European Professional Club Rugby | Back in the Heineken Champions Cup: RC Toulon

RC Toulon’s victory over Glasgow Warriors in the EPCR Challenge Cup final last month secured them a return to the Heineken Champions Cup, a competition they have been absent from for the past two seasons.

We’ve taken a look back at Toulon’s best campaigns in EPCR’s elite tournament, which unsurprisingly consist of their incredible three successive titles around a decade ago.

2012/13: Champions

Toulon clinched their first ever EPCR title in the 2012/13 season, overcoming Montpellier, Cardiff Blues and Sale Sharks in the pool stage to set up a home quarter-final against Leicester Tigers.

The TOP 14 side edged their English counterparts 21-15 before triumphing 24-12 against Saracens at Twickenham Stadium in the semi-finals.

A Delon Armitage try and 11 points from the boot of Jonny Wilkinson saw them scrape to a 16-15 win against ASM Clermont Auvergne in the showpiece game in Dublin.

#ChallengeCupRugby winner @CheslinKolbe has announced he will be leaving @RCTofficiel 😥

How important has he been to the French side? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/gs3e4dC7Qq

— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) May 30, 2023

2013/14: Champions

Toulon made it back-to-back titles in 2013-14, recovering from a Round 2 defeat at Cardiff (19-15) to emerge from Pool 2 – which also included Exeter Chiefs and Glasgow Warriors – with a home quarter-final.

They dispatched of then three-time champions Leinster Rugby 29-14 at the Stade Félix Mayol and would defeat another Irish province in the semi-finals as they saw off Munster Rugby 24-16.

Toulon then produced a commanding performance in the final at the Principality Stadium as tries from Matt Giteau and Juan Smith, in addition to 13 points kicked by Jonny Wilkinson, propelled them to a 23-6 victory over Saracens.

2014/15: Champions

Toulon made history as they lifted the trophy for a third straight year in 2014/15, winning five from six games in the pool stage again, which saw them go up against Ulster Rugby, Leicester and Scarlets.

They eased past Wasps (32-18) in the quarter-finals before another titanic battle with Leinster in the semi-finals, the game at the Stade Vélodrome needing extra time before a Bryan Habana interception try helped Toulon to a thrilling 25-20 win.

That set up a second final against domestic rivals Clermont, which proved another tense affair at Twickenham Stadium, but Toulon were triumphant again thanks to tries from Mathieu Bastareaud and Drew Mitchell, plus 14 points from Leigh Halfpenny.