European Professional Club Rugby Announces New Rules and Changes for 2026-27 Season
歐洲職業俱樂部橄欖球賽公布 2026-27 賽季新規則與變更
Introduction
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has announced a series of major changes to the competition formats, scoring systems, and schedules for the 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.
歐洲職業俱樂部橄欖球賽 (EPCR) 已宣布 2026-27 年 Investec 冠軍盃與 EPCR 挑戰盃在比賽形式、計分系統及賽程方面的一系列重大變更。
Main Body
The new rules are based on a desire to reward winning matches rather than just collecting points. A key change is the attacking bonus point; while teams previously only needed to score four tries, they must now score at least three more tries than their opponent to earn the point. This system, taken from the TOP 14 league, aims to stop teams from playing too safely once they have a lead. Furthermore, the tie-breaking rules have been changed to prioritize the total number of wins over the difference in points scored.
新規則是基於希望獎勵贏得比賽而非僅僅是累積積分。一個關鍵的變更是攻擊紅利分；過去球隊僅需攻下四次達陣，但現在必須比對手多攻下至少三次達陣才能獲得該分數。此系統借鑒自 TOP 14 聯賽，旨在防止球隊在領先後打得過於保守。此外，平分判定規則已更改，將優先考慮總勝場數而非得分差額。
Qualifying for the knockout stages has also become more difficult. In the Champions Cup, only the top three teams in each pool will advance automatically, while the remaining four spots will go to the best-ranked teams across all pools. The Challenge Cup uses a similar system, where the top three per pool advance, along with three 'wildcard' teams and four teams moving down from the Champions Cup. Consequently, teams finishing in fourth place are no longer guaranteed a spot in the next round.
晉級淘汰賽也變得更加困難。在冠軍盃中，每個分組僅前三名能自動晉級，其餘四個名額將由所有分組中排名最高的球隊遞補。挑戰盃採用相似系統，每組前三名晉級，加上三支「外卡」球隊以及四支從冠軍盃降級的球隊。因此，排名第四的球隊不再保證能進入下一輪。
Regarding the schedule, the competitions will return to an October start, specifically the weekend of October 16-18, moving away from the December start used in the 2025-26 season. The current draws have already created some very competitive groups, such as Pool Four of the Champions Cup. The tournament will end with a finals weekend in Lyon this May.
關於賽程，比賽將恢復於十月開始，具體為 10 月 16 日至 18 日的週末，不再延用 2025-26 賽季的十二月開始模式。目前的抽籤已產生一些競爭非常激烈的分組，例如冠軍盃的第四組。賽事將於今年五月在里昂的決賽週末落下帷幕。
Conclusion
The 2026-27 season will be more competitive due to a tougher qualification process and a new scoring system, all while returning to a traditional autumn start date.
由於晉級過程更為嚴格以及引入新計分系統，2026-27 賽季將更具競爭力，同時恢復傳統的秋季開賽日期。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The 'B2 Leap': Moving from Simple to Complex Connections
At the A2 level, we use simple words like and, but, and so. To reach B2, you need to use Connectors of Result and Contrast to show how ideas relate. Let's look at the rugby article to see how this works.
⚡ The Power of 'Consequently' and 'Furthermore'
Look at these two sentences from the text:
- "Furthermore, the tie-breaking rules have been changed..."
- "Consequently, teams finishing in fourth place are no longer guaranteed a spot..."
Why this is B2 level: Instead of saying "Also" or "So," the writer uses high-level transitions.
- Furthermore Use this when you want to add a strong extra point. It's like saying "And here is something even more important."
- Consequently Use this to show a direct result. It is the professional version of "So."
🛠️ Upgrade Your Sentences
| A2 (Simple) | B2 (Bridge) | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| I studied hard, so I passed. | I studied hard; consequently, I passed. | Sounds more academic and precise. |
| The hotel is cheap and it is clean. | The hotel is cheap; furthermore, it is clean. | Adds emphasis to the second point. |
🔍 Analyzing the Logic
In the text, the author explains that qualifying is now harder. Because it is harder (Cause), the fourth-place teams might lose their spot (Result).
The B2 Formula:
[Strong Statement] Consequently [The logical result]