The finals venue, dates and start of next season’s Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions have been confirmed.

Both tournaments will again feature South Africa’s leading Vodacom URC teams among Europe’s elite clubs.

Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium will host the European cups finals weekend, with the Challenge Cup decider scheduled for Friday, 22 May, followed by the Champions Cup showpiece on Saturday, 23 May.

The iconic Spanish venue returns to the continental rugby spotlight after successfully hosting both finals in 2018, when Leinster edged Racing 92 to claim their fourth Champions Cup title and Cardiff beat Gloucester in a gripping Challenge Cup showdown.

With its 53,000 capacity and modern facilities, San Mames marks only the second time European rugby’s premier events will venture beyond traditional rugby nations.

The 2025-26 campaign will follow a familiar format with pool matches kicking off across two December weekends, followed by two more rounds in January 2026.

Knockout action begins with Round of 16 matches over the April 3-5 weekend, before quarter-finals (10-12 April) and semi-finals (1-3 May) determine the finalists who will battle for silverware in northern Spain’s vibrant sporting city.

EPCR 2025-26 dates
Round 1: 5-7 December, 2025
Round 2: 12-14 December
Round 3: 9-11 January, 2026
Round 4: 16-18 January
Round of 16: 3-5 April
Quarter-finals: 10-12 April
Semi-finals: 1-3 May
Challenge Cup final: San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, 22 May
Champions Cup final: San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, 23 May

Photo: Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images