leicester four times since 2022. Keep reading, Leinster fans.Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Saracens: The South African captains vs. the English captains. I love it.Bristol Bears vs. Pau: Louis Rees-Zammit will be needed to beat the best team in France so far.Toulon vs. Bath Rugby: One of the best home grounds in rugby hosts the PREM Rugby leaders. Leinster Rugby vs. La Rochelle, Round 3, Pool 3 | 12:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 10

How on Earth do we get this matchup again? Leinster has played La Rochelle every year in the Champions Cup since 2020. This will be the seventh La Rochelle-Leinster match in the champions cup in that span. Seven! La Rochelle has been, without a doubt, the most disappointing team in the Top 14 this season. Shoot, I picked them to win the Top 14! But here they are sitting with a 3-0-3 record and 11th on the Top 14 table. However, if there’s one team that can pull off a 2025 Northampton Saints — being bad domestically but making the Champions Cup Final — it would be Ronan O’Gara’s team.

Others from Round 3:Clermont vs. Glasgow Warriors: Clermont at home is like the French version of the Warriors at home. Leicester Tigers vs. Bayonne: These two teams could be solidly on top of their domestic tables by January. Bordeaux vs. Northampton Saints: A rematch of the Champions Cup Final probably should be one of the five matches. Here’s to UBB working out their issues by January.Bayonne vs. Leinster Rugby, Round 4, Pool 4 | 10:15 a.m. ET, Jan. 17

There will undoubtedly be a lot of can’t-miss matches in Round 4 as teams fight to make the knockout rounds. But as we’ve learned over the years, sometimes this round isn’t very dramatic because we already know who’s in. Still, this matchup will be can’t-miss because Bayonne has already beaten Bordeaux and Toulouse this season and are legit Champions Cup contenders. Could a team beat UBB, Toulouse, and Leinster all in the same season? For Leinster, a struggling URC season won’t matter if they take care of business in the Champions Cup.

Others from Round 4:Pau vs. Vodacom Bulls: The Bulls are always good. Will they care about the Champions Cup is the big question. They’ll need to beat Pau.Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Clermont: Please, just once, Sharks, take the Champions Cup seriously.DHL Stormers vs. Leicester Tigers: The Stormers say they will take the Champions Cup seriously. … Notice a trend?Here’s A Side Not On The Investec Champions Cup Matches

 If the South African clubs decide the Champions Cup is truly important to them, this competition becomes so much more interesting. 

Last year I had high hopes for all three South African clubs, but it was clear they were more focused on the URC. And news flash: none of them won the URC — the Bulls got close. The clubs are even more tied to the URC now, and what better way to help the URC than have a URC team win the Champions Cup?

Investec Champions Cup 2025-2026 Fixtures

Here’s a look at each round:

Investec Champions Cup Round 1 Friday, Dec. 53 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Glasgow Warriors, Salford Community Stadium3 p.m. ET: Bayonne vs. DHL Stormers, Stade Jean DaugerSaturday, Dec. 68 a.m. ET: Saracens vs. Clermont Auvergne, StoneX Stadium10:15 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Loftus Versfeld12:30 p.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Leicester Tigers, Stade Marcel Deflandre12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. Harlequins, TBD3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Bristol Bears, Parc y Scarlets3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Munster Rugby, The RecSunday, Dec. 78 a.m. ET: Pau vs. Northampton Saints, Stade du Hameau10:15 a.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon10:15 a.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, KingsholmDec. 7–9 (TBD)Edinburgh Rugby vs. Toulon, TBDInvestec Champions Cup Round 2 Friday, Dec. 123 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Leinster Rugby, Mattioli Woods Welford RoadSaturday, Dec. 138 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. La Rochelle, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium10:15 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Saracens, Hollywoodbets Kings Park10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Marcel-Michelin12:30 p.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Scarlets, Stade Chaban-Delmas12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh3 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Toulouse, Scotstoun StadiumSunday, Dec. 148 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. Bayonne, Twickenham Stoop8 a.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Pierre-Fabre10:15 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Félix Mayol10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Vodacom Bulls, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens12:30 p.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Pau, Ashton GateInvestec Champions Cup Round 3 Friday, Jan. 93 p.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Pierre-Fabre3 p.m. ET: Edinburgh Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, TBDSaturday, Jan. 108 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bristol Bears, Loftus Versfeld10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Glasgow Warriors, Stade Marcel-Michelin12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. La Rochelle, TBD12:30 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Salford Community Stadium3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Pau, Parc y Scarlets3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Bayonne, Mattioli Woods Welford RoadSunday, Jan. 118 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. DHL Stormers, Twickenham Stoop8 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Munster Rugby, Stade Félix Mayol10:15 a.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Northampton Saints, Stade Chaban-Delmas12:30 p.m. ET: Saracens vs. Toulouse, StoneX StadiumInvestec Champions Cup Round 4 Friday, Jan. 163 p.m. ET: Pau vs. Vodacom Bulls, Stade du Hameau3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby, The RecSaturday, Jan. 178 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Clermont Auvergne, Hollywoodbets Kings Park10:15 a.m. ET: Bayonne vs. Leinster Rugby, Stade Jean Dauger10:15 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. Leicester Tigers, DHL Stadium12:30 p.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, Thomond Park3 p.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Toulon, KingsholmSunday, Jan. 188 a.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Ashton Gate10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens10:15 a.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Harlequins, Stade Marcel Deflandre12:30 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Saracens, Scotstoun StadiumInvestec Champions Cup Fixtures By Pool

Here’s a breakdown of the schedule by pool:

Investec Champions Cup Pool 1Round 1Friday, Dec. 5 – 3 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Glasgow Warriors, Salford Community StadiumSaturday, Dec. 6 – 8 a.m. ET: Saracens vs. Clermont Auvergne, StoneX StadiumSunday, Dec. 7 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Stade Ernest WallonRound 2Saturday, Dec. 13 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Saracens, Hollywoodbets Kings ParkSaturday, Dec. 13 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Marcel-MichelinSaturday, Dec. 13 – 3 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Toulouse, Scotstoun StadiumRound 3 Saturday, Jan. 10 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Clermont Auvergne vs. Glasgow Warriors, Stade Marcel-MichelinSaturday, Jan. 10 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Sale Sharks vs. Hollywoodbets Sharks, Salford Community StadiumSunday, Jan. 11 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Saracens vs. Toulouse, StoneX StadiumRound 4 Saturday, Jan. 17 – 8 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Clermont Auvergne, Hollywoodbets Kings ParkSaturday, Jan. 17 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Toulouse vs. Sale Sharks, Stade Ernest WallonSunday, Jan. 18 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Saracens, Scotstoun StadiumInvestec Champions Cup Pool 2Round 1 Saturday, Dec. 6 – 3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Munster Rugby, The RecSunday, Dec. 7 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, KingsholmDec. 7–9 (TBD): Edinburgh Rugby vs. Toulon, TBDRound 2 Saturday, Dec. 13 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, SuperValu Páirc Uí ChaoimhSunday, Dec. 14 – 8 a.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Pierre-FabreSunday, Dec. 14 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Félix MayolRound 3Friday, Jan. 9 – 3 p.m. ET: Castres Olympique vs. Bath Rugby, Stade Pierre-FabreFriday, Jan. 9 – 3 p.m. ET: Edinburgh Rugby vs. Gloucester Rugby, TBDSunday, Jan. 11 – 8 a.m. ET: Toulon vs. Munster Rugby, Stade Félix MayolRound 4 Friday, Jan. 16 – 3 p.m. ET: Bath Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby, The RecSaturday, Jan. 17 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Castres Olympique, Thomond ParkSaturday, Jan. 17 – 3 p.m. ET: Gloucester Rugby vs. Toulon, KingsholmInvestec Champions Cup Pool 3Round 1 Friday, Dec. 5 – 3 p.m. ET: Bayonne vs. DHL Stormers, Stade Jean DaugerSaturday, Dec. 6 – 12:30 p.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Leicester Tigers, Stade Marcel DeflandreSaturday, Dec. 6 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. Harlequins, TBDRound 2 Friday, Dec. 12 – 3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Leinster Rugby, Mattioli Woods Welford RoadSaturday, Dec. 13 – 8 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. La Rochelle, Nelson Mandela Bay StadiumSunday, Dec. 14 – 8 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. Bayonne, Twickenham StoopRound 3 Saturday, Jan. 10 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Leinster Rugby vs. La Rochelle, TBDSaturday, Jan. 10 – 3 p.m. ET: Leicester Tigers vs. Bayonne, Mattioli Woods Welford RoadSunday, Jan. 11 – 8 a.m. ET: Harlequins vs. DHL Stormers, Twickenham Stoop

Round 4

Saturday, Jan. 17 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Bayonne vs. Leinster Rugby, Stade Jean DaugerSaturday, Jan. 17 – 10:15 a.m. ET: DHL Stormers vs. Leicester Tigers, DHL StadiumSunday, Jan. 18 – 10:15 a.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Harlequins, Stade Marcel DeflandreInvestec Champions Cup Pool 4Round 1 Saturday, Dec. 6 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Loftus VersfeldSaturday, Dec. 6 – 3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Bristol Bears, Parc y ScarletsSunday, Dec. 7 – 8 a.m. ET: Pau vs. Northampton Saints, Stade du HameauRound 2Saturday, Dec. 13 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Scarlets, Stade Chaban-DelmasSunday, Dec. 14 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Vodacom Bulls, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s GardensSunday, Dec. 14 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Pau, Ashton GateRound 3 Saturday, Jan. 10 – 8 a.m. ET: Vodacom Bulls vs. Bristol Bears, Loftus VersfeldSaturday, Jan. 10 – 3 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Pau, Parc y ScarletsSunday, Jan. 11 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Bordeaux-Bègles vs. Northampton Saints, Stade Chaban-DelmasRound 4Friday, Jan. 16 – 3 p.m. ET: Pau vs. Vodacom Bulls, Stade du HameauSunday, Jan. 18 – 8 a.m. ET: Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux-Bègles, Ashton GateSunday, Jan. 18 – 10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets, cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s GardensHow To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

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