Challenge Cup rugby draw: London Irish return to European rugby against heavyweights Toulon

Promoted Exiles will face a daunting trip to the south of France in the European Challenge Cup next season while Leicester Tigers get used to life in the second tier with Cardiff Blues, Pau and Calvisano

London Irish will mark their return to European rugby next season by taking on three-time Champions Cup winners Toulon after the two clubs were drawn in the pool two in the 2018/19 Challenge Cup.

Irish have spent big ahead of their return to the Premiership, but the big-spenders do not come much bigger than Toulon even though they have found themselves in a rut of late since their three consecutive European titles in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Making up the pool will be Welsh side Scarlets who will be starting life after Wayne Pivac as he takes up the head coaching role with Wales, and French side Bayonne.

Leicester Tigers meanwhile embark on the unusual feeling of playing in the second tier of European rugby alongside Cardiff Blues, with Pau and the returning Rugby Calvisano making up pool five.

Bristol Bears will look to continue their rise up the English ranks after last season’s Champions Cup near-miss, but Pat Lam’s side face difficult opposition in the form of Stade Francais as well as a second trip to France to face Brive, with Italian side Zebre making up pool four.

Pool one will see Worcester Warriors take on Castes, the Dragons and Russian qualifiers Enisei-STM, while the final pool sees former Leicester boss Richard Cockerill lead his Edinburgh side against his old rivals in the shape of Wasps, where they are joined by another two French sides in Bordeaux-Begles and Agen.

Pool 1: Castres, Worcester Warriors, Dragons, Enisei-STM

Pool 2: Scarlets, Toulon, London Irish, Bayonne

Pool 3: Wasps, Edinburgh, Bordeaux-Begles, Agen

Pool 4: Stade Francais, Bristol Bears, Zebre, Brive

Pool 5: Cardiff Blues, Leicester Tigers, Pau, Rugby Calvisano