Champions Cup bonus-point change explained as teams face new challenge this season
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Every try counts.
Scoring four tries will no longer guarantee an attacking bonus point in the Investec Champions Cup, with a new rule changing how teams approach this season’s competition.
Teams must now finish with at least three more tries than their opponents to collect the extra point — adopting a similar approach to the Top 14.
EPCR has also changed knockout qualification, with fourth place in a pool no longer guaranteeing progression.
How does the new bonus-point rule work?
Previously, scoring four tries earned a bonus point, regardless of how many the opposition scored. Now, the difference between the teams’ try totals is what matters.
A team scoring three tries to none will earn the bonus. A side scoring four tries to two will not.
Crucially, the point can also be lost before the final whistle. A team leading four tries to one would be on course for the bonus, but conceding another try would take it away.
The losing bonus point remains unchanged, with teams beaten by seven points or fewer collecting an extra point. A win remains worth four match points and a draw two.
Why has it changed?
EPCR wants matches to remain competitive for longer, giving teams something to protect even when the result appears settled.
Reaching four tries no longer allows a side to bank its bonus point. Teams may need to keep attacking to establish a three-try advantage, while a late defensive lapse could cost them a point in the standings.
For the opposition, a consolation try could therefore have a significant impact, even if a comeback is beyond reach.
What has changed with qualification?
The competition still features 24 teams in four pools of six, with each club playing four pool matches.
However, only the top three teams in each pool now qualify automatically for the Round of 16.
The remaining four places go to the teams with the most match points outside those automatic qualifying positions, across all four pools.
A fifth-placed team could therefore progress ahead of a fourth-placed side from another pool.
The change follows last season’s outcome, when Leicester Tigers and the Bulls qualified with one win each, while the Sharks missed out despite winning twice.
There is still no minimum number of wins required to qualify — but fourth place alone will no longer be enough.
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