Reigning Champions Cup champions Leinster Rugby will play Wasps, Toulouse and Bath Rugby in Pool 1 of next season’s competition after today’s Champions Cup draw in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Champions entered the draw as a top seed but were drawn alongside Wasps and Toulouse who both finished third in the Premiership and Top 14 respectively.
Last season’s semi-finalists Munster have been given a slightly easier run in the Pool stages after they were drawn into Pool 2 alongside Castres Olympique, Premiership finalists the Exeter Chiefs and Challenge Cup finalists Gloucester Rugby.
Ulster, who qualified for the tournament after a play-off win over the Ospreys in their final game of the season, have been drawn alongside PRO14 finalists the Scarlets, Champions Cup finalists Racing 92 and two-time European champions the Leicester Tigers in one of the competition’s toughest Pools.
Meanwhile former Ulster fly-half Paddy Jackson will return to Ireland next season after his new club Perpignan were drawn in the same pool as Connacht.
Jackson had his Ulster and IRFU contract revoked in April after a joint internal review by the province and the union following Jackson’s acquittal from a high profile rape case at Belfast Crown Court.
Connacht will also play English Premiership side Sale Sharks as well as French side Bordeaux-Belges.
Paddy Jackson will return to Ireland next season after his new club Perpignan were drawn in the same pool as Connacht at today's Challenge Cup draw. pic.twitter.com/5RRcnr3ABo
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 20, 2018
