The European Challenge Cup, is the 2nd tier of European club rugby, after the Heineken Cup. In 2009/10 it was also known as the Amlin Challenge Cup.
Teams from England, France, Wales, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Spain and Portugal play in the competition.
There are 20 teams playing in 5 pools of 4 teams. Pool play is on a home and away basis. The 5 pool winners are joined by 3 teams from the Heineken Cup to play quarter-finals, semi-finals anf the final. The 3 teams that 'parachute' in are the 3rd, 4th and 5th placed runners-up after pool play is completed in the Heineken Cup.
Teams playing in the 2009/10 European Challenge Cup (Amlin Cup) were:
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France
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England
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Italy
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Ireland
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Romania
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Spain
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| Pool 1 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Bourgoin | 6 | 5 | 1 | 141 | 86 | 3 | 23 | |
| Leeds Carnegie | 6 | 4 | 2 | 160 | 82 | 3 | 19 | |
| Overmach Parma | 6 | 2 | 4 | 78 | 145 | 0 | 8 | |
| Bucureşti Oaks | 6 | 1 | 5 | 70 | 136 | 3 | 7 | |
| Pool 2 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Connacht | 6 | 6 | 0 | 199 | 63 | 2 | 26 | |
| Montpellier | 6 | 4 | 2 | 158 | 92 | 3 | 19 | |
| Worcester Warriors | 6 | 2 | 4 | 140 | 83 | 5 | 13 | |
| Olympus Madrid | 6 | 0 | 6 | 44 | 303 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pool 3 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Toulon | 6 | 5 | 1 | 218 | 88 | 3 | 23 | |
| Saracens | 6 | 5 | 1 | 184 | 83 | 2 | 22 | |
| Castres Olympique | 6 | 2 | 4 | 173 | 127 | 3 | 11 | |
| Rovigo | 6 | 0 | 6 | 41 | 318 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pool 4 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| London Wasps | 6 | 5 | 1 | 176 | 69 | 3 | 23 | |
| Bayonne | 6 | 4 | 2 | 184 | 73 | 3 | 19 | |
| Racing Métro 92 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 177 | 85 | 4 | 16 | |
| Roma Olimpic | 6 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 338 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pool 5 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Newcastle Falcons | 6 | 5 | 1 | 146 | 77 | 3 | 23 | |
| Montauban | 6 | 5 | 1 | 132 | 96 | 1 | 21 | |
| Albi | 6 | 2 | 4 | 117 | 137 | 4 | 12 | |
| Petrarca Padova | 6 | 0 | 6 | 95 | 180 | 1 | 1 | |
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October 8 October 9
October 10
October 11
October 15 October 16
October 17
October 18
December 10 December 11
December 12
December 17
December 18
December 19
December 20
January 14
January 15
January 16
January 21 January 22
January 23
January 24 |
Worcester Warriors Bourgoin Connacht Castres Olympique Bayonne Albi Bucureşti Oaks Petrarca Padova Saracens London Wasps Toulon Montpellier Montauban Bucureşti Oaks Olympus Madrid Rovigo Roma Olimpic Racing Métro 92 Leeds Carnegie Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons Montpellier Worcester Warriors Castres Olympique Toulon Bucureşti Oaks Overmach Parma London Wasps Racing Métro 92 Petrarca Padova
Bourgoin Bayonne Connacht Montauban Olympus Madrid Saracens Roma Olimpic Leeds Carnegie Rovigo Albi Bourgoin Saracens London Wasps Connacht Castres Olympique Albi Overmach Parma Worcester Warriors Bayonne Petrarca Padova
Racing Métro 92 Montpellier Montauban Newcastle Falcons Overmach Parma Olympus Madrid Rovigo Toulon Roma Olimpic Leeds Carnegie |
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
|
Montpellier Leeds Carnegie Olympus Madrid Toulon Roma Olimpic Montauban Overmach Parma Newcastle Falcons Rovigo Racing Métro 92
Saracens Connacht Petrarca Padova Bourgoin Worcester Warriors Castres Olympique London Wasps Bayonne Overmach Parma Albi Montauban Olympus Madrid Connacht Saracens Rovigo Leeds Carnegie Bourgoin Bayonne Roma Olimpic Albi Overmach Parma London Wasps Wordester Warriors Newcastle Falcons Montpellier Castres Olympique Racing Métro 92 Bucureşti Oaks Toulon Petrarca Padova Bucureşti Oaks Toulon Roma Olimpic Montpellier Rovigo Newcastle Falcons Leeds Carnegie Olympus Madrid Racing Métro 92 Montauban London Wasps Worcester Warriors Albi Petrarca Padova Bucureşti Oaks Connacht Saracens Castres Olympique Bayonne Bourgoin |
Worcester Bourgoin Galway Castres Bayonne Albi Bucharest Padua Watford High Wycombe
Toulon Montpellier Montauban Bucharest Madrid Rovigo Rome Colombes Leeds Newcastle
Newcastle Montpellier Worcester Castres Toulon Bucharest Parma High Wycombe Colombes Padua
Bourgoin Bayonne Galway Montauban Madrid Watford Rome Leeds Rovigo Albi
Bourgoin Watford High Wycombe Galway Castres Albi Parma Worcester Bayonne Padua
Colombes Montpellier Montauban Newcastle Parma Madrid Rovigo Toulon Rome Leeds |
17 29 46 17 61 7 21 27 36 18
31 19 27 19 5 11 0 16 32 45
17 57 21 9 73 6 14 22 62 16
31 3 19 24 6 18 3 47 7 38
33 28 50 20 47 14 16 54 27 23
19 8 27 20 16 0 8 42 6 9 |
22 19 6 33 3 17 9 29 12 13
23 22 10 21 38 76 57 20 13 3
6 24 26 23 3 10 9 18 0 35
10 12 7 19 42 14 53 0 30 16
15 9 16 10 0 16 38 3 14 31
17 3 20 3 9 66 56 10 55 18 |
Three teams from the Heineken Cup 'parachuted' into the 2011/12
European Challenge Cup (Amlin Cup) playoffs. These teams were: Cardiff Blues, Gloucester and Scarlets.
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April 10 April 11 |
Connacht Toulon London Wasps Newcastle Falcons |
v v v v |
Bourgoin Scarlets Gloucester Cardiff Blues |
Galway Toulon High Wycombe Newcastle |
23 38 42 20 |
20 12 26 55 |
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April 30 May 1 |
Connacht London Wasps |
v v |
Toulon Cardiff Blues |
Galway High Wycombe |
12 15 |
19 18 |
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May 23 |
Cardiff Blues |
v |
Toulon |
Marseille |
28 |
21 |