Challenge Cup Round of 16 Fixtures confirmed

Following a tense conclusion to the Pool stage last weekend, where every point counted and qualification and ranking was decided in the final match, the EPCR Challenge Cup last 16 has been decided. EPCR can now confirm the dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage of the EPCR Challenge Cup Round of 16 fixtures.

The road to the 2025 Cardiff Finals at the Principality Stadium on the 23 May will begin to take shape as the knockout stage kicks off in early April. The remaining clubs vying for silverware— including the Hollywoodbets Sharks, Vodacom Bulls, Bath Rugby, and Racing 92, all of whom have qualified from the Investec Champions Cup— collectively boast 11 EPCR titles, with seven of the teams having previously won the tournament.

Fans will be able to watch the action on Premier Sports in the UK and Ireland, beIN SPORTS in France, SuperSport in South Africa and FloRugby in the USA and Canada. Additional free-to-air coverage will be available in France on France Télévisions and S4C in Wales, as well as select matches available on EPCR’s OTT platform EPCRugby.TV, which is also the home exclusively for the EPCR Challenge Cup in Italy

Edinburgh Rugby and Emirates Lions will get the weekend’s action underway on Friday 4 April at Hive Stadium in the Scottish Capital. Edinburgh booked their place in the knockouts by finishing top of a tightly contested Pool 3, while the Lions placed fourth in Pool 2, with an equal number of wins and losses. The last encounter between the two sides was in the URC in October, when the Emirates Lions triumphed 55-21, and Edinburgh will be eager to set the record straight on home soil.

Friday evening also sees the Blue, Black and White of Bath Rugby travel to the south of France to face Section Paloise at Stade du Hameau. Both sides have won the Challenge Cup previously – Bath in 2008 and Section Paloise in 2000 – and the Round of 16 will be the first time the two sides have met in the competition since the 2016/17 season.

Super Saturday will get underway as Aviron Bayonnais host Vodacom Bulls at Stade Jean-Dauger. The home team finished second in their Pool, winning three of their four matches, while the South African team qualified from the Investec Champions Cup. Now, the Bulls will be eager secure their return to the competition next season by going all the way in the EPCR Challenge Cup.

Next, last year’s finalists, Gloucester Rugby, travel to three-times winners and Pool 2 table toppers, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, who won four from four in the Pool stages. And on Saturday evening, Connacht Rugby – who played a faultless Pool stage winning all their matches with try bonus points – welcome Cardiff Rugby to Dexcom Stadium, who will be keen to progress to a home city Final.

Saturday’s action concludes with a thrilling match between TOP 14 rivals USAPand Racing 92 at Stade Aimé Giral. The two sides last faced off in October, where Racing 92 secured a narrow victory on home turf. Their upcoming Round of 16 clash promises to be an exciting and unmissable contest.

From a French derby to a Welsh one, Sunday will see Ospreys host Scarlets at Swansea.com Stadium.  Their match will come just a week after Scarlets face Ospreys in the URC, with the result of that match likely to add even more intensity to what is already set to be a fiercely contested encounter, as both teams pursue their ambitions for a home country final.

As the Welsh derby gets underway, so too will the action in France as last year’s EPCR Challenge Cup winners, Hollywoodbets Sharks head to Lyon Olympique Universitaire’s home ground, the Matmut Stadium de Gerland. The South Africans will no doubt be looking to replicate last season’s success, spurred on by their relegation from the Investec Champions Cup. However, they can expect a tough fight from the home team, who qualified second in their Pool and will be looking to reclaim the EPCR Challenge Cup title they won in 2022.

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP 
Round of 16  
(Pool stage rankings in brackets / All kick-offs local times)

Friday 4 April 
Match 3: Edinburgh Rugby (3) v Emirates Lions (14), Hive Stadium (20.00) 
Premier Sports / beIN SPORTS / Supersport / FloRugby

Match 7: Section Paloise (7) v Bath Rugby (10), Stade du Hameau (21.00) 
beIN SPORTS / EPCRugby.TV / FloRugby

Saturday 5 April 
Match 6: Aviron Bayonnais (6) v Vodacom Bulls (11), Stade Jean-Dauger (13.30) 
France TV / beIN SPORTS / SuperSport / EPCRugby.tv / FloRugby

Match 2: Montpellier Hérault Rugby (2) v Gloucester Rugby (15), GGL Stadium (18.30) 
beIN SPORTS / EPCRugby.TV / FloRugby

Match 1: Connacht Rugby (1) v Cardiff Rugby (16), Dexcom Stadium (20.00) 
PremierSports / beIN Sports / FloRugby

Match 8: USAP (8) v Racing 92 (9), Stade Aimé Giral (21.00) 
beIN SPORTS / EPCRugby.TV / FloRugby

Sunday 6 April 
Match 4: Ospreys (4) v Scarlets (13), Swansea.com Stadium (17.30) 
S4C / beIN SPORTS / EPCRugby.TV / FloRugby

Match 5: Lyon Olympique Universitaire (5) v Hollywoodbets Sharks (12), Matmut Stadium de Gerland (18.30) 
beIN SPORTS / SuperSport / epcrugby.tv / FloRugby

\\\*\\\*Quarter-finals - 11/12/13 April\\\*\\\* 
QF 1: winner R16 1 v winner R16 8 
QF 2: winner R16 2 v winner R16 7 
QF 3: winner R16 3 v winner R16 6 
QF 4: winner R16 4 v winner R16 5 
\\\*\\\*\\\*NB\\\*\\\*\\\* \\\*The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage.\\\*

Semi-finals - 2/3/4 May 
SF 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 4 
SF 2: winner QF 2 v winner QF 3 
NB The matches will be played in Europe and where relevant the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage.

2025 EPCR Challenge Cup Final - Friday, 23 May; Principality Stadium Cardiff (20.00 local time)