Looking to get up to speed on what's ahead within the club rugby world? Here's a quick rundown about what to expect this year for the EPCR Challenge Cup.

What Is The EPCR Challenge Cup?

Overseen by European Professional Club Rugby, the EPCR Challenge Cup is the second-tier continental club rugby tournament - only behind the Heineken Champions Cup in Prestige - held annually between clubs from England's Premiership, France's Top 14 and the multinational United Rugby Championship that did not qualify the previous season for the following year's Champions Cup. 

If the Champions Cup is European club rugby's answer to the UEFA Champions League, think of the Challenge Cup as the sport's equivalent to the UEFA Europa League. 

But despite officially being a "second-tier" tournament, the quality of rugby on display is anything but, as some of the most successful sides on the continent (including former Champions Cup winners) will take part in the 2022-2023 edition of the competition, with the winner of the tournament earning an automatic bid to the 2023-2024 version of the Champions Cup. 

The 20-team field will kick off the competition by playing four matches in one of two pools, with the top six from each pool at the stage's conclusion advancing to the knockout rounds. 

The 12 surviving teams then will be joined by the ninth- and 10th-placed Champions Cup pool finishers in the Round of 16, where loser-goes-home games will commence, until one team is left standing. 

Nineteen of the clubs in this year's Challenge Cup qualified through their domestic leagues, but one team, South Africa's Cheetahs, was invited to participate as part of the tournament's expansion from 15 teams last season. 

Lyon is the defending champion, having won its first major title since capturing the French domestic crown in 1933, while France's Clermont and England's Harlequins are even for the all-time lead with three Challenge Cup trophies each.

?ANNOUNCEMENT ?

Your 2022/23 #ChallengeCupRugby weekend schedule is here, with kick-off dates and times to be confirmed ?

Are you pleased with the cards your team have been dealt? ?

— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) July 21, 2022

Where And When Can I Watch It?

The tournament is on a nearly-identical timeline to the Challenge Cup. Pool play begins Dec. 9, the same day as the top-tier competition starts. The only major difference is the day of the final, which is set a day earlier than the Challenge Cup on May 19, 2023 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. 

The season will be streamed in its entirety on FloRugby for U.S.-based subscribers. A full fixture list for all of the pool stage games is available here.

What Teams Should I Look Out For?

Here's a brief outlook of each team playing in the 2022-2023 EPCR Challenge Cup season, along with the pool draws.

Pool A

Bristol Bears (Bristol, England). Championships: 2019-2020

Bath (Bath, England). Championships: 2007-2008

Newcastle Falcons (Newcastle, England). Championships: None

Toulon (Toulon, France). Championships: None

Brive (Brive-la-Gaillarde, France). Championships: None

Perpignan (Perpignan, France). Championships: None

Connacht (Galway, Ireland). Championships: None

Glasgow Warriors (Glasgow, Scotland). Championships: None

Zebre Parma (Parma, Italy). Championships: None

Cardiff (Cardiff, Wales). Championships: 2009-2010, 2017-2018

Pool B

Wasps (Coventry, England). Championships: 2002-2003

Worcester Warriors (Worcester, England). Championships: None

Pau (Pau, France). Championships: 1999-2000

Stade Francais (Paris, France). Championships: 2016-2017

Bayonne (Bayonne, France). Championships: None

Lions (Johannesburg, South Africa). Championships: None

Cheetahs (Bloemfontein, South Africa). Championships: None

Benetton (Treviso, Italy). Championships: None

Scarlets (Llanelli, Wales). Championships: None

Dragons (Newport, Wales). Championships: None