Irish Rugby Sides in European Finals

Ulster and Leinster look to bring home silverware later this month as they have both secured their places in European finals.

Ireland have a reputation to uphold in rugby and the club sides are making good on that this season. Ireland will be represented in both of the finals for European club competitions this year.

Ulster and Leinster will make the trip over to Bilbao, where both the EPCR Challenge Cup Final and the showpiece Investec Champions Cup Final are being held.

EPCR Challenge Cup Final – Ulster v Montpellier

San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao, Spain | Friday 22 May 2026

Ulster become only the second Irish team to reach the final of the Challenge Cup, following the footsteps of Leinster 13 years ago. The winner on the day then was the Irish side and Richie Murphy’s men will be hoping for similar fortunes this year. While they have never triumphed in the Challenge Cup, the Ulstermen have won a Champions Cup, becoming the first Irish team to do so back in 1999. They made their last European final appearance in 2012, when they lost out in an all-Irish affair to Leinster.

Their opponents in Bilbao will be Montpellier who, after beating Welsh side Dragons at the weekend, booked their third Challenge Cup final appearance. Les Cistes were victorious on both prior occasions, in 2016 and most recently in 2021, when they squeezed out Leicester. Only Harlequins and Clermont can claim more Challenge Cup titles than Montpellier but that wait to equal their record will have to wait until after they’ve faced Ulster.

Route to the Final

Last weekend’s semi final at Affidea Stadium saw nothing short of a comprehensive beating on Exeter Chiefs. In a routing that could have been far worse for the English team, Ulster’s second half dominance proved to be too much, with three unanswered tries pulling them beyond reach.

It was a performance that brimmed with confidence and determination. This is an Ulster side dead-set on ending their more than 20 year wait for a trophy and this season there is a different feel about them. They’re a team that’s got hot and are keeping that momentum at the right time, with the ability and the desire to take on any opponent and emerge the victor.

Group Stage

Ulster Rugby 61 – 7 Racing 92

Cardiff Rugby 29 – 26 Ulster Rugby

Toyota Cheetahs 0 – 28 Ulster Rugby

Ulster Rugby 26 – 19 Stade Français Paris

Knockout Stage

Round of 16 – Ulster Rugby 28 – 24 Ospreys

Quarter Final – Ulster Rugby 41 – 24 Stade Rochelais

Semi Final – Ulster Rugby 29 – 12 Exeter Chiefs

Ulster now turn their attention to their remaining BKT United Rugby Championship games, both home fixtures against DHL Stormers and Glasgow Warriors. They will look to keep up this form as they push to cement their place in the top 8 and secure a spot in the URC play-offs.

FIND TICKETS TO ULSTER’S URC FIXTURES HERE >>>

Investec Champions Cup Final – Leinster v Union Bordeaux Bègles

San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao, Spain | Saturday 23 May 2026

Leinster will have fond memories of Bilbao, having won their last Champions Cup in the very stadium they will be fighting for their next. That 2018 side overcame Racing 92 in a low-scoring affair but Leo Cullen’s men won’t mind if they replicate that this month.

The win in 2018 gave Leinster their fourth Champions Cup win, leaving them only second in titles to Toulouse. They have made the final now on 9 occasions, overtaking Toulouse for the most all-time. This final appearance will mark Leinster’s fourth in the last five years, falling just short of the final post to La Rochelle twice and Toulouse once.

It is another French side in Union Bordeaux Bègles that The Blues find themselves against this year. L’Union were crowned champions last year as they saw off Northampton Saints in front of 70,000 fans in Cardiff.

Route to the Final

Leinster’s semi final was a cagey affair in the end, following up a mixed first half performance with a double sin-bin to keep fans biting their fingernails for 40 minutes. They withheld RC Toulon by chipping away with scores and Toulon couldn’t come up with the goods even when they had the numbers advantage. A late surge put Leinster hearts in mouths but other than raising the collective blood pressure around the Aviva Stadium, it did nothing to the outcome.

While not the most convincing of showings, it was the kind of result teams need to be able to grind out if they want to win a Champions Cup and the kinds of close run games that Leinster have seen themselves on the wrong side of in previous years. Mix in the number of starters that were missing through injury and Leo Cullen will find confidence from the result as they head over to Spain.

Group Stage

Leinster Rugby 45 – 28 Harlequins

Leicester Tigers 15 – 23 Leinster Rugby

Leinster Rugby 25 – 24 Stade Rochelais

Aviron Bayonnais 13 – 22 Leinster Rugby

Knockout Stage

Round of 16 – Leinster Rugby 49 – 31 Edinburgh Rugby

Quarter Final – Leinster Rugby 43- 13 Sale Sharks

Semi Final – Leinster Rugby 29 – 25 RC Toulon

Leinster have two BKT United Rugby Championship fixtures between now and the final. Lions and Ospreys come to the Aviva Stadium before Leinster head for Bilbao. Currently sat 4th in the URC table, they will want to ensure to get every point they can from the remaining two games to ensure as many of their play-off games as possible come through Dublin.

FIND TICKETS TO LEINSTER’S URC FIXTURES HERE >>>

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