Premier Sports will show every knockout game in the Investec Champions Cup live this April after European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) confirmed dates, venues and kick-off times for the Round of 16 weekend.
The road to Bilbao begins on Friday, 4 April, as the remaining 16 clubs advance into sudden-death territory, chasing a place at the Final at San Mamés Stadium on Saturday, 23 May.
With eight former champions and 21 titles between them, the Round of 16 promises to be a cracker.
Friday night opens with a rematch of last season’s quarter-final as Northampton Saints welcome Castres Olympique to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, a fixture that set the tone for Saints’ run to the 2025 final.
Saturday 5 April is billed as EPCR Super Saturday, with seven live games across competitions and territories. Two all-English ties headline the day as Gallagher Premiership champions Bath host three-time winners Saracens at The Rec, while Harlequins meet Sale Sharks at the Twickenham Stoop.
Three-time champions RC Toulon face the DHL Stormers at Stade Mayol, while Scotland’s pool-topping Glasgow Warriors host the Vodacom Bulls at Scotstoun. Six-time winners Stade Toulousain welcome an in-form Bristol Bears to Toulouse.
Sunday completes the weekend with reigning champions Union Bordeaux Bègles hosting Leicester Tigers, before four-time winners Leinster Rugby face Edinburgh Rugby at the Aviva Stadium as Leinster pursue a coveted fifth star.
Two-time Champions Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio said the knockout stages elevate everything. “This competition is incredibly hard to win,” he said, noting the quality concentrated in the Round of 16. “With everything on the line, the intensity goes up another level.”
Investec Champions Cup Round of 16
Live on Premier Sports
Friday 4 April
8.00 pm
Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique
Cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
Saturday 5 April – EPCR Super Saturday
3.00 pm
Bath Rugby v Saracens
The Recreation Ground
3.00 pm
RC Toulon v DHL Stormers
Stade Mayol
5.30 pm
Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls
Scotstoun Stadium
5.30 pm
Stade Toulousain v Bristol Bears
Stadium de Toulouse
8.00 pm
Harlequins v Sale Sharks
Twickenham Stoop
Sunday 6 April
3.00 pm
Union Bordeaux Bègles v Leicester Tigers
Stade Chaban-Delmas
5.30 pm
Leinster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Challenge Cup Fixtures for Irish Provinces Round of 16
Friday 4 April
8.00 pm – Connacht v Hollywoodbets Sharks, EPCR Challenge Cup, Dexcom Stadium
Saturday 5 April
12.30 pm – Exeter Chiefs v Munster, EPCR Challenge Cup, Sandy Park
8.00 pm – Ulster v Ospreys, EPCR Challenge Cup, Affidea Stadium
Sport for Business perspective
From a broadcast and commercial standpoint, the Champions Cup Round of 16 underlines why EPCR’s flagship competition remains one of the most valuable properties in European rugby. With seven countries represented, multiple historic rivalries, and prime-time scheduling across an entire weekend, the format delivers concentrated value for broadcasters, sponsors and host venues alike.
It may have taken a while to get here with some understrength matches in the Group Stage, and with only Leinster of the Irish Provinces making it to the main draw, it is perhaps a downgrade for Irish fans on previous years but the three provinces in the Challenge Cup will retain interest.
Wall-to-wall live coverage reinforces Premier Sports positioning as the home of elite club rugby at a time when subscription platforms are increasingly judged on event density rather than volume alone. For the clubs and the host and cities, knockout rugby brings sell-out crowds, international exposure and a spike in matchday and hospitality revenues — all feeding into the wider economic impact of elite sport.
Image Credit: Premier Sports
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