Premier Sports is ready to deliver another campaign of Investec Champions Cup rugby in 2025/26 and has unveiled a 40-strong TV team line-up to showcase 80+ EPCR live games on its channels.

All the action kicks off on December 5th with rugby’s finest commentators, presenters and pundits set to take centre stage as the tournament celebrates its 30th year in 2025.

Premier Sports will deliver all 63 Champions Cup fixtures live plus 21 EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures, with the all the traditions, rivalries and excitement building for fans of the tournaments’ 42 clubs as the action gets underway in two days time.

With a total of more than 1000 international caps between them, it’s a team line-up of UK and Ireland rugby greats set to light up Premier Sports’ live coverage of Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.

Premier Sports’ talent line-up for the new season of EPCR rugby will be:

Pundits: Lawrence Dallaglio, Simon Zebo, Chris Robshaw, Stephen Ferris, Topsy Ojo, Andrew Trimble, Bernard Jackman, Andy Goode, Ian Madigan, John Barclay, Alan Quinlan, Tom Shanklin, Chris Paterson, Ryan Wilson, Shane Williams, Anthony Watson, Matt Banahan, Ben Kayser, Rob Kearney, Jon ‘Fox’ Davies, Alex Cuthbert.

Commentators: Martin Gillingham, Nick Heath, Miles Harrison, Mark Robson, Ryle Nugent, Connor Morris, Jamie Lyall, Simon Ward, Rory Hamilton, Gavin Duffy, Dave Rogers.

Presenters & reporters: Martin Bayfield, Ross Harries, Claire Thomas, Graham Little, Jenny Drummond, Lauren Salter, Emma Dodds, Johnnie Beattie.

It all starts this Friday night with 15 live games for rugby supporters to enjoy right across weekend one.

There’s no shortage of bite in the Champions Cup curtain-raiser this season as Sale Sharks host Glasgow Warriors on Friday night (live on Premier Sports 2 from 7pm) with a star-studded team of Martin Bayfield, John Barclay, Lawrence Dallaglio, Simon Zebo, Andy Goode, Miles Harrison and Ryan Wilson on hand to open the show.

Then it’s a world-class club rugby super Saturday with blockbuster fixtures throughout Saturday and Sunday’s Round 1.

For a competition that’s always rich with story-telling, there’s plenty to assess this weekend including a possible start for Toulouse scrum-half Antoine Dupont. There’s a box office opener for Bath with last season’s EPCR Challenge Cup trophy in the cabinet, will now be looking to make history with a back-to-back double of EPCR silverware by adding a Champions Cup title this season, but with a resurgent Munster to face at home on Saturday evening (Premier Sports 1 from 7.40pm) in their first round.

URC Champions Leinster host Harlequins at the Aviva Stadium in another must watch fixture (5.15pm Premier Sports 1)  as the Irish province seeks their fifth star plus there’s huge games for Leicester Tigers at La Rochelle, Scarlets’ first return to Champions Cup rugby in three years with a visit from Bristol Bears – plus Gloucester host Castres at Kingsholm as they return to the top stage.

Reigning Investec Champions Cup title holders Union Bordeaux Bègles kick off their defence in Pretoria against South African giants Vodacom Bulls.

Investec Champions Cup Round 1 live on Premier Sports

Fri 5 Dec    Sale Sharks v Glasgow Warriors, Premier Sports 2 @7pm

Fri 5 Dec    Bayonne v DHL Stormers, Premier Sports Rugby 8pm

Sat 6 Dec   Saracens v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Premier Sports 2 from 12.30pm

Sat 6 Dec   Vodacom Bulls v Union Bordeaux Bègles, Premier Sports 2 from 3pm

Sat 6 Dec   Stade Rochelais v Leicester Tigers, Premier Sports 2 from 5.15pm

Sat 6 Dec   Leinster v Harlequins, Premier Sports 1 @5.15pm

Sat 6 Dec   Scarlets v Bristol Bears, Premier Sports 2 from 7.40pm

Sat 6 Dec   Bath Rugby v Munster Rugby, Premier Sports 1 from 7.40pm

Sun 7 Dec  Pau v Northampton Saints, Premier Sports 2 from 12.30pm

Sun 7 Dec Toulouse v Hollywoodbets Sharks, Premier Sports 1 from 3pm

Sun 7 Dec Gloucester v Castres Olympique, Premier Sports 2 from 3pm

Sun 7 Dec  Edinburgh v RC Toulon, Premier Sports 1 from 5.15pm

EPCR Challenge Cup Round 1 live on Premier Sports

Fri 5 Dec Ulster Rugby v Racing 92, Premier Sports 1 from 8pm

Sun 7 Dec Ospreys v Connacht, Premier Sports Rugby from 5.15pm

Sun 7 Dec  Exeter Chiefs v Toyota Cheetahs, Premier Sports 2 from 5.30pm

Former Heineken Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio, commented:  “To go away from home to these big European stadiums with such big history and win is the unique challenge in this competition. It’s a real test of everything about you as a player.”

Looking ahead to the new season, he added: “In the TOP 14 you can’t look much further than Toulouse and Bordeaux at the minute, they are playing very well. From the Irish sides Munster have got their mojo back and seem to be on a roll. Then I look at the Premiership. You look at Saints and Saracens. And hopefully when you win your domestic league the next step is to win the Investec Champions Cup, so it will be interesting to see if Bath go on and do that. And who says you can’t get your name on the trophy for the first time – we saw it with Bordeaux last year. So for me, I’d say watch Bayonne as they also have a great squad.”

Reflecting on his experience, Premier Sports’ Chris Robshaw said: “I remember when I was playing in this competition, to go abroad and play other teams outside of your league is very special. You get some of the toughest away experiences in the south of France, and Leinster is always a tough place to go. Those tough games that you travel to – and hopefully win – are all part of this competition and an important part of club history. They are special games.”

Making his predictions for the season ahead, former Scotland captain John Barclay said: “I think the teams with the depth in the squads will be hard to stop, particularly the South African teams. The Stormers have a number of players from the Springboks, and I think at some point – whether this year or next- it’s going to be hard to look past them. Bath have a good amount of depth, and Toulouse are flying in the TOP 14. So, I quite fancy Bath or Saracens to pair up with Toulouse in the final stages of the competition.”

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Tags: Premier Sports, rugby