EPCR Challenge Cup pool confirmed

The capital club will reunite with a couple of familiar faces, including Gloucester Rugby and Aviron Bayonnais, who the club both faced in last year’s competition, with Edinburgh beating the latter in the Round of 16 at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

BKT United Rugby Championship side Scarlets have also been drawn in Edinburgh’s pool – the sides having faced off in last year’s pool stages in addition to their regular league meeting.

Edinburgh have never played the two further sides completing the pool, with Top14 side Vannes and Georgia’s Black Lion completing the group. Vannes, reigning from Brittany, have never played in the top tier of French Rugby, or the Challenge Cup, but will for the first time having earned a famous promotion from Pro D2 last season.

Black Lion are one of the competition’s invitational team, and would see a reunion between Edinburgh and former Head Coach Richard Cockerill, who is at the helm of the Tbilisi club.

The full set of fixtures will be announced in due course, with Edinburgh facing four of the sides, with two home fixtures at Hive Stadium.

On the draw, Head Coach Sean Everitt added: “It’s an exciting pool, with a couple of teams we know well having played them last season. We could also be going into the unknown if we face Black Lion and Vannes, who are two strong teams that will be looking to lay down a marker in the competition.

The European nights at Hive Stadium have such a buzz about them, we can’t wait to get started.”

EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 3

Aviron Bayonnais (Top14)
Vannes (Top14)
Gloucester Rugby (Gallagher Premiership)
Edinburgh Rugby
Scarlets Rugby (BKT URC)
Black Lion (Invitational)

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