Union Bordeaux-Bègles won the Champions Cup on May 24 in Cardiff against Northampton (28-20). Stade Toulousain missed the opportunity to secure a seventh while LOU lost in the Challenge Cup final to Bath.
As is often the case, the prestigious Champions Cup has found refuge in France! For five years now, this prestigious European Cup has been literally confiscated by French clubs. But contrary to usual, it was neither Stade Toulousain (winner in particular in 2021 and 2024) nor Stade Rochelais (victorious in 2022 and 2023) who won the trophy last season but Union Bordeaux-Bègles. On May 24 in Cardiff, Yannick Bru’s gang won with forceps against Northampton (28-20). And this, for the first time in the history of the Gironde club.
UBB’s course was perfect during the group stage before the unionist team closed ranks in the round of 16 against Ulster (43-31) then against Munster (47-29). And Union Bordeaux-Bègles looked at another big piece of the Champions Cup, Stade Toulousain, six-time winner of the tournament. The Gironde team put up a huge battle and was rewarded by overcoming the defending champion (35-18) to reach the final, with the result that we know. Triple winner of this Champions Cup, Toulon stopped at the quarter-final stage (beaten by Toulouse), just like Castres (beaten by Northampton) while Clermont and Stade Rochelais did not make it past the round of 16.
Lyon a tone below
Winner of the Challenge Cup in 2022, LOU almost did it again last season. The Rhone club reached the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff but Rachid Ghezzal’s team was swept aside by Bath (37-12). After three French successes in this tournament, Bath succeeded the Sharks (South Africa). Racing 92 reached the semi-finals (beaten by Lyon) while Bayonne, Pau, Montpellier and Perpignan lost in the round of 16.
