Harlequins and RC Toulon among Edinburgh’s EPCR Challenge Cup pool opponents

Edinburgh Rugby’s route through the 2026/27 EPCR Challenge Cup has been confirmed, with the capital club drawn in Pool 3 alongside Harlequins, RC Toulon, RC Vannes, Black Lion and Ospreys.

The draw was made at the Premier Sports studios in Dublin on Wednesday afternoon, with all three Challenge Cup pools revealed alongside the Investec Champions Cup draw.

While Ospreys sit in Pool 3 with Edinburgh, the two sides will not meet during the pool stage – Edinburgh’s four matches come against Harlequins, RC Toulon, RC Vannes and Black Lion.

Edinburgh will renew rivalries with three of their four Pool 3 opponents from recent seasons – including a perfect record against RC Toulon, who they beat in last year’s Champions Cup, and back-to-back meetings with both RC Vannes and Black Lion in the 2024/25 Challenge Cup.

The standout newcomer is Harlequins, unfaced since 2016/17 and also on Edinburgh’s pre-season schedule this year, while former Edinburgh hooker Dave Cherry — who joined Vannes last summer — could return to face his old club.

Edinburgh will play four pool matches across Rounds 1–4, home and away, before the pool stage concludes in mid-January.

Pool 3 in full:

Edinburgh Rugby
Harlequins
RC Toulon
RC Vannes
Black Lion
Ospreys

Key dates:

Round 1 – 16–18 October 2026
Round 2 – 11–13 December 2026
Round 3 – 8–10 January 2027
Round 4 – 15–17 January 2027
Round of 16 – 2–4 April 2027
Quarter-Finals – 9–11 April 2027
Semi-Finals – 30 April – 2 May 2027
Final (Lyon) – Friday 21 May 2027

Full fixture details, including dates, kick-off times and venues, will be confirmed by EPCR at a later date.