The 2004 European Challenge Cup was the 2nd tier of European club rugby, after the Heineken Cup.
There were 28 teams in the competition and they came from 7 different countries.
This was the last year of the knock-out format that had been in use for the past 2 seasons. The teams played their opposition on a home and away basis. The team with the best aggregate score over the two games progressed to the next round. With 28 teams in this competiton, the 'best' 2 losing teams were also progressed into the 2nd round of the competition. The final was a single match.
There was also another, 3rd tier competiton held, the European Shield. This was played for amongst the 12 first round losers from the European Challenge Cup matches. The competition followed the same knock-out format as the European Challenge Cup.
Teams playing in the 2004/05 European Challenge Cup were:
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France
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England
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Italy
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Spain
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Ireland
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Scotland
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Portugal
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1st Leg October 23 2nd Leg October 29 October 30 October 31 |
AA Coimbra Worcester Warriors Gran Parma L'Aquila Rovigo Petrarca Padova Valladolid RAC Auch Bayonne Genoble Narbonne Leonessa El Salvador Catania The Borders Montpellier Saracens Leeds Tykes Connacht Overmach Parma Beziers Pau Agen Brive Clermont Auvergne Viadana London Irish Sale Sharks |
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |
The Borders Brive Pau Agen Montpellier Beziers Viadana London Irish Saracens Leeds Tykes Connacht Clermont Auvergne Overmach Parma Sale Sharks AA Coimbra Rovigo Bayonne Grenoble Narbonne El Salvador Petrarca Padova Gran Parma L'Aquila Worcester Warriors Leonessa Valladolid RAC Auch Catania |
Coimbra Worcester Parma L'Aquila Rovigo Padua Valladolid Auch Bayonne Grenoble Narbonne Brescia Valladolid Catania Netherdale Montpellier Watford Leeds Galway Parma Beziers Pau Agen Brive Clermont Ferrand Viadana Reading Stockport |
3 29 15 27 7 24 3 18 21 9 25 0 36 22 107 59 36 17 40 36 69 31 59 40 51 59 42 50 |
98 15 35 50 51 57 88 20 24 9 11 65 12 31 3 3 10 18 21 10 18 22 21 10 6 7 18 3 |
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Winners The Borders Viadana Clermont Auvergne Montpellier Beziers Agen Sale Sharks Pau Saracens London Irish Grenoble Brive Connacht Overmach Parma |
Losers AA Coimbra Valladolid RAC Leonessa Rovigo Petrarca Padova L'Aquila Catania Bayonne Gran Parma Auch Leeds Tykes Worcester Warriors Narbonne El Salvador |
Aggregate Score 205 - 6 147 - 10 116 - 6 110 - 10 126 - 42 109 - 48 81 - 25 66 - 37 60 - 31 62 - 36 27 - 26 55 - 39 51 - 46 48 - 46 |
Match Points 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 3-1 2-2 2-2 2-2 |
Points Margin 199 137 110 100 84 61 56 29 29 26 1 16 5 2 |
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1st Leg December 3 December 4 December 5 2nd Leg December 10 |
Beziers Connacht Overmach Parma Narbonne Pau Agen Brive Clermont Auvergne Grenoble Montpellier Sale Sharks Viadana El Salvador The Borders London Irish Saracens |
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |
Grenoble Montpellier Saracens Sale Sharks London Irish Viadana El Salvador The Borders Beziers Connacht Narbonne Agen Brive Clermont Auvergne Pau Overmach Parma |
Beziers Galway Parma Narbonne Pau Agen Brive Clermont Ferrand Grenoble Montpellier Stockport Viadana Valladolid Netherdale Reading Watford |
12 56 19 15 25 23 57 44 38 19 25 22 23 23 19 52 |
27 3 18 33 19 15 6 14 26 14 10 17 45 34 16 6 |
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Winners Brive Clermont Auvergne Sale Sharks Grenoble Connacht Saracens Pau Agen |
Losers El Salvador The Borders Narbonne Beziers Montpellier Overmach Parma London Irish Viadana |
Aggregate Score 102-29 78-37 58-25 65-38 70-22 70-25 41-38 40-37 |
Match Points 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 2-2 2-2 2-2 2-2 |
Points Margin 73 41 33 27 48 45 3 3 |
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1st Leg January 7 January 8 January 9 2nd Leg January 14 January 15 January 16 |
Grenoble Sale Sharks Pau Saracens Clermont Auvergne Connacht Agen Brive |
v v v v v v v v |
Connacht Agen Clermont Auvergne Brive Pau Grenoble Sale Sharks Saracens |
Grenoble Stockport Pau Watford Clermont Ferrand Galway Agen Brive |
21 34 25 19 26 19 17 31 |
26 18 21 6 25 3 15 16 |
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Winners Connacht Sale Sharks Pau Brive |
Losers Grenoble Agen Clermont Auvergne Saracens |
Aggregate Score 45-24 49-35 50-47 37-35 |
Match Points 4-0 2-2 2-2 2-2 |
Points Margin 21 14 3 2 |
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1st Leg April 2 April 2 2nd Leg April 23 April 24 |
Connacht Pau Brive Sale Sharks |
v v v v |
Sale Sharks Brive Pau Connacht |
Galway Pau Brive Stockport |
18 37 27 59 |
25 16 13 9 |
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Winners Sale Sharks Pau |
Losers Connacht Brive |
Aggregate Score 84-27 50-43 |
Match Points 4-0 2-2 |
Points Margin 57 7 |
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May 21 |
Sale Sharks |
v |
Pau |
Oxford |
27 |
3 |