EPCR Finals Weekend: Teams Confirmed

Following a bank holiday weekend full of enthralling action in both the Investec Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup, the teams participating in the finals of both competitions have been decided.

Four matches took place over the most recent bank holiday weekend across the 2023/24 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions. It was the semi-final stages for both of these highly prestigious tournaments with a place at stake in the final of each at stake for all of the teams involved.

Starting with the Challenge Cup, the teams involved in the semi-finals were Sharks, Clermont Auvergne, Gloucester, and Benetton. South African side Sharks took on Clermont, whilst the other game saw Gloucester go toe to toe with Benetton. Both matches took place on Saturday 4th May, and by the conclusion of the action Sharks had emerged as narrow 32 – 31 winners against French counterparts Clermont, whilst Gloucester got the better of Benetton after beating the Italian outfit 40 – 23.

As a result of this, the 2024 Challenge Cup Final will see Gloucester take on Sharks at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday 24th May, with the game getting underway at 20:00.

Both teams faced plenty of challenges en route to this showpiece occasion in North London. Gloucester began their run to the final in Pool 3 alongside Clermont Auvergne, Edinburgh, Castres, Black Lion, and Scarlets. Gloucester came out on top with 17 points after winning all four of their matches.

Then, after a 30 – 25 post season victory against fellow Pool 3 side Castres, Gloucester were drawn against Ospreys in the Quarter Final. This game was played at the Kingsholm Stadium, and following what was an intense and enthralling contest, Gloucester were able to emerge as 23 – 13 winners – Benetton were up next.

Italian side Benetton proved no match for their English counterparts, being beaten 40 – 23 in their semi final clash on Saturday 4th May. This set up a place in the Final alongside Sharks.

Talking of Sharks, the South African outfit began this season’s Challenge Cup in Pool 1 alongside Pau, Cheetahs, Zebre, Dragons, and Oyonnax. It was a first place finish in the end for Sharks after earning 17 points from 4 games with just one defeat.

Then came Zebre in the post-season game, and here it was no contest with Sharks winning by an emphatic margin of 47 – 3 at the Kings Park Stadium. Scotland’s Edinburgh Rugby were their next opponents in the Quarter Final, and they were seen off in an entertaining game that ended 36 – 30 to Sharks.

Their semi-final tie against Clermont was even tighter and tenser, but in the end, they did manage to come away with a 32 – 31 win against their French counterparts on 4th May.

Moving on to the Investec Champions Cup, this final will see 5 time winners Stade Toulousain and Leinster, who themselves have won this competition on no less than 4 occasions. This blockbuster final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be taking place on Saturday 25th May in what will be a 14:45 kick-off.

There will be plenty on the line for both teams, with not just the trophy and glory at stake. Toulouse could add a 6th win to their existing outright record of 5, but if they lose, they will allow Leinster to draw level with them and they will then both be the holders of this record.

Stade Toulousain began their journey to the 2024 Champions Cup Final with a perfect Pool 2 campaign that saw them finish top with 20 points in a pool that contained the likes of Harlequins, Bath, Racing 92, Ulster and Cardiff Rugby.

In the post-season game, the French side took on Racing 92, and it was to be a very comfortable victory with Toulouse winning by a margin of 31 – 7 at the Stade Ernest-Wallon. The same stadium then played host to their game in the Quarter Finals against Exeter, whom they beat 64 – 26 in the end.

The Semi-Final took place on 5th May, and it saw Stade Toulousain beat first-time semi-finalists Harlequins 38 – 26 to book a place in the Final.

Stade Toulousain’s Final opponents Leinster had a challenging run themselves to get to this stage of the competition. Leinster also had a perfect Pool Stage campaign, accumulating a total of 19 points after winning all four of their matches. They were in Pool 4 alongside Stormers, 2023 Winners La Rochelle, Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, and Stade Francais.

The Leicester Tigers were Leinster’s opponents in the Post-Season game, and in the end, it was a tight and competitive contest that eventually saw Leicester Tigers beaten 36 – 22. Then, in the semi-final, Leinster were 40 – 13 winners against Champions Cup holders La Rochelle at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

In the Semi-Final, Leinster came up against the Northampton Saints. This was another difficult and competitive game for both teams, and it ended as a 20 – 17 victory for Leinster to secure a spot in the 2023/24 Champions Cup Final.

Excitement and anticipation are now building for the 2024 EPCR Finals Weekend, where the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Finals will be taking place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday 24th, and Saturday 25th May 2024.

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