Thread by @shamdoran

#URC fans from SA, welcome to the torment of figuring out the complex, ever-changing seeding/pool allocation for the @ChampionsCup. I’ll try to be brief, and predict what teams will face @BlueBullsRugby, @THESTORMERS and @SharksRugby next season ... 🧵1/14

Each league (@URCOfficial, @top14rugby, @premrugby) sends 8 teams to @ChampionsCup. Since the ‘20/’21 season, 24 teams form two pools of 12. This looks hideous, but will explain each part below… 2/14

First, seeding. The French (left) keep it simple, and base seeding on rank in the league before the @top14rugby playoffs. Note that @LeLOURugby finished 9th, but qualified by winning the @ChallengeCup_… 3/14

#URC (middle) base seeding on playoff performance. @BlueBullsRugby or @THESTORMERS will be 1st/2nd seed and defeated playoff teams are ranked by league position (e.g. @leinsterrugby above @UlsterRugby). 1v2 and 3v4 is not hugely important as we’ll see in a moment… 4/14

Finally, the English (right) do a split. Top four seeds determined by playoff performance. Next four by league. @LeicesterTigers and @Saracens (finalists) will be 1 or 2, but again not hugely important as we'll see… 5/14

@ChampionsCup allocates 4 tiers to the seedings, to structure the pools and opponents. Tier 1: (1st & 2nd seeds) through to Tier 4 (7th and 8th seeds). This is why I mentioned above that certain seedings (e.g.,1st vs 2nd, 3rd vs 4th, etc) don’t really matter… 6/14

A draw puts teams into pool A or B. Each league can only have one team per tier in each pool. So @THESTORMERS and @BlueBullsRugby can’t be in the same pool. Nor can @leinsterrugby and @UlsterRugby. Nor can @staderochelais, and @racing92. And so on… 7/14

This leaves us with the structure I posted above. Hope it makes more sense now. Now onto the pool fixtures. Teams only play 4 games in the pool stages, home and away to two specific opponents. 8/14

Pool-stage opponents are also determined by tier and league. Tier 1 teams face Tier 4 teams, and Tier 2 teams face Tier 3 teams. However teams can’t face opponents from their own league. So each #URC team faces an English and French opponent home and away (4 games)… 9/14

That means, @THESTORMERS and @BlueBullsRugby (in URC’s Tier 1) will each play home and away against two non-URC opponents from Tier 4. Looking below, this means two each from @ASMOfficiel, @LeLOURugby, @ExeterChiefs and @londonirish (FYI @mark_keohane)… 10/14

@leinsterrugby and @UlsterRugby (in URC’s Tier 2) will get two each from @staderochelais, @racing92, @gloucesterrugby and @SaleSharksRugby… 11/14

@SharksRugby and @Munsterrugby (in URC’s Tier 3) will get two each from @UBBrugby, @StadeToulousain, @Harlequins and @SaintsRugby (FYI @threeredkings)… 12/14

And finally @EdinBruRugby and @OspreysSC (in URC’s Tier 4) will get two each from @CastresRugby, @MHR_officiel, @LeicesterTigers and @Saracens (FYI @SquidgeRugby, @simonrug)… 13/14

Most importantly, the great man, @oxnche, will play either @UBBrugby or @StadeToulousain, so ~6 months for recon on best cake places in these cities. Please excuse some more engagement farming: @iamSivN, @TankLanning, @FrontRowGrunt, @rugby_ap, @craigray11... 14/14