FRANCE – The 2026/27 European rugby season brings significant changes to the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
New rules for attacking bonus points and adjusted qualification requirements for the round of 16 will increase the pressure on the five South African teams.
The Bulls, Stormers and Lions are competing in the Champions Cup, while the Sharks and Cheetahs are contesting the Challenge Cup. All five teams will be looking to start their campaigns strongly this weekend.
The competitions consist of just four pool rounds, meaning every match could be decisive in the battle to secure a place in the knockout phase.
New rule for attacking bonus points
One of the most important changes for the 2026/27 season is the introduction of a new rule for attacking bonus points.
Teams will earn an attacking bonus point when they score at least three more tries than their opponents.
The new rule gives teams an additional incentive to build a lead of at least three tries.
Champions Cup adjusts qualification rules for round of 16
The Champions Cup will also use an adjusted qualification system for the round of 16.
The top three teams in each pool qualify automatically, while the remaining four places will be awarded to the four teams with the most match points across all four pool matches, regardless of which pool they played in.
This means teams finishing outside the top three in their pools can still advance to the knockout phase, provided they accumulate enough match points compared to teams in other pools.
SA teams ready for European competition
The Bulls will run out confidently against Stade Français after their convincing 57-15 victory over the Lions last weekend.
The Stormers will approach their clash against Bristol Bears with confidence after an impressive all-round performance earned them a 39-22 victory over the Sharks in Cape Town last week.
The Lions face a difficult challenge against former champions La Rochelle on Saturday. However, the team will want to give their utmost best to honour their teammate Hyron Andrews, who was found dead in a French hotel on Friday.
The Sharks begin their Challenge Cup campaign against Lyon on Saturday. They will be looking to bounce back after their disappointing performance against the Stormers. Lyon will equally want to improve their form after suffering three consecutive defeats.
The Cheetahs travel to France on Sunday for their clash against Bayonne, which could be one of their toughest challenges of the season.
Match information
Champions Cup
Bulls vs Stade Français – Saturday, October 17, 14:00 (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Stormers vs Bristol Bears – Saturday, October 17, 16:15 (Cape Town)
Stade Rochelais vs Lions – Saturday, October 17, 18:30 (Stade Marcel Deflandre, La Rochelle)
Challenge Cup
Lyon vs Sharks – Saturday, October 17, 14:00 (Matmut Stadium, Lyon)
Bayonne vs Cheetahs – Sunday, October 18, 14:00 (Stade Jean-Dauger, Bayonne)
Source: Die Papier
