Champions' Cup Draw preview

Rob Baxter's Exeter Chiefs side will learn their opponents for next season's European Rugby Champions Cup when the draw takes place in Neuchatel, Switzerland on Wednesday (June 17).

The pool draw for the 2015/16 European Rugby Challenge Cup starts at 1.15pm (UK time) and will be followed immediately by the draw for the European Rugby Champions Cup pools.

Both draws will be broadcast live on epcrugby.com with further coverage on BTsport.com, Sky Sports News and beIN Sports.

Twenty clubs from the Aviva Premiership, the Top 14 and the Guinness Pro12, including two-time European champions Tigers, have booked their places in the 2015/16 European Rugby Champions Cup.

The clubs will be divided into four tiers of five and a draw will be conducted to establish Tier 1 with two of the three second-ranked clubs - Bath Rugby, Munster Rugby and the Top 14 beaten finalists - joining Saracens, Glasgow Warriors and the Top 14 champions in the top tier.

Once Tier 1 has been established, the remaining three tiers will fall into place. Tier 2 will include the three third-ranked clubs from the leagues - Northampton Saints, RC Toulon and Ospreys - as well as the second-ranked club which was not drawn into Tier 1 and fourth-ranked club from the same league as the club which was not drawn into Tier 1.

Tier 3 will include the two clubs ranked fourth which are not in Tier 2 as well as the three fifth-ranked clubs from each league - Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92 and Leinster Rugby.

Tier 4 will contain the sixth-ranked clubs from the leagues - Wasps, Oyonnax and Scarlets - as well as Benetton Treviso and the winner of the Champions Cup play-offs, Bordeaux-Bègles.

When the tiers are completed, the draw proper for the five pools will be made, and during the draw, some clubs may have to be placed directly into a pool in order to ensure that the key principles apply (see below).

In Tier 4, Wasps will be drawn into a pool which contains one other Aviva Premiership club and Oyonnax and Bordeaux-Bègles will be drawn into pools which each contain one other Top 14 club.


Champions Cup qualification

For the purposes of creating the tiers, the Aviva Premiership, Top 14 and PRO12 clubs are ranked based on their league performances and on their performances in the knockout phases. For clubs which did not qualify for the knockout phases of their leagues, or which were eliminated at the same stage of the knockout phase, rankings are decided by league table finishing positions.

RANK 1:  Saracens, Clermont Auvergne or Stade Francais, Glasgow Warriors

RANK 2: Bath Rugby, Clermont Auvergne or Stade Francais, Munster Rugby

RANK 3: Northampton Saints, RC Toulon, Ospreys

RANK 4: Leicester Tigers, Toulouse, Ulster Rugby

RANK 5: Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92, Leinster Rugby

RANK 6: Wasps, Oyonnax, Scarlets

RANK 7: Bordeaux-Bègles, Benetton Treviso


Pool draws - key principles

The 20 clubs are divided into four tiers based on their qualification position from their leagues. This will be done where necessary by a draw.

The 20 clubs will then be divided into five pools of four clubs each.

Each of the five pools will have at least one club from each of the three leagues.

Each of the five pools will have one club from each of the four tiers.

There will be no more than two clubs from the same league in a pool.

No pool will contain two PRO12 clubs from the same country.

Clubs from the same league will be kept apart until the allocation of the Tier 4 clubs.

2015/16 Tournament weekends
Round 1:12/13/14/15 November
Round 2:19/20/21/22 November
Round 3:10/11/12/13 December
Round 4:17/18/19/20 December
Round 5:14/15/16/17 January 2016
Round 6:21/22/23/24 January 2016
Quarter-finals:7/8/9/10 April 2016
Semi-finals:22/23/24 April 2016
Finals:13/14 May 2016