Join our live blog from midday to keep up to date with the draw for the 2015/2016 Rugby Champions Cup. Scroll to the bottom of the page from 1.35pm and hit refresh to see the teams enter their pools as they are drawn.
How it works
Twenty clubs from the Aviva Premiership, the Top 14 and the Guinness PRO12 have qualified on merit for the Champions Cup. The clubs will be divided into four tiers of five and a draw will be conducted to establish Tier 1 with two of the three second-ranked clubs – Bath Rugby, Munster Rugby and ASM Clermont Auvergne – joining Saracens, Glasgow Warriors and Stade Francais in the top tier.
Once Tier 1 has been established, the remaining three tiers will fall into place. Tier 2 will include the three third-ranked clubs from the leagues – Northampton Saints, RC Toulon and Ospreys – as well as the second-ranked club which was not drawn into Tier 1 and fourth-ranked club from the same league as the club which was not drawn into Tier 1.
Tier 3 will include the two clubs ranked fourth which are not in Tier 2 as well as the three fifth-ranked clubs from each league – Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92 and Leinster Rugby.
Tier 4 will contain the sixth-ranked clubs from the leagues – Wasps, Oyonnax and Scarlets – as well as Benetton Treviso and the winner of the Champions Cup play-offs, Bordeaux-Bègles.
When the tiers are completed, the draw proper for the five pools will be made, and during the draw, some clubs may have to be placed directly into a pool in order to ensure that the key principles apply (see below).
In Tier 4, Wasps will be drawn into a pool which contains one other Aviva Premiership club and Oyonnax and Bordeaux-Bègles will be drawn into pools which each contain one other Top 14 club.
| Rank | Premiership | Top 14 | PRO12 |
| 1 | Saracens | Stade Français | Glasgow |
| 2 | Bath Rugby | Clermont Auvergne | Munster |
| 3 | Northampton Saints | Toulon | Ospreys |
| 4 | Leicester Tigers | Toulouse | Ulster |
| 5 | Exeter Chiefs | Racing Métro | Leinster |
| 6 | Wasps | Oyonnax | Scarlets |
| 7 | Bordeaux | Treviso |
Clear as mud, right? Stay tuned below for the actual draw, live from 1.35pm.
First up it’s the Challenge Cup draw, which you can follow here
Pool 1
Saracens
Ulster
Toulouse
US Oyonnax
Pool 2
Clermont Auvergne
Ospreys
Exeter Chiefs
Bordeaux Begles
Pool 3
Glasgow Warriors
Northampton Saints
Racing 92
Scarlets
Pool 4
Stade Français
Munster
Leicester Tigers
Benetton Treviso
Pool 5
Bath Rugby
Toulon
Leinster
Wasps
As you know by now, we are hilarious, and you should be following us on Facebook and Twitter. 
So last year Northampton finish 2nd but win the final and end up as England’s 2nd seed
this year they finish top but don’t win the final and end up as England’s 3rd seed
What is the basis for seeding, league position or how you fare in the knockouts?
either Saints were diddled last year or they have been diddled this year
I think seeding is based on league positions (winners, second place etc after play-offs) and how far they got in the previous years Champions Cup. So third place after the play-offs and knocked out in the quarter finals of the Champions Cup, third seed is about right.
in which case last year we should have been No1 seed
Seeding is done by your performance in the league, nothing to do with performance in last year’s Champions Cup. They are as above in that table.
They are then split into four tiers with five teams in each tier. The league winners from each league go into top tier (1st seeds), plus two of the second seeds (Bath & Clermont in this case).
Then it becomes rather more convoluted as we head down the seedings and my head hurts thinking about it again. But the point is, it’s done on Premiership performance of the season before, absolutely nothing to do with any historical performance in the Euro Cup.
Seeding process has changed from last year though, last year Saints were seeded second as thats where they finished in the leaguem playoff performance counted for diddly. This year playoff performance does count and thus Saints get third for being a better (although don’t know how that bit works) losing semi-finalist than Tigers.
Well, as a Chiefs fan I’m pretty happy with that. Certainly a more comfortable group than group 5 anyway.
Would have preferred not to be in the same pool as Racing 92 again but otherwise not the worst draw for Northampton
Absolutely delighted with Leinster’s draw.
DDD
Does it really matter what group your team is in? Leinster just have to beat anything put front of them. Just go out there and do it home draws come that way too.
As a Sarries fan I’m pretty happy with our pool. Nothing too troubling there.
Honestly though, with the quality of the clubs, Treviso (possibly) aside, there doesn’t seem to be anything which can be considered to be an “easy” draw. I guess we’ll find out next season!
Holy sh*t pool 5 is harsh. Is this the first time a pool is entirely made up of former champions? I make that a shared total of 9 championships between them!!!
Hope Leinster, Bath and Wasps have ordered plenty of Magic Sponges and Toulon forget to order their Magic Spray – whatever kind of monster comes out of that pool will be either unbeatable or will have had the shit kicked out of them!
DDD
As a Glasgow fan neither up nor down regarding the draw. Could have been worse and could have been better, however, home form will dictate the outcome along with losing BP’s where possible.
Fancy our chances at home against anyone in the Group and Northampton away will certainly be a test but not impossible.
Does anyone know when the initial fixture dates are going to be scheduled??