2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup


The 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup is the sixth season of the European Rugby Champions Cup, the annual club rugby union competition run by European Professional Club Rugby for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. It will be the 25th season of pan-European professional club rugby competition.
The tournament began on 15 November 2019. The final will take place on 17 October at a venue to be confirmed.

Teams

Twenty clubs from the three major European domestic and regional leagues compete in the Champions Cup. Nineteen of these qualify directly as a result of their league performance. The final place is awarded in the following order:
  1. 2018–19 Champions Cup winner, if not already qualified. Saracens have qualified through their league position.
  2. 2018–19 Challenge Cup winner, if not already qualified. Clermont have qualified through their league position.
  3. 2018–19 Challenge Cup losing finalist, if not already qualified. La Rochelle have qualified through their league position.
  4. 2018–19 Challenge Cup losing semi-finalist if not already qualified, or the winner of a play-off between both losing semi-finalists if neither have already qualified. As Harlequins have qualified through their league position, Sale Sharks took this place.
  5. Highest ranked non-qualified club by virtue of league position from the same league as the 2018–19 Champions Cup winner. This step will not be needed, as a team will have qualified via one of the previous steps.
The distribution of teams is:
The following teams qualified for the tournament.

Team details

Below is the list of coaches, captain and stadiums with their method of qualification for each team.
Note: Placing shown in brackets, denotes standing at the end of the regular season for their respective leagues, with their end of season positioning shown through CH for Champions, RU for Runner-up, SF for losing Semi-finalist, QF for losing Quarter-finalist, and PO for the Pro14 7th place play-off winner.
TeamCoach /
Director of Rugby
CaptainStadiumCapacityMethod of qualification
Bath Stuart Hooper Matt GarveyRecreation Ground14,509English Premiership top 6
Benetton Kieran Crowley Dean BuddStadio Comunale di Monigo6,700Pro14 Conference B '
Clermont Franck Azéma Morgan ParraParc des Sports Marcel Michelin19,022Top 14 top 6 '
Connacht Andy Friend Jarrad ButlerGalway Sportsgrounds8,129Pro14 Conference A '
Exeter Chiefs Rob Baxter Jack YeandleSandy Park13,593English Premiership top 6 '
Glasgow Warriors Dave Rennie Ryan Wilson
Callum Gibbins
Scotstoun Stadium7,351Pro14 Conference A '
Gloucester George Skivington Willi HeinzKingsholm Stadium16,115English Premiership top 6 '
Harlequins Paul Gustard Chris RobshawTwickenham Stoop14,800English Premiership top 6
La Rochelle Ronan O'Gara Victor VitoStade Marcel-Deflandre16,000Top 14 top 6 '
Leinster Leo Cullen Jonathan SextonRDS Arena
Aviva Stadium
18,500
51,700
Pro14 Conference A '
Lyon Pierre Mignoni Baptiste Couilloud
Félix Lambey
Matmut Stadium de Gerland25,000Top 14 top 6 '
Montpellier Xavier Garbajosa Fulgence OuedraogoAltrad Stadium15,697Top 14 top 6 '
Munster Johann van Graan Peter O'MahonyThomond Park25,600Pro14 Conference A '
Northampton Saints Chris Boyd Teimana Harrison
Alex Waller
Franklin's Gardens15,200English Premiership top 6 '
Ospreys Allen Clarke Justin TipuricLiberty Stadium20,827Pro14 Conference A '
Racing 92 Laurent Travers Henry ChavancyParis La Défense Arena30,681Top 14 top 6 '
Sale Sharks Steve Diamond Jono RossAJ Bell Stadium12,000European Challenge Cup '
Saracens Mark McCall Brad BarrittAllianz Park8,500English Premiership top 6 '
Toulouse Ugo Mola Julien MarchandStade Ernest-Wallon19,500Top 14 top 6 '
Ulster Dan McFarland Iain HendersonRavenhill Stadium18,196Pro14 Conference B '

Seeding

The twenty competing teams are seeded and split into four tiers, each containing five teams.
For the purpose of creating the tiers, clubs are ranked based on their domestic league performances and on their qualification for the knockout phases of their championships, so a losing quarter-finalist in the Top 14 would be seeded below a losing semi-finalist, even if they finished above them in the regular season.
RankTop 14PremiershipPro14
1 Toulouse Saracens Leinster
2 Clermont Exeter Chiefs Glasgow Warriors
3 Lyon Gloucester Munster
4 La Rochelle Northampton Saints Ulster
5 Racing Harlequins Connacht
6 Montpellier Bath Benetton
7 Sale Sharks Ospreys

Based on these seedings, teams are placed into one of the four tiers, with the top-seeded clubs being put in Tier 1. The nature of the tier system means that a draw is needed to allocate two of the three second-seed clubs to Tier 1. The fourth-seed team from the same domestic league as the second-seed team which was put in Tier 2 will also be placed in Tier 2. Brackets show each team's seeding and their league. e.g. 1 Top 14 indicates the team was the top seed from the Top 14.
Tier 1 Saracens Leinster Toulouse Exeter Chiefs Clermont
Tier 2 Glasgow Warriors Gloucester Munster Lyon Ulster
Tier 3 Northampton Saints La Rochelle Harlequins Connacht Racing
Tier 4 Bath Benetton Montpellier Ospreys Sale Sharks

The following restrictions will apply to the draw:
The draw took place on 19 June 2019, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Teams in the same pool play each other twice, at home and away, in the group stage that begins on the weekend of 15–17 November 2019, and continues through to 17–19 January 2020. The five pool winners and three best runners-up progress to the quarter finals.
Teams are awarded group points based on match performances. Four points are awarded for a win, two points for a draw, one attacking bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match and one defensive bonus point for losing a match by seven points or fewer.
In the event of a tie between two or more teams, the following tie-breakers are used, as directed by EPCR:
  1. Where teams have played each other
  2. # The club with the greater number of competition points from only matches involving tied teams.
  3. # If equal, the club with the best aggregate points difference from those matches.
  4. # If equal, the club that scored the most tries in those matches.
  5. Where teams remain tied and/or have not played each other in the competition
  6. # The club with the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage.
  7. # If equal, the club that scored the most tries in the pool stage.
  8. # If equal, the club with the fewest players suspended in the pool stage.
  9. # If equal, the drawing of lots will determine a club's ranking.
Winner of each pool, advance to quarter-finals.
Three second-place teams with the highest number of points advance to quarter-finals.

Pool 1

Pool 2

Pool 3

Pool 4

Pool 5

Ranking of pool leaders and runners-up

Knock-out stage

Bracket

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals{{Cite web|url=https://www.epcrugby.com/champions-cup/matches/fixtures-and-results/|title=Champions Cup Fixtures & Results|website=European Professional Club Rugby|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-02-19}}

Final

Attendances

ClubHome
Games
TotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity
Bath337,04812,34913,28911,70085%
Benetton310,8203,6073,8613,11454%
Clermont353,03717,67919,00416,33293%
Connacht321,1457,0488,1296,22987%
Exeter Chiefs333,39411,13112,63210,21783%
Glasgow Warriors321,5037,1687,3516,80198%
Gloucester335,37111,79012,83710,87573%
Harlequins340,61313,53813,80813,20591%
La Rochelle347,17815,72616,00015,50098%
Leinster375,25925,08642,04115,08087%
Lyon343,71114,57015,51713,44658%
Montpellier3 31,56810,52311,3669,90067%
Munster370,52523,50825,60019,89192%
Northampton Saints339,10813,03613,73512,60386%
Ospreys319,7846,5957,2955,48732%
Racing 92348,38816,12920,27510,11353%
Sale Sharks324,8858,29511,0906,08769%
Saracens324,5318,1778,5007,53196%
Toulouse350,14016,71318,78015,10086%
Ulster351,07117,02417,92315,46694%

Player scoring

RankPlayerTeamPoints
1 John CooneyUlster671
2 Dan BiggarNorthampton Saints568
3 Thomas RamosToulouse661
4 Joe SimmondsExeter Chiefs660
5 Adam HastingsGlasgow Warriors656
6 Morgan ParraClermont653
7 J. J. HanrahanMunster544
8 Ross ByrneLeinster637
9 Freddie BurnsBath634
10 Maxime MachenaudRacing 92532

Most tries

RankPlayerTeamTries
1 Teddy ThomasRacing 9246
1 Sam SimmondsExeter Chiefs56
1 Garry RingroseLeinster66
2 George MoalaClermont55
2 Alivereti RakaClermont55
2 John CooneyUlster65
2 Romain NtamackToulouse65
3 Hame FaivaBenetton64
3 Juan ImhoffRacing 9264
3 Virimi VakatawaRacing 9264

Season records

Team

;Largest home win – 41 points
44–3 Saracens at home to Ospreys on 23 November 2019
;Largest away win – 38 points
45–7 Glasgow Warriors away to Sale Sharks on 18 January 2020
;Most points scored – 53 points
53–21 Clermont at home to Harlequins on 16 November 2019
;Most tries in a match – 8
Clermont at home to Bath on 15 December 2019
;Most conversions in a match – 6
Clermont at home to Harlequins on 16 November 2019
Leinster at home to Northampton Saints on 14 December 2019
Clermont at home to Bath on 15 December 2019
Glasgow Warriors away to Sale Sharks on 18 January 2020
;Most penalties in a match – 6
Northampton Saints at home to Lyon on 17 November 2019
;Most drop goals in a match – 1
Toulouse away to Gloucester on 15 November 2019
Connacht away to Toulouse on 23 November 2019
Clermont at home to Ulster on 11 January 2020

Player

;Most points in a match – 20
Dan Biggar for Northampton Saints at home to Lyon on 17 November 2019
;Most tries in a match – 3
Garry Ringrose for Leinster at home to Benetton on 16 November 2019
Garry Ringrose for Leinster at home to Northampton Saints on 14 December 2019
;Most conversions in a match – 6
Adam Hastings for Glasgow Warriors away to Sale Sharks on 18 January 2020
;Most penalties in a match – 6
Dan Biggar for Northampton Saints at home to Lyon on 17 November 2019
;Most drop goals in a match – 1
Zack Holmes for Toulouse away to Gloucester on 15 November 2019
Conor Fitzgerald for Connacht away to Toulouse on 23 November 2019
Camille Lopez for Clermont at home to Ulster on 11 January 2020

Attendances

;Highest – 42,041
Leinster at home to Northampton Saints on 14 December 2019
;Lowest – 3,114
Benetton at home to Lyon on 14 December 2019
;Highest average attendance — 25,086
Leinster
;Lowest average attendance — 3,607
Benetton