As many as 20 Test stars have been registered for EPCR competitions this weekend, as the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup enter the knock-out stages. 

Under EPCR regulations, each team can register up to three additional players in the second registration window to supplement their squads, and can also register and de-register further players as they see fit, as was the case in the group stages.

Tests stars among additional players for EPCR competitions

The headline names among the returning players are that of Jac Morgan and Deon Fourie, who have missed large chunks of the season through injury but made their respective returns to action in the URC over the past few weeks.

Elsewhere, Jamie Osborne and Ryan Baird make their returns for Leinster following respective injury breaks, while Adam Radwan, Ross Vintcent and Taulupe Faletau are also included in their respective club’s lists.

The EPRC competitions take centre stage this weekend, starting with a double-header on Friday night as Northampton Saints face Castres in the Investec Champions Cup and Connacht take on the Sharks in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

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There are five further games in each competition on Saturday, with Bath facing Saracens, Toulon taking on the Stormers, Glasgow Warriors welcoming the Bulls to Scotstoun, Toulouse playing Bristol Bears and Harlequins and Sale Sharks meeting in an all-English tie. Saturday’s Challenge Cup action sees Exeter Chiefs take on Munster in the latest edition of that European rivalry, Montpellier face Perpignan in an all-French tie, Benetton welcoming Cardiff to Italy, Newcastle Red Bulls squaring off with La Rochelle and Ulster and Ospreys meeting in an all-URC tie as well.

The action then concludes on Sunday, with two games in each competition. Reigning Investec Champions Cup champions Bordeaux-Bègles play off against Leicester Tigers in the opening game, before Leinster face Edinburgh in another all-URC game. In the EPCR Challenge Cup, Stade Francais face the Dragons and Zebre take on Pau.

List of additional players in full

Investec Champions Cup – Second registration players added

Bath: Mikey Summerfield, Ciaran Donoghue, Will Jeanes

Bristol Bears: Kofi Cripps, Kieran Hill, Paddy Pearce

Castres: Colin Dupuy, Louis Le Brun, Romain Macurdy

Stormers: Deon Fourie, Seabelo Senatla, Hacjivah Dayimani

Edinburgh: D’Arcy Rae, Luke Crosbie, Mosese Tuipulotu

Glasgow Warriors: Charlie Savala, Johnny Ventisei, Callum Reidy

Harlequins: Stu Townsend, Sebastian Driscoll, Sean Kerr

Leicester Tigers: Cameron Miell, Osian Thomas, George Marsh

Leinster: Jamie Osborne, Ryan Baird, Cormac Foley

Northampton Saints: Aidan Pugh, Aidan Ainsworth-Cave, Jack Lewis

Toulon: Junior Kpoku, Mikheili Shioshvili, Swan Rebbadj

Sale Sharks: Luke James, Seb Kelly, Nye Thomas

Toulouse: Matias Remue, Marceau Marzullo, Simon Daroque

Saracens: Tobias Elliott, Jack Bracken, Kennedy Sylvester Junior

Bordeaux-Bègles: Elyjah Ibsaiene, Hugo Reus, Madosha Tambwe

Bulls: Jean Erasmus, Sergeal Petersen, Katlego Letebele

Investec Champions Cup – Additional player reversals

Castres:

Additional player: Adrea Cocagi

Deregistered: Atu Manu

Additional player: Paul Jedrasiak

Deregistered: Colin Dupuy

Stormers

Additional player: Daniel du Plessis

Deregistered: Mfundo Ndhlovu

Edinburgh

Additional player: Conor McAlpine

Deregistered: Hamish MacArthur

Additional player: Boan Venter

Deregistered: Jamie Stewart

Harlequins

Additional player: Titi Lamositele

Deregistered: Cameron Doak

Leicester Tigers

Additional player: Adam Radwan

Deregistered: Tom Threlfall

Sale Sharks

Additional player: Asher Opoku-Fordjour

Deregistered: Patrick Hogg

Additional player: Ralph McEachran

Deregistered: Obi Ene

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EPCR Challenge Cup – Second registration players added

Benetton: Ivan Nemer, Tomas Medina, Cristiano Tizzano

Cardiff: Taulupe Faletau, Ed Byrne, Teddy Williams

Connacht: Shayne Bolton, Albert Lindner

Dragons: Elliot Dee, Dillon Lewis, James Benjamin

Exeter Chiefs: Nick Lilley, Ross Vintcent, Finn Worley-Brady

Sharks: Luan Giliomee, Johannes Slabbert, Frederick Potgieter

Montpellier: Lenni Nouchi, Tom Banks, Jon Echegaray

Munster: Ben O’Donovan, Mark Donnelly, Tom Wood

Newcastle Red Bulls: Freddie Clarke, Ben Healy, Fergus Lee-Warner

Ospreys: Jac Morgan, Ben Roberts, Harri Houston

Pau: Tumua Manu, Toshi Butlin, Thomas Carol

Stade Français: Ryan Chapuis, Thierry Paiva, Pierre Huguet

La Rochelle: Watisoni Waqanisaravi, Sacha Elissalde, Edouard Richer

Ulster: Jonathan Scott, James McKillop, Tim McAllister

Perpignan: Tommaso Allan, Jonny Gray, Tristan Tedder

Zebre: Ion Neculai

EPCR Challenge Cup additional players reversals

Cardiff:

Additional player: Ellis Bevan

Deregistered: Tom Cottle

Dragons: 

Additional player: Chris Coleman

Deregistered: Cebo Dlamini

Exeter Chiefs:

Additional player: Ehren Painter

Deregistered: Ollie Batson

Pau:

Additional player: Joe Simmonds

Deregistered: Brent Liufau

Additional player: Beka Gorgadze

Deregistered: Toshi Butlin

Additional player: Lekso Kaulashvili

Deregistered: Thomas Carol

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