Challenge Cup record

Brive have reached the semi-finals three times, but on each occasion they have been beaten – in 1999, when they lost 26-23 at Bourgoin; in 2005, when they were knocked out by Section Paloise over two legs after a 37-16 away defeat and 27-13 home win; and 2012, when they went down 19-0 at Biarritz Olympique.

Last season

The TOP 14 club bowed out after the pool stage following a 39-17 loss at Leicester Tigers in Round 1 and an 18-16 home defeat to Zebre Parma.

Head coach

Jeremy Davidson has been head coach since 2018, guiding Brive back into the TOP 14 in 2019. Previously, the former Ireland and British and Irish Lions lock was director of rugby at Dungannon, before coaching Castres Olympique, Ulster Rugby and Aurillac.

Key players

Brive boast a multi-national squad, including players from Georgia, Fiji, Italy, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Colombia, Samoa, Algeria and Ireland, as well as France. Italy prop Pietro Ceccarelli and the experienced Georgian half-back pairing of scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze and fly-half Tedo Abzhandadze are probably the best known.

Pool fixtures

Brive open their programme with a visit to London Irish on December 19 and then host Section Paloise in January. A trip to Edinburgh Rugby follows on January 21 before they finish with a home game against Saracens in April.

CA Brive, winners of the 1997 European Cup, are now regular contestants in the EPCR Challenge Cup. Here we look at how they are shaping up ahead of the 2021-22 season.