2005 European Challenge Cup

The 2005 European Challenge Cup was the 2nd tier of European club rugby, after the Heineken Cup.

Teams from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Romania and Scotland played in the competition.

This was the 1st year of the new format, using a pool system instead of the knock-out system used previously.

There were 20 teams playing in 5 pools of 4 teams. Pool play is on a home and away basis. The winner of each pool and the 3 highest points scoring 2nd place teams advanced to the quarter-finals.

Teams playing in the 2005/06 European Challenge Cup were:

France

  • Agen
  • Bayonne
  • Pau
  • Narbonne
  • Toulon
  • Montpellier
  • Brive

England

  • Bristol RFC
  • Northampton Saints
  • Newcastle Falcons
  • London Irish
  • Worcester Warriors 
  • Gloucester

Italy

  • L'Aquila
  • Overmach Parma
  • Rugby Viadana
  • Catania

Ireland

  • Connacht

Romania

  • Bucuresti

Scotland

  • Border Reivers
Championship Table
Pool 1
Team Played Won Lost Drawn For Against BP Points
Northampton Saints 6 5 1 194 96 5 25
Narbonne 6 4 2 125 113 2 18
Bristol RFC 6 3 3 203 150 4 16
Viadana 6 0 6 81 244 1 1
Pool 2
Team Played Won Lost Drawn For Against BP Points
London Irish 6 6 0
239 81 3 27
Agen 6 3 3
163 143 2 14
Pau 6 2 4 107 153 3 11
Overmach Parma 6 1 5 74 206 0 4
Pool 3
Team Played Won Lost Drawn For Against BP Points
Gloucester 6 6 0 331 53 5 29
Bayonne 6 4 2 202 93 4 20
Bucuresti 6 1 5 71 253 1 5
Toulon 6 1 5 64 269 1 5
Pool 4
Team Played Won Lost Drawn For Against BP Points
Newcastle Falcons 6 6 0
324 81 4 28
Brive 6 3 3
203 169 6 18
Border Reivers 6 3 3 155 177 3 15
L'Aquila 6 0 6 103 358 1 1
Pool 5
Team Played Won Lost Drawn For Against BP Points
Worcester Warriors 6 5 1 181 103 4 24
Connacht 6 4 2 190 119 4 20
Catania 6 2 4 116 257 2 10
Montpellier 6 1 5 170 178 3 7

Fixtures and Results

October 22











October 28


October 29





October 30




December 9


December 10






December 11



December 16


December 17





December 18




January 13

January 14








January 15


January 20


January 21

Northampton Saints

Narbonne

Overmach Parma

Pau

Bucuresti

Bayonne

Newcastle Falcons

L'Aquila

Worcester Warriors

Connacht


Rugby Viadana

Montpellier

Agen

Gloucester

Toulon

Brive

Catania

Bristol RFC

London Irish

Border Reivers


Rugby Viadana

Montpellier

Northampton Saints

Pau

Bucuresti

Toulon

L'Aquila

Worcester Warriors

London Irish

Border Reivers


Narbonne

Bayonne

Overmach Parma

Agen

Gloucester

Brive

Connacht

Bristol RFC

Newcastle Falcons

Catania


Bayonne

Northampton Saints

Narbonne

Overmach Parma

Pau

Bucuresti

L'Aquila

Connacht

Worcester Warriors

Newcastle Falcons


Catania

Montpellier

Rugby Viadana

Bristol RFC

London Irish

Agen

Gloucester

Toulon

Border Reivers

Brive

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

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

v

v

v

v

Rugby Viadana

Bristol RFC

Agen

London Irish

Toulon

Gloucester

Brive

Border Reivers

Montpellier

Catania


Narbonne

Connacht

Pau

Bucuresti

Bayonne

L'Aquila

Worcester Warriors

Northampton Saints

Overmach Parma

Newcastle Falcons


Bristol RFC

Catania

Narbonne

Overmach Parma

Bayonne

Gloucester

Newcastle Falcons

Connacht

Agen

Brive


Northampton Saints

Bucuresti

Pau

London Irish

Toulon

Border Reivers

Worcester Warriors

Rugby Viadana

L'Aquila

Montpellier


Toulon

Bristol RFC

Rugby Viadana

London Irish

Agen

Gloucester

Brive

Montpellier

Catania

Border Reivers


Connacht

Worcester Warriors

Northampton Saints

Narbonne

Pau

Overmach Parma

Bayonne

Bucuresti

L'Aquila

Newcastle Falcons

Northampton

Narbonne

Parma

Pau

Bucharest

Bayonne

Newcastle

L'Aquila

Worcester

Galway


Viadana

Montpellier

Agen

Gloucester

Toulon

Brive-la-Gaillarde

Catania

Bristol

Reading

Galashiels


Viadana

Montpellier

Northampton

Pau

Bucharest

Toulon

L'Aquila

Worcester

Reading

Galashiels


Narbonne

Bayonne

Parma

Agen

Gloucester

Brive-la-Gaillarde

Galway

Bristol

Newcastle

Catania


Bayonne

Northampton

Narbonne

Parma

Pau

Bucharest

L'Aquila

Galway

Worcester

Newcastle


Catania

Montpellier

Viadana

Bristol

Reading

Agen

Gloucester

Toulon

Galashiels

Brive-la-Gaillarde

47

20

23

13

16

10

51

25

36

62


14

13

23

106

19

64

14

36

64

11


23

74

32

29

10

3

0

30

29

25


7

45

20

24

66

34

22

89

90

37


62

45

29

11

36

13

19

43

44

47


28

21

0

18

75

33

32

17

39

17

25

13

50

20

20

26

19

32

18

17


20

19

6

3

28

22

19

28

0

26


39

12

20

3

39

74

86

20

21

22


22

6

11

32

5

28

21

5

14

34


0

8

14

19

12

27

47

10

8

20


24

31

20

29

12

17

19

23

23

24

Knock-out Stages

The 5 group winners and the 3 best runners-up qualifed for the Quarter-Finals

Quarter-Finals

March 31

April 1


April 2

Newcastle Falcons

Gloucester

Northampton Saints

London Irish

v

v

v

v

Connacht

Brive

Worcester Warriors

Bayonne

Newcastle

Gloucester

Northampton

Reading

23

46

25

48

3

13

34

5

Semi-Finals

April 22

April 23

Gloucester

Newcastle Falcons

v

v

Worcester Warriors

London Irish

Gloucester

Newcastle

31

22

23

27

Final

May 21

Gloucester

v

London Irish

London

36

34
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