The Investec Champions Cup campaign has begun with a challenging opening round for English clubs. Out of the eight English entrants, only Northampton managed to secure a victory in their initial fixture. Gloucester also made a notable start, achieving a draw against the reigning champions, Bordeaux-Begles.
Other English teams faced difficulties, with Saracens losing to Connacht and Bath delivering a disappointing performance against Montpellier. Bristol rotated players for their trip to Cape Town, while Sale and Leicester started brightly but ultimately fell short against Glasgow and Pau respectively. The United Rugby Championship and Top 14 sides largely showed their strength across the weekend's matches.
The competition will now pause, with fixtures set to resume after the Nations Championship in November.