2019–20_European_Rugby_Challenge_Cup

2019–20 European Rugby Challenge Cup

2019–20 European Rugby Challenge Cup

Second-tier rugby union competition

The 2019–20 European Rugby Challenge Cup was the sixth edition of the European Rugby Challenge Cup, an annual second-tier rugby union competition for professional clubs. Including the predecessor competition, the original European Challenge Cup, this was the 24th edition of European club rugby's second-tier competition. Clubs from six European nations competed, including Russian and Italian clubs who qualified via the Continental Shield.

Quick Facts Tournament details, Countries ...

The tournament began in November 2019. The final took place on 16 October at the Stade Maurice David in Aix-en-Provence.[1]

Teams

20 teams will qualify for the 2019–20 European Challenge Cup; 18 will qualify from Premiership Rugby, the Pro14 and the Top 14, as a direct result of their domestic league performance, with two qualifying through the 2018–19 Continental Shield. The distribution of teams is:

  • England: Five teams
    • Any teams finishing between 7th and 11th position in Premiership Rugby that do not qualify for the Champions Cup (Sale Sharks (7th) qualified for the Champions Cup and therefore did not take part in the Challenge Cup)).
    • The champion of the RFU Championship.
  • France: Eight teams
    • Any teams finishing between 7th and 12th position in the Top 14 that do not qualify for the 2019-20 European Champions Cup
    • The champion from the Pro D2.
    • The winner of the promotion-relegation play-off between the team in 13th position in the Top 14 and the runner-up of the Pro D2.
  • Italy, Scotland, Wales: six teams
    • Five teams from the Pro14, excluding the South African teams, that do not qualify for the 2019-20 European Champions Cup
    • One team from Italy qualified through the Continental Shield
  • Russia: one team
    • One team from Russia qualified through the Continental Shield

No team from Ireland will participate in the competition as all four clubs have qualified for the 2019-20 European Champions Cup.

The following clubs have qualified for the Challenge Cup.

More information Premiership, Top 14 ...

Qualifying competition

Further information: European Rugby Continental Shield § 2018–19

Six teams were split into two pools of three to compete in the pool stage of the European Rugby Continental Shield. Each team played the other two teams in its pool twice on a home-and-away basis. The winner of each pool faced each other in a two-legged play-off for a place in the Challenge Cup.

A further place was awarded to the winner of a two-legged playoff between the two sides competing in the 2018–19 Challenge Cup.

Qualifying play-offs

30 March 2019
Calvisano Italy29 – 13Italy Rugby Rovigo Delta
Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
Attendance: 1,200
30 March 2019
Timișoara Saracens Romania20 – 18Russia Enisey-STM
Dan Păltinișanu Stadium, Timișoara
Attendance: 970
20 April 2019
Enisey-STM Russia40 – 32Romania Timișoara Saracens
Avangard Stadium, Krasnoyarsk
Attendance: 2,600
20 April 2019
Rugby Rovigo Delta Italy30 – 28Italy Calvisano
Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo

Team details

Below is the list of coaches, captain and stadiums with their method of qualification for each team.

Note: Placing shown in brackets, denotes standing at the end of the regular season for their respective leagues, with their end of season positioning shown through CH for Champions, RU for Runner-up, SF for losing Semi-finalist and QF for losing Quarter-finalist.

More information Team, Coach / Director of Rugby ...

Seeding

The 20 competing teams will be seeded and split into four tiers; seeding is based on performance in their respective domestic leagues. Where promotion and relegation is in effect in a league, the promoted team is seeded last, or (if multiple teams are promoted) by performance in the lower competition.[3]

More information Rank, Top 14 ...

Based on these seedings, teams are placed into one of the four tiers, with the top-seeded clubs being put in Tier 1. The nature of the tier system means that a draw is needed to allocate two of the three second-seed clubs to Tier 1. The fourth-seed team from the same domestic league as the second-seed team which was put in Tier 2 will also be placed in Tier 2. Brackets show each team's seeding and their league. e.g. 1 Top 14 indicates the team was the top seed from the Top 14.

Given the nature of the Continental Shield, a competition including developing rugby nations and Italian clubs not competing in the Pro14, the qualifying teams from this competition are automatically included in Tier 4.

More information Tier 1, Tier 2 ...

Pool stage

Main article: 2019–20 European Rugby Challenge Cup pool stage
[[File:
Locations
|1300px|alt=Locations of teams of the 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup group stage.
Green: Pool 1; Red: Pool 2; Orange: Pool 3; Yellow: Pool 4; Blue: Pool 5.]]
Locations of teams of the 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup group stage.
Green: Pool 1; Red: Pool 2; Orange: Pool 3; Yellow: Pool 4; Blue: Pool 5.

The draw took place in June 2019.

Teams in the same pool will play each other twice, both at home and away in the group stage, that will begin in November 2019, and continue through to January 2020, before the pool winners and three best runners-up progressed to the quarter-finals.

Teams will be awarded competition points, based on match result. Teams receive four points for a win, two points for a draw, one attacking bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match and one defensive bonus point for losing a match by seven points or fewer.[4]

In the event of a tie between two or more teams, the following tie-breakers will be used, as directed by EPCR:

  1. Where teams have played each other
    1. The club with the greater number of competition points from only matches involving tied teams.
    2. If equal, the club with the best aggregate points difference from those matches.
    3. If equal, the club that scored the most tries in those matches.
  2. Where teams remain tied and/or have not played each other in the competition (i.e. are from different pools)
    1. The club with the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage.
    2. If equal, the club that scored the most tries in the pool stage.
    3. If equal, the club with the fewest players suspended in the pool stage.
    4. If equal, the drawing of lots will determine a club's ranking.
Key to colours
     Winner of each pool, advance to quarter-finals.
     Three highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarter-finals.

Pool 1

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: [citation needed]

Pool 2

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: [citation needed]

Pool 3

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: [citation needed]

Pool 4

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: [citation needed]

Pool 5

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: [citation needed]

Ranking of pool leaders and runners-up

More information Rank, Pool Leaders ...


Knock-out stage

Bracket

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
         
1 France Toulon 11
8 Wales Scarlets 6
France Toulon 34
England Leicester Tigers 19
4 England Leicester Tigers Bye
5 France Castres
France Toulon 19
England Bristol Bears 32
2 England Bristol Bears 56
7 Wales Dragons 17
England Bristol Bears (a.e.t.) 37
France Bordeaux Bègles 20
3 France Bordeaux Bègles 23
6 Scotland Edinburgh 14

Quarter-finals

18 September
19:45
Bristol Bears England (2)56–17(7) Wales Dragons
Try: Hughes 20' c
Earl (2) 24' c, 26' c
Radradra 43' c
Vui 74' c
Malins 75' c
D. Thomas 77' c
Con: Sheedy (6/7) 21', 25', 26', 44', 74', 76'
Pen: Sheedy (3/4) 31', 54', 70'		ReportTry: Hewitt 13' c
R. Williams 51' c
Con: S. Davies (2/2) 14', 51'
Pen: S. Davies (1/1) 11'
Ashton Gate
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
19 September
13:30
Bordeaux Bègles France (3)23–14(6) Scotland Edinburgh
Try: Cordero 4' c
Dubié 9' c
Con: Jalibert (2/2) 5', 10'
Pen: Jalibert (2/3) 50', 58'
Botica (1/1) 80'+1		ReportTry: Hoyland 53' m
Pen: van der Walt (2/3) 32', 46'
Kinghorn (1/1) 71'
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
19 September
21:15
Toulon France (1)11–6(8) Wales Scarlets
Try: Parisse 56' m
Pen: Carbonel (2/2) 54', 73'		ReportPen: Halfpenny (2/3) 3', 30'
Stade Mayol
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
20 September
15:00
Leicester Tigers England (4)Cancelled[lower-alpha 4](5) France Castres
Welford Road
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Semi-finals

25 September
19:45
Bristol Bears England (2)37–20
(a.e.t.)		(3) France Bordeaux Bègles
Try: Luatua 38' c
Malins (2) 51' c, 86' c
O'Conor 82' c
Con: Sheedy (4/4) 39', 52', 83', 88'
Pen: Sheedy (3/4) 58', 62', 97'		ReportTry: Jalibert 11' c
Dweba 67' c
Con: Lucu (1/1) 13'
Botica (1/1) 68'
Pen: Jalibert (2/2) 27', 30'
Ashton Gate
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
26 September
21:00
Toulon France (1)34–19(4) England Leicester Tigers
Try: Heem 8' c
Villière (2) 20' c, 66' c
Isa 58' c
Con: Carbonel (4/4) 10', 22', 60', 67'
Pen: Carbonel (2/2) 18', 34'		ReportTry: Nadolo 37' m
Potter 74' m
Pen: Ford (3/3) 3', 25', 45'
Stade Mayol
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Final

16 October 2020
21:00
Toulon France (1)19–32(2) England Bristol Bears
Try: Heem 11' c
Con: Carbonel (1/1) 13'
Pen: Carbonel (4/5) 21', 37', 40', 53'		ReportTry: Randall 1' c
Malins 60' c
Con: Sheedy (2/2) 2', 61'
Pen: Sheedy (6/6) 4', 48', 56', 59', 75', 79'
Stade Maurice David, Aix-en-Provence
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
FB15France Gervais Cordin
RW14New Zealand Bryce Heemdownward-facing red arrow 32'
OC13New Zealand Isaia Toeava
IC12Australia Duncan Paia'aua
LW11France Gabin Villière
FH10France Louis Carbonel
SH9France Baptiste Serindownward-facing red arrow 45'
N88Italy Sergio Parisse
OF7France Raphaël Lakafiadownward-facing red arrow 60'
BF6France Charles Ollivon
RL5France Romain Taofifénuadownward-facing red arrow 52'
LL4South Africa Eben Etzebethdownward-facing red arrow 47'
TP3Georgia (country) Beka Gigashvilidownward-facing red arrow 58'upward-facing green arrow 77'
HK2France Anthony Étrillard (c)downward-facing red arrow 55'
LP1France Jean-Baptiste Grosdownward-facing red arrow 55'
Substitutions:
HK16France Bastien Souryupward-facing green arrow 55'
PR17France Florian Fresiaupward-facing green arrow 55'
PR18France Emerick Setianoupward-facing green arrow 58'downward-facing red arrow 77'
LK19Samoa Brian Alainu'ueseupward-facing green arrow 52'
FL20France Swan Rebbadjupward-facing green arrow 47'
SH21France Julien Oryupward-facing green arrow 60'
FH22Tonga Sonatane Takulua
WG23Fiji Masivesi Dakuwaqaupward-facing green arrow 32'
Coach:
France Patrice Collazo
FB15England Max Malins
RW14Australia Luke Morahandownward-facing red arrow 78'
OC13Fiji Semi Radradradownward-facing red arrow 60'
IC12Tonga Siale Piutau (c)
LW11Samoa Alapati Leiua
FH10WalesCallum Sheedy
SH9England Harry Randalldownward-facing red arrow 78'
N88England Ben Earl
OF7Wales Dan Thomas
BF6Samoa Chris Vuidownward-facing red arrow 40'
RL5England Joe Joycedownward-facing red arrow 70'
LL4England Dave Attwood
TP3England Kyle Sincklerdownward-facing red arrow 55'
HK2England Harry Thackerdownward-facing red arrow 78'
LP1England Yann Thomasdownward-facing red arrow 55'
Substitutions:
HK16England George Kloskaupward-facing green arrow 78'
PR17England Jake Woolmoreupward-facing green arrow 55'
PR18New Zealand John Afoaupward-facing green arrow 55'
LK19England Ed Holmesupward-facing green arrow 70'
FL20New Zealand Jake Heenanupward-facing green arrow 40'
SH21England Tom Kessellupward-facing green arrow 78'
FH22England Piers O'Conorupward-facing green arrow 60'
CE23Ireland Niyi Adeolokunupward-facing green arrow 78'
Coach:
Samoa Pat Lam

Attendances

Does not include the attendance at the final as it takes place at a neutral venue, or the attendances of matches played in empty stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.

More information Club, Home Games ...

[6]

Player scoring

  • Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included).
More information Rank, Player ...

Season records

See also

Notes

  1. Enisei-STM will play all their home games in Krasnodar - almost 3,000 miles west of their home town of Krasnoyarsk - due to the harshness of the Siberian winter.
  2. Scarlets lost the 7th-place play-off to Ospreys, missing out on qualification for the European Rugby Champions Cup.
  3. Heyneke Meyer began the tournament as Stade Français head coach, but resigned on November 12.[2]
  4. Due to three Castres players and one staff member testing positive for COVID-19, the match was cancelled and Castres forfeited.[5]

References

  1. [1]
    "Marseille finals moved to 2021 with new venues for this season to be decided". European Professional Club Rugby. 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  2. [2]
    "Heyneke Meyer leaves Stade Francais with immediate effect". skysports.com. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  3. [3]
    "Watch the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Pool Draws live : News | ERC | Official Website". ERCRugby.com. 7 June 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  4. [4]
    "Champions Cup Rules". epcrugby.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  5. [5]
    "Leicester Tigers v Castres Olympique – match cancelled". European Professional Club Rugby. 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  6. [6]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  7. [7]
    "Player Statistics". EPCR. 18 January 2020. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  8. [8]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most points in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  9. [9]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  10. [10]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  11. [11]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  12. [12]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  13. [13]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  14. [14]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  15. [15]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  16. [16]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
  17. [17]
    "European Rugby Challenge Cup 19/20 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 18 January 2020.
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