The first day of one of the best weekends in professional rugby begins with a banger of a matchup between one of the top Gallagher Premiership clubs and a two-time Investec Champions Cup winning Top 14 club. 

Bath Rugby and former Racing 92 star Finn Russell welcome La Rochelle Rugby, or Stade Rochelais, to The Rec for the first game of the Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 season at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 6. 

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Meanwhile, the EPCR Challenge Cup has two matches Dec. 6, with MHR traveling to Newport, Wales, for match with the Dragons, and an intriguing throwdown in Gloucester between Gloucester Rugby and Edinburgh Rugby. 

Day 1 of the first weekend is a little slower, as most of the teams are in action on Saturday, Dec. 7, while Sunday Dec. 8 will see two of the top four clubs in the world. 

Top 14 table-topper Toulouse and UBB Rugby host a pair of games in France. Toulouse has Ulster Rugby, while Bordeaux takes on Leicester. 

Leinster Rugby travels Bristol for the final match of the weekend. 

Here's the Dec. 6 rugby schedule: 

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Round 1

• Bath Rugby vs. Stade Rochelais, Dec 6, 2024, 3 p.m., The Rec

EPCR Challenge Cup 2024-2025 Round 1 

• Dragons RFC vs. Montpellier Hérault Rugby, 3 p.m., Dec 6, 2024, Rodney Parade

• Gloucester Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby, 3 p.m., Fri, Dec 6, 2024, Kingsholm

How To Watch The Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Season On FloRugby

Every match of the Investec Champions Cup is streaming on FloRugby and the FloSports app. 

Investec Champions Cup Team Previews

Here everything to know on each team in the Investec Champions Cup:

Pool 1: 

• Toulouse (Stade Toulousain)
• Bordeaux-Bègles (Bordeaux-Bègles Union)
• Hollywoodbets Sharks
• Exeter Chiefs
• Leicester Tigers
• Ulster Rugby

Pool 2:

• Leinster Rugby
• Clermont Auvergne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
• La Rochelle (Stade Rochelais)
• Bristol Bears
• Benetton Rugby
• Bath Rugby

Pool 3:

• Northampton Saints
• Munster Rugby
• Vodacom Bulls
• Stade Français Paris
• Saracens
• Castres Olympic

Pool 4:

• Glasgow Warriors
• Racing 92
• Sale Sharks
• DHL Stormers
• Toulon (RC Toulon)
• Harlequins

Investec Champions Cup Format 

Key points of the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup:

• A multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023-2024 season
• 24 elite clubs - eight each from the Gallagher Premiership, URC and TOP 14 - in four pools of six
• Sporting jeopardy, with each club playing against four different opponents, home or away, in the pool stage
• Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the Round of 16
• The Investec Champions Cup will be played over eight weekends, with four pool rounds and four knockout rounds culminating in the 2025 final, which will be staged at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Saturday, May 24.

Investec Champions Cup Weekends

• Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
• Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
• Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
• Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
• Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
• Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
• Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
• 2025 Investec Champions Cup final – Saturday, May 24, Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Champions Cup Qualifications 

Twenty-four clubs have qualified for the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup as follows:

• United Rugby Championship (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
• TOP 14 (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
• Gallagher Premiership Rugby (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
• If not already qualified, the winner of the 2024 Investec Champions Cup will take the place of the eighth-ranked club in its league.

Investec Champions Cup Qualifiers 

• TOP 14 – Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Français Paris, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne
• GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers
• UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks

EPCR Challenge Cup Format 

Key points for the 2024-2025 EPCR Challenge Cup:

• A multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023-2024 season
• 18 clubs in three pools of six
• Sporting jeopardy, with each club playing against four different opponents, home or away, in the pool stage
• Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the knockout stage
• Eight weekends, with four pool rounds and four knockout rounds culminating in the 2025 final at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday, May 23.

EPCR Challenge Cup Weekends

• Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
• Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
• Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
• Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
• Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
• Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
• Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
• 2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final – Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Friday, May 23

EPCR Challenge Cup Qualifiers 

Clubs from the United Rugby Championship, the TOP 14 and the Gallagher Premiership that have not qualified for the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup will compete in the 2024-2025 EPCR Challenge Cup.

If not already qualified, the winner of the 2024 EPCR Challenge Cup will secure a place in the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup, replacing the eighth-ranked club in its league.

EPCR Challenge Cup Qualifiers 

• UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP  – Ospreys, Emirates Lions, Edinburgh Rugby, Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma
• TOP 14  – Section Paloise, USAP, Lyon Olympic University, Aviron Bayonnais, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, RC Vannes
• GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Gloucester Rugby, Newcastle Falcons
• INVITED  – Black Lion, Toyota Cheetahs

When Does The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup Begin? When Is The Champions Cup Final?

The Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup begin Dec. 6, and the four-round pool-play action ends Jan. 19, 2025. The Round of 16 starts on April 4, while the quarterfinals are April 11-13, and the semifinals are May 2-4. 

The EPCR Championships weekend is in Cardiff, Wales, at Principality Stadium. There are championship games on May 23 (EPCR Challenge Cup) and May 24 (Investec Champions Cup). 

What Are The Investec Champions Cup And EPCR Challenge Cup Pools?

Here are the pools:

Investec Champions Cup: 

• Toulouse (Stade Toulousain)
• Bordeaux-Bègles (Bordeaux-Bègles Union)
• Hollywoodbets Sharks
• Exeter Chiefs
• Leicester Tigers
• Ulster Rugby

Pool 2:

• Leinster Rugby
• Clermont Auvergne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
• La Rochelle (Rochelais Stadium)
• Bristol Bears
• Benetton Rugby
• Bath Rugby

Pool 3:

• Northampton Saints
• Munster Rugby
• Vodacom Bulls
• Stade Français Paris
• Saracens
• Castres Olympic

Pool 4:

• Glasgow Warriors
• Racing 92
• Sale Sharks
• DHL Stormers
• Toulon (RC Toulon)
• Harlequins

EPCR Challenge Cup

Pool 1:

• Cardiff Rugby
• Connacht Rugby
• Toyota Cheetahs
• Perpignan (USAP)
• Lyon Olympic University (Lyon OU)
• Zebra Parma

Pool 2:

• Montpellier Herault Rugby
• Pau (Pau Section)
• Newcastle Falcons
• Dragons RFC
• Emirates Lions
• Ospreys

Pool 3:

• RC Vannes
• Black Lion
• Bayonne (Bayonne Rowing)
• Scarlets
• Edinburgh Rugby
• Gloucester Rugby

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

• Investec Champions Cup
• EPCR Challenge Cup
• Currie Cup
• Top 14
• Super Rugby
• And more

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

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