{"id":393859,"date":"2026-01-05T20:37:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T20:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/393859\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T20:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T20:37:07","slug":"top-5-european-rugby-matches-to-watch-challenge-champions-cup-round-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/393859\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 European Rugby Matches to Watch: Challenge & Champions Cup Round 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

One week into the new year, and it\u2019s only the tip of the rugby iceberg.<\/p>\n

The first 2026 weekend of Top 14, PREM and URC action delivered immediate drama\u2014and there\u2019s no pause button. Clubs now shift straight into European competition, where the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Round 3 will begin revealing true contenders.<\/p>\n

Perpignan opened the year with a statement, earning their second Top 14 win by stunning No. 1 Toulouse. Northampton steamrolled Harlequins 66\u201321 for their most dominant PREM performance yet. Ulster added another chapter to their interprovincial rivalry, edging Munster once again.<\/p>\n

Now, the spotlight turns to Europe, where the fiercest competition awaits and the season\u2019s front-runners start to emerge.<\/p>\n

Here are five must-watch matches this week:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026 Stade Francais vs Exeter Chiefs<\/p>\n

<\/a>Stade Fran\u00e7ais vs. Exeter ChiefsJan. 10 at 8 a.m. ET \u2014 Challenge Cup<\/p>\n

Stade Fran\u00e7ais arrive in strong form after a convincing 33\u201315 Top 14 win over Castres and a perfect start to their Challenge Cup campaign. Dominant victories over Cardiff and the Cheetahs have put the Parisians firmly in control of their pool.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Exeter, meanwhile, are searching for momentum after a narrow PREM loss to Bath but have shown flashes in Europe, hammering the Cheetahs before battling Racing 92 to a 31\u201331 draw.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This matchup pits Stade Fran\u00e7ais\u2019 consistency against an Exeter side capable of swinging wildly week to week.<\/p>\n

Sale Sharks vs. Hollywoodbets SharksJan. 10 at 12:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Champions Cup<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a literal battle of the Sharks, though the trajectories couldn\u2019t be more different. Sale come in off a tight PREM defeat to Bristol but rebounded in Europe with a decisive win over Clermont after falling to Glasgow in Round 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hollywoodbets Sharks are reeling, having dropped a one-point URC match to the Lions and suffering heavy Champions Cup losses to Connacht and Toulouse. For Sale, this is a chance to solidify their knockout push; for Hollywoodbets, it\u2019s about survival.<\/p>\n

Leinster vs. La RochelleJan. 10 at 12:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Champions Cup<\/p>\n

One of Europe\u2019s premier rivalries renews with both sides carrying confidence\u2014and history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Leinster are unbeaten in their last five matches and opened their Champions Cup with wins over Harlequins and Leicester. La Rochelle arrive fresh off a staggering 66\u20130 Top 14 demolition of Toulon but split their European results, beating Leicester before falling hard to the Stormers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Leinster have won the last three meetings, including a 16\u201314 thriller in January 2025, but La Rochelle know how to flip the script.<\/p>\n

Union Bordeaux B\u00e8gles vs. Northampton SaintsJan. 11 at 10:15 a.m. ET \u2014 Champions Cup<\/p>\n

This matchup features two of the hottest attacking sides in Europe right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bordeaux crushed Racing 92 last week and have been ruthless in Champions Cup play, piling up points against the Bulls and Scarlets. Northampton are equally dangerous, riding a five-match win streak highlighted by a 66\u201321 rout of Harlequins and dominant European wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bordeaux have won the last two meetings, including a 28\u201320 victory in May 2025, giving this clash extra edge.<\/p>\n

Saracens vs. ToulouseJan. 11 at 12:30 p.m. ET \u2014 Champions Cup<\/p>\n

Two European heavyweights meet at a critical moment for both clubs. Toulouse were stunned by Perpignan in Top 14 play and split their Champions Cup results, overpowering the Sharks before slipping against Glasgow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saracens also come off a domestic loss and have mirrored Toulouse\u2019s European inconsistency with one emphatic win and one narrow defeat. With little margin for error in the pool, this game could define the knockout picture for both sides.<\/p>\n

How To Watch Investec Champions Cup Round 3 Matches<\/p>\n

All Investec Champions Cup matches stream live on FloRugby and the FloSports app.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Investec Champions Cup Round 3 FixturesFriday, 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 F\u00e9lix Mayol10:15 a.m. ET: Bordeaux-B\u00e8gles vs. Northampton Saints, Stade Chaban-Delmas12:30 p.m. ET: Saracens vs. Toulouse, StoneX StadiumInvestec Champions Cup Round 4 FixturesFriday, 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-B\u00e8gles, Ashton Gate10:15 a.m. ET: Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets, cinch Stadium @ Franklin\u2019s Gardens10:15 a.m. ET: La Rochelle vs. Harlequins, Stade Marcel Deflandre12:30 p.m. ET: Glasgow Warriors vs. Saracens, Scotstoun StadiumHow To Watch Investec Champions Cup Round 3 Matches<\/p>\n

All EPCR Challenge Cup matches stream live on FloRugby and the FloSports app.\u00a0<\/p>\n

EPCR Challenge Cup Round 3 FixturesSat, Jan. 10, 20267 a.m. ET: Stade Fran\u00e7ais Paris vs. Exeter Chiefs, Stade Jean Bouin7 a.m. ET: US Montauban vs. Black Lion, Stade Sapiac7 a.m. ET: Newcastle Red Bulls vs. Perpignan, Kingston Park9:15 a.m. ET: Lions vs. Lyon O.U., Ellis Park9:15 a.m. ET: Cardiff Rugby vs. Racing 92, Cardiff Arms Park11:30 a.m. ET: Benetton Rugby vs. Dragons RFC, Stadio MonigoSun, Jan. 11, 20267 a.m. ET: Montpellier H\u00e9rault Rugby vs. Connacht Rugby, Septeo Stadium7 a.m. ET: Zebre Parma vs. Ospreys, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi9:15 a.m. ET: Toyota Cheetahs vs. Ulster Rugby, NRCA StadiumEPCR Challenge Cup Round 4 FixturesFri, Jan. 16, 20262 p.m. ET: Dragons RFC vs. Newcastle Red Bulls, Rodney ParadeSat, Jan. 17, 20267 a.m. ET: Ulster Rugby vs. Stade Fran\u00e7ais Paris, Affidea Stadium7 a.m. ET: Black Lion vs. Zebre Parma, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium11:30 a.m. ET: Perpignan vs. Lions, Stade Aim\u00e9 Giral2 p.m. ET: Connacht Rugby vs. US Montauban, Dexcom Stadium2 p.m. ET: Ospreys vs. Montpellier H\u00e9rault Rugby, Dunraven Brewery FieldSun, Jan. 18, 20267 a.m. ET: Exeter Chiefs vs. Cardiff Rugby, Sandy Park7 a.m. ET: Lyon O.U. vs. Benetton Rugby, Matmut Stadium de Gerland11:30 a.m. ET: Racing 92 vs. Toyota Cheetahs, Paris La D\u00e9fense ArenaHow To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby<\/p>\n

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:\u00a0<\/p>\n

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One week into the new year, and it\u2019s only the tip of the rugby iceberg. The first 2026…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384934,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-393859","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-rugby","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=393859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=393859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=393859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=393859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}