Winners of the European Rugby Champions Cup (1995-2026)

The European Rugby Champions Cup has seen a variety of winners since its inception in 1996, including notable teams such as Toulouse, Bath, and Leinster. The current champions, Bordeaux Bègles, secured their second consecutive title in 2026, continuing a strong French legacy in the tournament with six straight victories. Prior to this, the last title won by a British or Irish team was by Exeter Chiefs in 2020.

Toulouse holds the distinction of being the first European Rugby Champions Cup winners, clinching the inaugural title in 1996 when the competition was known as the Heineken Cup. They are also the most successful team in the tournament’s history with six titles. Following them, English sides have won the tournament ten times, while Irish teams have lifted the trophy three times. Meanwhile, teams from Wales, Scotland, Italy, and South Africa are still in pursuit of their first title.

Below is a summary of the Champions Cup winners over the years, along with their respective runners-up and final scores:

Winners from the 1990s

• 1995-96: Winners: Toulouse, Runners-up: Cardiff, Score: 21-18, Location: National Stadium, Cardiff
• 1996-97: Winners: Brive, Runners-up: Leicester Tigers, Score: 28-9, Location: National Stadium, Cardiff
• 1997-98: Winners: Bath, Runners-up: Brive, Score: 19-18, Location: Parc Lescure, Bordeaux
• 1998-99: Winners: Ulster, Runners-up: Colomiers, Score: 21-6, Location: Lansdowne Road, Dublin

Winners from the 2000s

• 1999-2000: Winners: Northampton Saints, Runners-up: Munster, Score: 9-8, Location: Twickenham, London
• 2000-01: Winners: Leicester Tigers, Runners-up: Stade Français, Score: 34-30, Location: Parc des Princes, Paris
• 2001-02: Winners: Leicester Tigers, Runners-up: Munster, Score: 15-9, Location: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
• 2002-03: Winners: Toulouse, Runners-up: Perpignan, Score: 22-17, Location: Lansdowne Road, Dublin
• 2003-04: Winners: London Wasps, Runners-up: Toulouse, Score: 27-20, Location: Twickenham, London
• 2004-05: Winners: Toulouse, Runners-up: Stade Français, Score: 18-12, Location: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
• 2005-06: Winners: Munster, Runners-up: Biarritz, Score: 23-19, Location: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Beyond the results, the Champions Cup has fostered intense rivalries and showcased the best of European rugby, continuing to attract significant attention from fans and media alike.