South African flanker Siya Kolisi representing Racing 92 in the Champions Cup. (Franco Arland/Getty Images)
- Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will go up against his former franchise as the European Champions Cup draw has been announced.
- The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup draws were released on Tuesday.
- The Bulls, runner-up of the United Rugby Championships, is drawn alongside Munster and Saracens.
- For more, please visit News24 Sport’s dedicated rugby section.
European rugby bosses on Tuesday completed the draws for the 2024/25 European Champions and Challenge Cups.
United Rugby Championship (URC) runner-ups, the Bulls, have been drawn in Pool 3 with Northampton Saints, Munster, Stade Francais Paris, Saracens and Castres Olympique.
In the 2024/25 Champions Cup, each club will compete in four matches against four clubs from different leagues, with each match being held either at home or away. No matches will occur between clubs from the same league.
The Stormers , who finished booted out in the quarter-finals of the URC, in Pool 4 alongside the URC champions Glasgow Warriors, Siya Kolisi’s Racing 92, Sale Sharks, RC Toulon and Harlequins.
Reigning Challenge Cup champions Sharks return to the Champions Cup and are drawn in Pool 1 alongside Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Begles, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers and Ulster.
The fixtures will be announced at a later date, with games to be played on the weekends of 6-8 December, 13-15 December, 10-12 January and 17-19 January.
The Champions Cup final will be held on 24 May at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, the city that hosted the first ever final in 1996.
The Challenge Cup’s decider will take place in the same ground but on the previous day.
Meanwhile, in the second-tier Challenge Cup, the Cheetahs and Lions will compete for promotion.
The Cheetahs, who earned an invitation back to the Challenge Cup, are in Pool 1 and will play Cardiff Rugby, Connacht Rugby, USAP, Lyon Olympique Universitaire and Zebre Parma.
While the Lions will duel Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Section Paloise, Newcastle Falcons, Dragons RFC and Ospreys in Pool 2.
