This season’s European Rugby Champions Cup fixtures get underway in October, with Bordeaux Bègles looking to become the first side to win three in a row since Toulon in 2015.
Their 2026 victory extended an unprecedented period of dominance for clubs from the other side of the Channel Tunnel, with the last six titles ending up in France. But who were the last side from Britain or Ireland to get their hands on European rugby’s most prestigious trophy?
Read on to find out the identity of the competition’s most recent non-French winners, when they did it, and whether any other country has been quite so dominant in the tournament’s three-decade history.
Exeter Chiefs were the last British or Irish side to lift the European Rugby Champions Cup. They did so after beating Racing 92 in Bristol in 2020, at an Ashton Gate Stadium that was entirely empty due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Since then, the trophy has taken up residence in France with two wins apiece for Toulouse. La Rochelle and reigning champions Bordeaux Bègles.
Have French teams always been so dominant?
No, one country claiming five titles in a row is unprecedented in the history of a tournament that began life as the Heineken Cup in 1995.
The closest any country had come previously was England’s three successive titles between 2000 and 2002 (Northampton Saints, and Leicester Tigers twice), and France’s hat-trick between 2013 and 2015 (all Toulon).
There has been at least one French side in 13 of the last 14 European Rugby Champions Cup finals, but even so, they didn’t lift the trophy at all between 2016 and 2021.
During that period English sides became the dominant force in the competition, with Saracens winning three titles and Exeter Chiefs one. This run of English victories was only punctuated by Leinster, who claimed the last of their four European titles to date in 2018.
Reigning champions Bordeaux Bègles have extended a period of French dominance in Europe’s most prestigious club competition (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Were honours spread more evenly in the past?
France are the most successful country in the history of the European Rugby Champions Cup, having won 14 out of the 31 titles available.
But French sides have only pulled ahead during their current, record-breaking six-in-a-row run. Before that, honours were much more even, with English teams winning the European Rugby Champions Cup on 10 occasions. Irish teams have come out on top seven times, though clubs from Wales, Scotland, Italy or South Africa are yet to etch their name on the coveted trophy.
England come top of the table for the most individual winners, however, with six champion clubs hailing from the PREM(iership): Bath Rugby, Northampton Saints, Leicester Tigers, Wasps, Saracens and Exeter Chiefs. Five French sides have won (Toulouse, Brive, Toulon, La Rochelle and Bordeaux Bègles), while three Irish teams have been successful (Leinster, Munster and Ulster).
Toulouse are the most successful team in the European Rugby Champions Cup overall with six wins. Leinster’s four wins put them second in the all-time list, just ahead of Saracens and Toulon with three victories apiece.
What about the European Challenge Cup?
You don’t have to go back nearly as far to find a British or Irish winner of the Challenge Cup, as Bath came out on top as part of their famous 2025 treble.
French teams have, however, been similarly dominant in the Champions Cup’s sister competition in recent years, winning seven of the last 11 titles available – including last season’s victory for Montpellier.
Who are the previous winners of the European Rugby Champions Cup?
Leinster were the last Irish side to win the European Champions Cup, in 2018 (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Here’s a full list of winners of European rugby’s premier club competition:
- 1995-96: Toulouse
- 1996-97: Brive
- 1997-98: Bath Rugby
- 1998-99: Ulster
- 1999-2000: Northampton Saints
- 2000-01: Leicester Tigers
- 2001-02: Leicester Tigers
- 2002-03: Toulouse
- 2003-04: Wasps
- 2004-05: Toulouse
- 2005-06: Munster
- 2006-07: Wasps
- 2007-08: Munster
- 2008-09: Leinster
- 2009-10: Toulouse
- 2010-11: Leinster
- 2011-12: Leinster
- 2012-13: Toulon
- 2013-14: Toulon
- 2014-15: Toulon
- 2015-16: Saracens
- 2016-17: Saracens
- 2017-18: Leinster
- 2018-19: Saracens
- 2019-20: Exeter Chiefs
- 2020-21: Toulouse
- 2021-22: La Rochelle
- 2022-23: La Rochelle
- 2023-24: Toulouse
- 2024-25: Bordeaux Bègles
- 2025-26: Bordeaux Bègles
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