European Challenge Cup
Encyclopedia
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union
competitions organised by European Rugby Cup
. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European Challenge Cup is the second tier competition to the Heineken Cup
. It is contested by teams from England
, France
, Wales
, Ireland
, Italy
, Romania
, and on some occasions, Spain
and Portugal
, on a pool, and then knock-out, basis. Because of the demise of their third professional side, Scotland
's representation in the competition stopped. Today, the two surviving Scottish sides, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors
, receive automatic Heineken Cup places, but may parachute into the Challenge Cup if they finish 3rd, 4th or 5th best runners up in the Heineken Cup
pool stages. The European Challenge Cup is the equivalent competition of the UEFA Europa League in football, whereas the Heineken Cup in the equivalent to the higher level UEFA Champions League
.
in the summer of 1995
The Challenge Cup began as the 'European Conference' (later renamed the European Shield) in 1996 with 24 teams from England, France, Italy, Romania, Scotland and Wales divided into four groups of six. All seven of the French teams made it to the quarter-finals with English club Northampton Saints filling the other berth. Predictably, the final was an all-French affair with Bourgoin beating Castres Olympique 18–9 to win the shield.
The following year's competition had an increased entry with eight groups of four teams. Colomiers continued the French dominance of the European Shield, defeating Agen 43–5 in the final.
The absence of English and Scottish clubs in 1998–99 saw the competition reduced to 21 teams divided into three groups of seven teams with representative sides of Spain and Portugal taking part. Once again, a French team was triumphant, with Montferrand beating holders Bourgoin 35–16 in the final held in Lyon.
With English and Scottish clubs back in the competition in 1999, there were 28 teams split in seven groups of four and London Irish and Bristol reached the semi-finals of the competition, but couldn't prevent another all-French final with Pau crowned champions after a 34–21 defeat of Castres.
ended French dominance of the European Shield, defeating RC Narbonne 27–26 after extra time in the final.
There was a new sponsor and a name change in 2001. The new Parker Pen Shield saw 32 teams divided into eight groups of four competing for the title. For the first time there were two Spanish club teams and Romania was represented. Only one French club reached the quarter-finals along with five English and two from Wales and for the first time no French club reached the semi-finals after Pau lost to London Irish. For the first time a Welsh team, Pontypridd
made it to the final but Sale Sharks
emerged victorious, coming from behind to win 25–22 at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.
The league format was abandoned in 2002 and the tournament became a knock-out competition. This involved 32 clubs from eight nations, half of them seeded and drawn against an un-seeded team on a home and away basis. The name Parker Pen Shield
was now applied to a reprechage knock-out tournament for those teams that did not qualify for the second round of the Challenge Cup. The Parker Pen Challenge Cup winner now automatically qualified for the Heineken Cup. London Wasps
beat Bath
48–30 to win the renamed Parker Pen Challenge Cup at the Madejski Stadium
, Reading.
In 2003/04 the Welsh Rugby Union
voted to create regions to play in the Celtic League and represent Wales in European competition. Henceforce Wales entered regional sides rather than the club sides which had previously competed. With a reduction from nine professional clubs to just five, there was no Welsh entry in that year's competition. Romania also did not take part in the Challenge Cup. Harlequins won the cup with a 27–26 last-second victory over Montferrand at the Madejski Stadium
to become the first side to win the tournament twice.
Sale eased to victory in the 2005 final 27–3 over a disappointing Pau
side. In 2006 Gloucester edged out London Irish
36–34 after extra time.
The Parker Pen Shield
was abandoned in 2005 due to restructuring of the European Challenge Cup. The competition reverted back to being a league format followed by knock-out phase with five pools of four teams and home and away matches. Romanian interest returned to the competition in the form of Bucureşti Rugby
who had been formed to represent Romania in European competition, however there was no representation from Spain or Portugal.
were the first French winners of the title for 7 years after they beat Bath
in the 2006-07 competition, Clermont also reached the Top 14 final this year after finishing poorly the previous couple of years.
Beaten 2007 finalists Bath
won the 2007-08 tournament after beating fellow English club Worcester Warriors in the final in Kingsholm Stadium
, Gloucester
. Spanish representation resumed in the 2007-08 Challenge Cup when Spanish Champions
CR El Salvador
took part.
Northampton Saints
won the 2009 final after beating Bourgoin
15-3 at the Twickenham Stoop, that season Northampton avoided relegation, they went on to finished 2nd in the regular season of the Guinness Premiership
, reach the Heineken Cup
quarter-finals and won the Anglo-Welsh Cup the next season. Northampton became the 8th English club to win the competition in 9 seasons.
Cardiff Blues
benefited from the new format in its first year, winning the first ever Challenge Cup for the club and were also the first Welsh Club to win the tournament. Cardiff beat Toulon
28-21 in the final at the Stade Vélodrome
in Marseille
, which was also the first final to have no English involvement for 10 years.
England made a triumphant return to the final in 2011, with Harlequins
defeating Stade Français 19-18. with a try in the last 5 minutes by Argentinian wing, Gonzalo Camacho. This meant Harlequins
became the first team to win the Challenge Cup three times and with this entered the Heineken Cup. The final was also notable in that it involved two teams that began the season in the Challenge Cup.
the 'Russian Air Academy' from the Russian Professional Rugby League
will be able to enter a team into the competition in a near future.
With the move torwards professionalising rugby union in Germany
, led by the SC 1880 Frankfurt
, it is hoped that the Wild Rugby Academy
in Heidelberg
will be able to field a German team in the competition. The later plan was delayed but a German team is expected to enter the competition in the future alongside other academy teams from Russia, Spain and Georgia.
It's been suggested that Portugal will enter the competition in the future with a team made up from the top sides in the country, in a similar way to Bucureşti Oaks
, from Romania
.
There is a further suggestion that the highest-placed Welsh Premiership
team at the end of the British and Irish Cup
tournament be entered into the following season's competition.
All top division English, French and Celtic League clubs that do not qualify for the Heineken Cup
enter the European Challenge Cup. The Italian Super 10, now largely a developmental competition after that country joined the Celtic League, sends its top four teams into the Challenge Cup. This generally results in either 7 or 8 French clubs, 5 or 6 English clubs, and 4 Italian clubs, with one each from Ireland and Romania and one from either Spain or Portugal. Romania
is represented by Bucureşti Rugby
who are specially formed for this competition.
Through the 2009–10 competition, the number of French and English clubs depended on the results of the previous year's Heineken Cup. Under the former rules of that competition, one extra Heineken Cup berth was awarded to England, France, or Italy, based on which country's club advanced the farthest in the previous season's competition. In the time that this rule existed, an English or French club always claimed the extra berth. For example:
Going forward from 2009–10, the default number of teams from each country will be 8 from France, 6 from England, and 4 from Italy, with one each from Ireland, Romania and Wales, and one from either Spain or Portugal. Subtractions are made for the countries that win the Heineken and Challenge Cups. For the 2010–11 Challenge Cup, the Italian entries were the top four teams from the Super 10 that did not enter the Celtic League.
Another change in 2009–10 was that the ECC adopted a semi-final draw similar to that long employed by the Heineken Cup. Previously, the ECC employed a traditional eight-team bracket (1 vs 8 and 4 vs 5 in the top half, and 2 vs 7 and 3 vs 6 in the bottom half) in which the semi-finals were not reseeded.
Unlike the Heineken Cup, in which semi-finals are held at nominally neutral sites in countries determined by the semi-final draw, the ECC semi-finals are held at home grounds. In 2009–10, any semi-final that matched a team that started in the ECC with one that parachuted in from the Heineken Cup would be hosted by the team that started in the ECC. Otherwise, a draw was used to determine the home team. This rule was abandoned starting with the 2010–11 season; the home teams in the semi-finals are now determined strictly by the draw.
.
It is shown in the United Kingdom & Ireland on Sky Sports
.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
competitions organised by European Rugby Cup
European Rugby Cup
European Rugby Cup is the organising body of two European rugby union club tournaments; the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup. The organisation was established in 1995 and is headquartered in Dublin...
. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European Challenge Cup is the second tier competition to the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
. It is contested by teams from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, and on some occasions, Spain
Rugby union in Spain
Rugby union in Spain is a growing team sport. The national side has played at the 1999 Rugby World Cup and is considered one of the stronger European nations outside the Six Nations Championship. Spanish club rugby is divided into divisions....
and Portugal
Rugby union in Portugal
Rugby union is a growing popular sport in Portugal, though still a long distance from the national sport association football. The sport is essentially amateur, with some degree of semi-professionalisation in its top flight league and the national rugby union team...
, on a pool, and then knock-out, basis. Because of the demise of their third professional side, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's representation in the competition stopped. Today, the two surviving Scottish sides, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors
The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
, receive automatic Heineken Cup places, but may parachute into the Challenge Cup if they finish 3rd, 4th or 5th best runners up in the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
pool stages. The European Challenge Cup is the equivalent competition of the UEFA Europa League in football, whereas the Heineken Cup in the equivalent to the higher level UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
1996 to 1999 - French dominance
European rugby competition began with the launch of the Heineken CupHeineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
in the summer of 1995
The Challenge Cup began as the 'European Conference' (later renamed the European Shield) in 1996 with 24 teams from England, France, Italy, Romania, Scotland and Wales divided into four groups of six. All seven of the French teams made it to the quarter-finals with English club Northampton Saints filling the other berth. Predictably, the final was an all-French affair with Bourgoin beating Castres Olympique 18–9 to win the shield.
The following year's competition had an increased entry with eight groups of four teams. Colomiers continued the French dominance of the European Shield, defeating Agen 43–5 in the final.
The absence of English and Scottish clubs in 1998–99 saw the competition reduced to 21 teams divided into three groups of seven teams with representative sides of Spain and Portugal taking part. Once again, a French team was triumphant, with Montferrand beating holders Bourgoin 35–16 in the final held in Lyon.
With English and Scottish clubs back in the competition in 1999, there were 28 teams split in seven groups of four and London Irish and Bristol reached the semi-finals of the competition, but couldn't prevent another all-French final with Pau crowned champions after a 34–21 defeat of Castres.
2000 to 2006 - English Dominance
The competition structure remained unchanged for the 2000-2001 season, although no team from Romania participated. The semi-final draw was an all-English and all-French affair to leave Harlequins and Narbonne contesting the first final on English soil. HarlequinsHarlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
ended French dominance of the European Shield, defeating RC Narbonne 27–26 after extra time in the final.
There was a new sponsor and a name change in 2001. The new Parker Pen Shield saw 32 teams divided into eight groups of four competing for the title. For the first time there were two Spanish club teams and Romania was represented. Only one French club reached the quarter-finals along with five English and two from Wales and for the first time no French club reached the semi-finals after Pau lost to London Irish. For the first time a Welsh team, Pontypridd
Pontypridd RFC
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....
made it to the final but Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
emerged victorious, coming from behind to win 25–22 at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.
The league format was abandoned in 2002 and the tournament became a knock-out competition. This involved 32 clubs from eight nations, half of them seeded and drawn against an un-seeded team on a home and away basis. The name Parker Pen Shield
European Shield
The European Shield was a reprechage tournament for teams knocked out in the first round of the European Challenge Cup in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The name "European Shield" had previously been used for the now renamed European Challenge Cup....
was now applied to a reprechage knock-out tournament for those teams that did not qualify for the second round of the Challenge Cup. The Parker Pen Challenge Cup winner now automatically qualified for the Heineken Cup. London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
beat Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
48–30 to win the renamed Parker Pen Challenge Cup at the Madejski Stadium
Madejski Stadium
The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...
, Reading.
In 2003/04 the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
voted to create regions to play in the Celtic League and represent Wales in European competition. Henceforce Wales entered regional sides rather than the club sides which had previously competed. With a reduction from nine professional clubs to just five, there was no Welsh entry in that year's competition. Romania also did not take part in the Challenge Cup. Harlequins won the cup with a 27–26 last-second victory over Montferrand at the Madejski Stadium
Madejski Stadium
The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...
to become the first side to win the tournament twice.
Sale eased to victory in the 2005 final 27–3 over a disappointing Pau
Section Paloise
Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:...
side. In 2006 Gloucester edged out London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
36–34 after extra time.
The Parker Pen Shield
European Shield
The European Shield was a reprechage tournament for teams knocked out in the first round of the European Challenge Cup in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The name "European Shield" had previously been used for the now renamed European Challenge Cup....
was abandoned in 2005 due to restructuring of the European Challenge Cup. The competition reverted back to being a league format followed by knock-out phase with five pools of four teams and home and away matches. Romanian interest returned to the competition in the form of Bucureşti Rugby
Bucuresti Rugby
Bucureşti are a rugby union team from Bucharest, Romania, that competes in the European Challenge Cup. The side is a team that is formed every season to play in the Challenge Cup, consisting of footballers playing in the domestic Romanian leagues...
who had been formed to represent Romania in European competition, however there was no representation from Spain or Portugal.
2006 to 2009 - Tournament & Club Revival
ClermontASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...
were the first French winners of the title for 7 years after they beat Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
in the 2006-07 competition, Clermont also reached the Top 14 final this year after finishing poorly the previous couple of years.
Beaten 2007 finalists Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
won the 2007-08 tournament after beating fellow English club Worcester Warriors in the final in Kingsholm Stadium
Kingsholm Stadium
Kingsholm Stadium is a rugby union stadium in Gloucester, England, and is the home stadium of Gloucester Rugby. The stadium has a capacity of 16,500. It is sometimes nicknamed 'Castle Grim' after the estate where the stadium is built and also in reference to Gloucester's admirable home form...
, Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
. Spanish representation resumed in the 2007-08 Challenge Cup when Spanish Champions
División de Honor de Rugby
-Past winners:-External links:*...
CR El Salvador
CR El Salvador
Club de Rugby El Salvador is a Spanish rugby union club. The club was established in 1960 and currently competes in the División de Honor de Rugby competition, the highest level of Spanish club rugby. The club are based in Valladolid in central Spain, playing their matches at the Estadio Pepe Rojo....
took part.
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
won the 2009 final after beating Bourgoin
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club...
15-3 at the Twickenham Stoop, that season Northampton avoided relegation, they went on to finished 2nd in the regular season of the Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
, reach the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
quarter-finals and won the Anglo-Welsh Cup the next season. Northampton became the 8th English club to win the competition in 9 seasons.
2010 to present - The Heineken Cup parachute
The competition organiser, European Rugby Cup, announced several changes to the Challenge Cup effective in 2009–10:- Only the five pool winners will qualify for the knockout stage of the competition. They will be joined by three clubs that parachute in from the pool stage of the Heineken Cup, specifically the third- through fifth-highest ranked second-place teams from pool play. Because of the demise of their third professional side, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
representation stopped but now Edinburgh and Glasgow WarriorsGlasgow WarriorsThe Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
may play in the competition if they finish 3rd, 4th or 5th best runners-up in the Heineken Cup. - The European Challenge Cup winner will continue to receive an automatic berth in the following season's Heineken Cup; for the first time, this place will not come at the expense of its country's allocation. The only exception to this new rule will occur when England or France produces the winners of both the Heineken Cup and ECC in the same season. Both countries are capped at seven Heineken Cup places; in that scenario, the Heineken and ECC winners remain in the Heineken Cup while a berth is granted to the top club in the ERC rankings from another country that has not already qualified for the Heineken Cup.
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
benefited from the new format in its first year, winning the first ever Challenge Cup for the club and were also the first Welsh Club to win the tournament. Cardiff beat Toulon
RC Toulonnais
RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
28-21 in the final at the Stade Vélodrome
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, which was also the first final to have no English involvement for 10 years.
England made a triumphant return to the final in 2011, with Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
defeating Stade Français 19-18. with a try in the last 5 minutes by Argentinian wing, Gonzalo Camacho. This meant Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
became the first team to win the Challenge Cup three times and with this entered the Heineken Cup. The final was also notable in that it involved two teams that began the season in the Challenge Cup.
Future
It is hoped that VVA-Podmoskovye MoninoVVA-Podmoskovye Monino
The VVA-Podmoskovje is a Russian rugby union team currently playing in the Professional Rugby League. The team plays at Gagarin Air Force Academy stadium in Monino, a garrison town just outside Moscow. VVA-Podmoskovye have strong links to the air force and also supply the bulk of Russia, with which...
the 'Russian Air Academy' from the Russian Professional Rugby League
Professional Rugby League
Professional Rugby League is the premier rugby union competition in Russia. The Professional League was formed in 2005 and succeeds the Superleague. The Superleague, in turn, was active from 1992 to 2004 and succeeded the Soviet Championship....
will be able to enter a team into the competition in a near future.
With the move torwards professionalising rugby union in Germany
Rugby union in Germany
Rugby union in Germany is a minor sport. The German Rugby Federation had 108 member clubs and 11,656 members.-Governing body:The German Rugby Federation is the governing body for rugby union in Germany...
, led by the SC 1880 Frankfurt
SC 1880 Frankfurt
The SC 1880 Frankfurt is a German rugby union club from Frankfurt am Main, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. Apart from rugby, the club also offers other sports like lacrosse, tennis and field hockey....
, it is hoped that the Wild Rugby Academy
Wild Rugby Academy
The Wild Rugby Academy is a German rugby union institution in Heidelberg, focused on the development of the sport in the region and Germany. One of its main aims is to develop players for Germany to be able to participate in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, as well as to establish a German team in the...
in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
will be able to field a German team in the competition. The later plan was delayed but a German team is expected to enter the competition in the future alongside other academy teams from Russia, Spain and Georgia.
It's been suggested that Portugal will enter the competition in the future with a team made up from the top sides in the country, in a similar way to Bucureşti Oaks
Bucuresti Rugby
Bucureşti are a rugby union team from Bucharest, Romania, that competes in the European Challenge Cup. The side is a team that is formed every season to play in the Challenge Cup, consisting of footballers playing in the domestic Romanian leagues...
, from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
There is a further suggestion that the highest-placed Welsh Premiership
Welsh Premier Division
The Welsh Premier Division is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union for the 1990–91 season.-Competition history:...
team at the end of the British and Irish Cup
British and Irish Cup
The British and Irish Cup is a semi-professional northern hemisphere rugby union competition. It took place for the first time in the 2009/10 season...
tournament be entered into the following season's competition.
Qualification
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
enter the European Challenge Cup. The Italian Super 10, now largely a developmental competition after that country joined the Celtic League, sends its top four teams into the Challenge Cup. This generally results in either 7 or 8 French clubs, 5 or 6 English clubs, and 4 Italian clubs, with one each from Ireland and Romania and one from either Spain or Portugal. Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
is represented by Bucureşti Rugby
Bucuresti Rugby
Bucureşti are a rugby union team from Bucharest, Romania, that competes in the European Challenge Cup. The side is a team that is formed every season to play in the Challenge Cup, consisting of footballers playing in the domestic Romanian leagues...
who are specially formed for this competition.
Through the 2009–10 competition, the number of French and English clubs depended on the results of the previous year's Heineken Cup. Under the former rules of that competition, one extra Heineken Cup berth was awarded to England, France, or Italy, based on which country's club advanced the farthest in the previous season's competition. In the time that this rule existed, an English or French club always claimed the extra berth. For example:
- In the 2007–08 Heineken Cup, ToulouseStade ToulousainStade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
of France advanced to the final, where they were defeated by MunsterMunster RugbyMunster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
of the Celtic League (then sponsored as Magners League). As a result, France had 7 berths in the 2008–09 Heineken Cup instead of its normal 6, and 7 in that season's Challenge Cup. England therefore sent 6 teams to both competitions. - The 2008–09 Heineken Cup saw Leicester TigersLeicester TigersLeicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
of England lose in the final to the Magners League's LeinsterLeinster RugbyLeinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
. As a result, England received 7 berths in the 2009–10 Heineken Cup2009–10 Heineken CupThe 2009–10 Heineken Cup was the 15th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...
instead of its normal 6, and sent only 5 teams to start the Challenge Cup (with Gloucester later parachuting in from the Heineken Cup). France sent its regular contingent of 6 teams to the Heineken Cup and sent 8 into the Challenge Cup; no French team parachuted in from the Heineken Cup.
Going forward from 2009–10, the default number of teams from each country will be 8 from France, 6 from England, and 4 from Italy, with one each from Ireland, Romania and Wales, and one from either Spain or Portugal. Subtractions are made for the countries that win the Heineken and Challenge Cups. For the 2010–11 Challenge Cup, the Italian entries were the top four teams from the Super 10 that did not enter the Celtic League.
Format
The 20 teams are five pools of four teams who play each other in home and away matches. Through the 2008–09 competition, the winners of each pool and the three best runners-up qualified for the quarter-finals. From 2009–10, only the winners of each pool qualify for the quarter-finals. The remaining three quarter-final berths go to the third-, fourth- and fifth-best runners-up from the Heineken Cup pool stage. The knockout phase is seeded as follows:- The four best ECC pool winners are seeded 1 through 4, and will host a quarter-final.
- The three teams parachuting in from the Heineken Cup are seeded 5 through 7, in order of their placement among the second-place teams in the pool stage of that competition.
- The remaining ECC pool winner is the 8 seed.
Another change in 2009–10 was that the ECC adopted a semi-final draw similar to that long employed by the Heineken Cup. Previously, the ECC employed a traditional eight-team bracket (1 vs 8 and 4 vs 5 in the top half, and 2 vs 7 and 3 vs 6 in the bottom half) in which the semi-finals were not reseeded.
Unlike the Heineken Cup, in which semi-finals are held at nominally neutral sites in countries determined by the semi-final draw, the ECC semi-finals are held at home grounds. In 2009–10, any semi-final that matched a team that started in the ECC with one that parachuted in from the Heineken Cup would be hosted by the team that started in the ECC. Otherwise, a draw was used to determine the home team. This rule was abandoned starting with the 2010–11 season; the home teams in the semi-finals are now determined strictly by the draw.
Finals
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 Details |
Bourgoin CS Bourgoin-Jallieu CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club...  |
18–9 | Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
Stade de la Méditerranée Stade de la Méditerranée Stade de la Méditerranée is a multi-purpose stadium in Béziers, France. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of AS Béziers Hérault. The stadium is able to hold 18,555 people and was built in 1989.... , Béziers Béziers Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event... |
10,000 |
| 1997–98 Details |
Colomiers US Colomiers US Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the third level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006-07 season, but earned promotion from Fédérale 1 at the first opportunity in 2007-08, and survived a... |
43–5 | Agen |
Stade des Sept Deniers Stade Ernest-Wallon Stade Ernest-Wallon is a multi-purpose stadium in Toulouse, France. It is currently the home of rugby union team Stade Toulousain. The stadium was built in the late 1980s and was recently renovated. It has a capacity of 19,500. The stadium however is not always suitable for big games... , Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea... |
12,500 |
| 1998–99 Details |
Montferrand ASM Clermont Auvergne Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club... |
35–16 | Bourgoin CS Bourgoin-Jallieu CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club... |
Stade de Gerland, Lyon Lyon Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais.... |
31,986 |
| 1999–2000 Details |
Pau Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... |
34–21 | Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
Stade des Sept Deniers Stade Ernest-Wallon Stade Ernest-Wallon is a multi-purpose stadium in Toulouse, France. It is currently the home of rugby union team Stade Toulousain. The stadium was built in the late 1980s and was recently renovated. It has a capacity of 19,500. The stadium however is not always suitable for big games... , Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea... |
6,000 |
| 2000–01 Details |
NEC Harlequins Harlequin F.C. The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...  |
42–33 | Narbonne RC Narbonne Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée is a French rugby union club that play in the second-level Rugby Pro D2, after finishing at the bottom of the 2006-07 Top 14 table.... |
Madejski Stadium Madejski Stadium The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon... , Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... |
10,013 |
| 2001–02 Details |
Sale Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the... |
25–22 | Pontypridd Pontypridd RFC Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....  |
Kassam Stadium Kassam Stadium The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner, and former chairman of the club, Firoz Kassam.... , Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
12,000 |
| 2002–03 Details 2002–03 Parker Pen Challenge Cup The 2002–03 Parker Pen Challenge Cup was the seventh year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup. The tournament was held between October 2002 and May 2003. Unlike previous seasons, the structure of the competition was changed to a... |
London Wasps London Wasps London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999... |
48–30 | Bath Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league... |
Madejski Stadium Madejski Stadium The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon... , Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... |
18,074 |
| 2003–04 Details 2003–04 Parker Pen Challenge Cup The 2003–04 Parker Pen Challenge Cup was the eighth year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup. The tournament was held between 5 December 2002 and 22 May 2004. This was the first year of the competition following the introduction of... |
NEC Harlequins Harlequin F.C. The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop... |
27–26 | Montferrand ASM Clermont Auvergne Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club... |
Madejski Stadium Madejski Stadium The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon... , Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... |
13,123 |
| 2004–05 Details 2004–05 European Challenge Cup The 2004–05 European Challenge Cup was the ninth year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup.-Round 1:-Round 2:... |
Sale Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the... |
27–3 | Pau Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... |
Kassam Stadium Kassam Stadium The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner, and former chairman of the club, Firoz Kassam.... , Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
7,230 |
| 2005–06 Details |
Gloucester |
36–34 (aet) |
London Irish London Irish London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top... |
The Stoop The Stoop Twickenham Stoop is a sports stadium located in the western suburbs of London, England. The stadium is home to Harlequins rugby union team, who play in the Aviva Premiership, and tenants London Broncos, who play in the Super League... , London |
12,053 |
| 2006–07 Details |
Clermont Auvergne ASM Clermont Auvergne Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club... |
22–16 | Bath Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league... |
The Stoop The Stoop Twickenham Stoop is a sports stadium located in the western suburbs of London, England. The stadium is home to Harlequins rugby union team, who play in the Aviva Premiership, and tenants London Broncos, who play in the Super League... , London |
10,134 |
| 2007–08 Details |
Bath Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league... |
24–16 | Worcester Warriors |
Kingsholm Stadium Kingsholm Stadium Kingsholm Stadium is a rugby union stadium in Gloucester, England, and is the home stadium of Gloucester Rugby. The stadium has a capacity of 16,500. It is sometimes nicknamed 'Castle Grim' after the estate where the stadium is built and also in reference to Gloucester's admirable home form... , Gloucester Gloucester Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham.... |
16,157 |
| 2008–09 Details |
Northampton Saints Northampton Saints Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591.... |
15–3 | Bourgoin CS Bourgoin-Jallieu CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club... |
The Stoop The Stoop Twickenham Stoop is a sports stadium located in the western suburbs of London, England. The stadium is home to Harlequins rugby union team, who play in the Aviva Premiership, and tenants London Broncos, who play in the Super League... , London |
9,260 |
| 2009–10 Details 2009–10 European Challenge Cup The 2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup was the 14th season of the European Challenge Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from six nations in European rugby. It started on 8 October 2009 at Sixways Stadium in Worcester with Worcester Warriors hosting Montpellier, and ended with... |
Cardiff Blues Cardiff Blues Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club.... |
28–21 | Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... |
Stade Vélodrome Stade Vélodrome The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,... , Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... |
48,990 |
| 2010–11 Details |
Harlequins Harlequin F.C. The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...  |
19–18 | Stade Français  |
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
12,236 |
By total wins
| Ranking | Country | Team | Country specific competition |
Times won | Times runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England |
Harlequins Harlequin F.C. The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop... |
Aviva Premiership | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | France |
ASM Clermont Auvergne ASM Clermont Auvergne Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club... (formerly Montferrand) |
Top 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | England |
Sale Sharks Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the... |
Aviva Premiership | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | England |
Bath Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league... |
Aviva Premiership | 1 | 2 |
| France |
Bourgoin CS Bourgoin-Jallieu CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club... |
Top 14 | 1 | 2 | |
| 6 | France |
Pau Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... |
Top 14 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
Cardiff Blues Cardiff Blues Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club.... |
RaboDirect Pro12 Celtic League (rugby union) The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.... |
1 | 0 |
| France |
Colomiers US Colomiers US Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the third level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006-07 season, but earned promotion from Fédérale 1 at the first opportunity in 2007-08, and survived a... |
Top 14 | 1 | 0 | |
| England |
Gloucester | Aviva Premiership | 1 | 0 | |
| England |
London Wasps London Wasps London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999... |
Aviva Premiership | 1 | 0 | |
| England |
Northampton Saints Northampton Saints Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591.... |
Aviva Premiership | 1 | 0 | |
| 12 | France |
Castres Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
Top 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | England |
London Irish | Aviva Premiership | 0 | 1 |
| France |
Narbonne RC Narbonne Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée is a French rugby union club that play in the second-level Rugby Pro D2, after finishing at the bottom of the 2006-07 Top 14 table.... |
Top 14 | 0 | 1 | |
| Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
Pontypridd Pontypridd RFC Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions.... |
Welsh Premier Division Welsh Premier Division The Welsh Premier Division is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union for the 1990–91 season.-Competition history:... |
0 | 1 | |
| France |
Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... |
Top 14 | 0 | 1 | |
| England |
Worcester Warriors | Aviva Premiership | 0 | 1 | |
| France |
Stade Français | Top 14 | 0 | 1 |
Statistics
Statistics are as of 21 December 2010 (Round 4 of the 2010–11 pool stage). Players involved in the 2010–11 Challenge Cup, and their current clubs, are in bold. Players not involved in this season's competition, but still active at club level, are in italics.| Player | Clubs | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Ludovic Mercier Ludovic Mercier Ludovic Mercier is a French rugby union player, currently playing for the Italian top-flight team Petrarca Rugby.He is a fly half... |
Petrarca, Gloucester, Pau Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... , Grenoble FC Grenoble Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which, until recently, competed in the top level of the French league system. They play at Stade Lesdiguières . They wear red and blue.-History:... , Beziers AS Béziers Hérault Association Sportive Béziers Hérault, often referred to by rugby media simply by its location of Béziers, is a French rugby union club preparing to return to the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions... |
520 |
| Eric Elwood Eric Elwood Eric Elwood is a former rugby union player and was capped first for Ireland while playing for Connacht and Lansdowne before he returned to Galwegians RFC, the club of his youth.... |
Connacht Connacht Rugby Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup... |
473 |
| Olly Barkley Olly Barkley Oliver John Barkley is an English rugby union player who plays at fly-half or centre for Bath and England. Uniquely, Barkley played for his country before making his full senior club début.-Early career:... |
Bath Rugby Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league... |
408 |
| Jonny Wilkinson Jonny Wilkinson Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players... |
Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... , Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in... |
389 |
| Gerald Merceron Gérald Merceron Gérald Merceron is a French former rugby union player who won 32 caps playing at fly-half for the French rugby union side... |
Clermont Auvergne ASM Clermont Auvergne Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club... , Montferrand |
349 |
| Sébastien Fauque Sébastien Fauque Sébastien Fauqué is a French rugby union player, born 6 March 1977 in Tarbes , who plays as fly half for Aviron Bayonnais.He arrived at US Montauban from US Dax after a spell at Castres Olympique and a first professional contract at Section Paloise. He was the backup for David Aucagne at Pau and... |
Bayonne Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition... , Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... , Montauban US Montauban US Montauban were a French rugby union club, which competed in the Top 14 competition between 2007 and 2010, after being promoted from Rugby Pro D2 for the 2006-07 season... , Dax US Dax Union Sportive Dacquoise, also known as US Dax, is a French rugby union club currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.... , Castres Olympique Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... , Pau Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... |
337 |
| Charlie Hodgson Charlie Hodgson Charles Christopher Hodgson is an English rugby union footballer. He plays fly-half for Saracens and England. He is also the leading Premiership points scorer of all time.-Early years:... |
Sale Sharks Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the... |
313 |
| David Aucagne David Aucagne David Aucagne is a retired French rugby union player. Aucagne, who played at fly-half, has been the coach of the French under-20 team since retiring in 2008... |
Montpellier Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007... , Grenoble FC Grenoble Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which, until recently, competed in the top level of the French league system. They play at Stade Lesdiguières . They wear red and blue.-History:... , Pau Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... |
281 |
| Gareth Cull | Ebbw Vale Ebbw Vale RFC Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby Union Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, South Wales. The club currently play in the WRU Division One East and the SWALEC Cup. It also acts as a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.... , Bridgend |
280 |
| Barry Everitt Barry Everitt (rugby player) Barry "The Boot" Everitt is a former rugby union footballer, who played at fly-half for Leinster, London Irish and Northampton Saints.... |
Northampton Saints Northampton Saints Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591.... , London Irish London Irish London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top... |
280 |
| Player | Clubs | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| Jean-Victor Bertrand | Grenoble FC Grenoble Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which, until recently, competed in the top level of the French league system. They play at Stade Lesdiguières . They wear red and blue.-History:... , Agen SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne is a French rugby union club based in Agen in the department of Lot-et-Garonne. They currently play in the top flight of French professional rugby, Top 14; they were most recently promoted after winning the 2010 title in the second-level Pro D2. Agen also... , Montpellier Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007... , Narbonne RC Narbonne Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée is a French rugby union club that play in the second-level Rugby Pro D2, after finishing at the bottom of the 2006-07 Top 14 table.... |
19 |
| Sebastien Kuzbik | Montpellier Montpellier Hérault RC Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007... , Montferrand, Bordeaux-Begles CA Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde are a French multisports club, established in 1907, based in Bègles, in the southern suburbs of Bordeaux. Their rugby union section, Union Bordeaux Bègles is their flagship... , Perigueux CA Périgueux Club Athlétique Périgueux Dordogne is a French rugby union club that currently competes in the second division of French club rugby, the Pro D2 competition. Périgueux played in the higher divisions in the early 2000s but were relegated from Rugby Pro D2 after the 2004-05 season... , Grenoble FC Grenoble Football Club de Grenoble Alpes Rugby is a French rugby union club which, until recently, competed in the top level of the French league system. They play at Stade Lesdiguières . They wear red and blue.-History:... |
18 |
| David Bory | Brive CA Brive Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on... , Bath Rugby Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league... , Montferrand |
17 |
| Alexandre Bouyssie | Mont-de-Marsan Stade Montois Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black... , Bordeaux-Begles CA Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde are a French multisports club, established in 1907, based in Bègles, in the southern suburbs of Bordeaux. Their rugby union section, Union Bordeaux Bègles is their flagship... |
17 |
| Philippe Escale | Beziers AS Béziers Hérault Association Sportive Béziers Hérault, often referred to by rugby media simply by its location of Béziers, is a French rugby union club preparing to return to the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions... , Castres Olympique Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
17 |
| Ben Johnston | Brive CA Brive Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on... Saracens Saracens F.C. Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England... |
17 |
| James Simpson-Daniel James Simpson-Daniel James David Simpson-Daniel is an English rugby union footballer who plays wing or centre for Gloucester Rugby.... |
Gloucester Rugby | 17 |
| Mark Cueto Mark Cueto Mark John "Frank" Cueto is an English international rugby union player. He plays on the wing for Sale Sharks and England.-Biography:... |
Sale Sharks Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the... |
16 |
| Mathieu Dourthe | Pau Section Paloise Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:... , Agen SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne is a French rugby union club based in Agen in the department of Lot-et-Garonne. They currently play in the top flight of French professional rugby, Top 14; they were most recently promoted after winning the 2010 title in the second-level Pro D2. Agen also... , Dax US Dax Union Sportive Dacquoise, also known as US Dax, is a French rugby union club currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.... |
16 |
| Richard Haughton | Saracens Saracens F.C. Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England... |
16 |
Media coverage
In Australia the European Challenge Cup is currently available on Setanta Sports AustraliaSetanta Sports Australia
Setanta Sports Australia is a sports television channel operating in Australia and is available to homes and businesses across all of Australia...
.
It is shown in the United Kingdom & Ireland on Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
.