Long trip for Bath to face van Graan’s old club in Champions Cup

Bath Rugby will travel to South Africa in the Investec Champions Cup next season – to face head of rugby Johann van Graan’s former club.

Bath Rugby will host two French sides, Montpellier and Stade Francais, here at The Rec in the 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup’s pool stages | Photo © Richard Briggs 

Fixtures for the pool stages of the 2026-27 competition were announced today, Friday 10th July, and handed the Blue, Black & White a visit to Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria to take on the Vodacom Bulls.

The Somerset side, who reached the semi-finals last term, will open their Pool 4 programme by welcoming French side Montpellier to The Rec on Saturday 17th October (8pm).

In Round 2, on Saturday 12th December, Bath will head to Wales to face Cardiff Rugby. Kick-off will again be at 8pm, but the game’s venue has yet to be decided.

Next up will be the match in South Africa, which will be played on Saturday 9th January. It will be a homecoming for van Graan, who was born in Pretoria and worked for the Bulls as a technical adviser and coach.

The Blue, Black & White will compete their pool fixtures by entertaining another French team, Stade Francais, at The Rec on Sunday 17th January (5.30pm).

Only one Bath player is the England matchday squad for the Nations Championship fixture against Fiji tomorrow, Saturday 11th July.

Guy Pepper will line up in the back row for what is classed as an away game for England – despite the fact it is being played at Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.

Fiji are playing this summer’s home matches in the UK. They lost their Nations Championship clash with Wales in Cardiff on Saturday 4th July and will take on Scotland in Edinburgh on Saturday 18th July.

The Fiji versus England match in Round 2 will kick-off at 2.10pm and will be shown live on ITV1.

Pepper is one of two changes to the starting XV, following England’s mauling in South Africa on 4th July. Exeter Chiefs’ Henry Slade is the other, coming into midfield.

England head coach Steve Borthwick said: “We’ve had a really positive week of preparation, and the players have worked hard in training.

“We know Fiji will provide a tough challenge.

“They’re a dangerous side who will demand the very best from us.

“It’s fantastic to be playing at Hill Dickinson Stadium, which is an outstanding venue.

“There is a real passion for rugby across the north of England, and we’re looking forward to experiencing a brilliant atmosphere in Liverpool.”

England starting XV: 1 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), 2 Jamie George (Saracens), 3 Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), 4 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), 5 George Martin (Saracens), 6 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), 7 Guy Pepper (Bath), 8 Ben Earl (Saracens), 9 Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers), 10 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), 12 Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), 13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), 14 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), 15 Marcus Smith (Harlequins).

England replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), 17 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), 18 George Kloska (Bristol Bears), 19 Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), 20 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), 21 Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears), 23 Noah Caluori (Saracens).

Scotland have named Bath fly-half Finn Russell and back row Josh Bayliss in their matchday squad for the Nations Championship Round 2 encounter with South Africa in Pretoria on 11th July (4.40pm UK time).

Russell – who has recovered from a calf injury – is one three changes to the starting XV, following Scotland’s victory in Argentina on 4th July.

Bayliss will be on the bench.

The match will be shown live on ITV1.

Scotland starting XV: 1 Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), 2 Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby), 3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 4 Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), 5 Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), 6 Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), 7 Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), 8 Jack Dempsey (Toshiba Brave Lupus), 9 Ben White (Toulon), 10 Finn Russell (Bath), 11 Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), 12 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), 13 Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), 14 Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), 15 Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors).

Scotland replacements: 16 Gregor Hiddleston (Glasgow Warriors), 17 Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), 18 Will Hurd (Leicester Tigers), 19 Alex Samuel (Glasgow Warriors), 20 Josh Bayliss (Bath), 21 Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby), 22 Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears), 23 Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors).

South Africa’s former Bath star Thomas du Toit, who scored a try against England in Round 1, misses out on a place against Scotland as hosts’ head coach Rassie Erasmus looks to give game time to as many members of his squad as possible during this block of fixtures.

Erasmus has made 10 changes to the starting XV that faced England.

Bath’s Santi Carreras will again start at full-back when Argentina receive Wales at Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan, in Round 2 on 11th July.

Carreras will be one of two vice-captains of Los Pumas for the match – the first time he has held that role.