The European Challenge Cup, is the 2nd tier of European club rugby, after the Heineken Cup. In 2010/11 it is 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 2010/11 European Challenge 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 |
| Harlequins | 6 | 5 | 1 | 189 | 84 | 4 | 24 | |
| Connacht | 6 | 3 | 3 | 173 | 99 | 3 | 15 | |
| Bayonne | 6 | 3 | 3 | 163 | 116 | 3 | 15 | |
| Cavalieri Prato | 6 | 1 | 5 | 77 | 303 | 0 | 4 | |
| Pool 2 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Brive | 6 | 6 | 0 | 257 | 54 | 3 | 27 | |
| Sale Sharks | 6 | 4 | 2 | 279 | 58 | 5 | 21 | |
| Petrarca Padova | 6 | 1 | 5 | 88 | 213 | 2 | 6 | |
| Centransa El Salvador | 6 | 1 | 5 | 69 | 368 | 0 | 4 | |
| Pool 3 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Montpellier | 6 | 5 | 1 | 147 | 101 | 1 | 21 | |
| Exeter Chiefs | 6 | 3 | 3 | 154 | 113 | 4 | 16 | |
| Bourgoin | 6 | 2 | 4 | 119 | 130 | 3 | 11 | |
| Newcastle Falcons | 6 | 2 | 4 | 66 | 142 | 1 | 9 | |
| Pool 4 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Stade Français | 6 | 6 | 0 | 216 | 73 | 5 | 29 | |
| Leeds Carnegie | 6 | 4 | 2 | 173 | 88 | 3 | 19 | |
| Bucureşti Oaks | 6 | 1 | 5 | 74 | 148 | 1 | 5 | |
| Crociati Parma | 6 | 1 | 5 | 70 | 224 | 1 | 5 | |
| Pool 5 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| La Rochelle | 6 | 5 | 1 | 197 | 91 | 4 | 24 | |
| Gloucester Rugby | 6 | 4 | 2 | 255 | 77 | 5 | 21 | |
| Agen | 6 | 3 | 3 | 167 | 158 | 3 | 15 | |
| Rovigo | 6 | 0 | 6 | 55 | 348 | 0 | 0 | |
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October 7
October 8
October 9
October 10
October 14 October 15
October 16
October 17 December 9 December 11
December 12
December 16 December 17 December 18
December 19
January 13 January 14
January 15
January 16
January 20
January 22
January 23 |
Newcastle Falcons Stade Français Sale Sharks Brive Agen Cavalieri Prato Exeter Chiefs Bucureşti Oaks Rugby Rovigo Bayonne
Montpellier Connacht Bourgoin Harlequins Petrarca Rugby El Salvador Bucureşti Oaks Gloucester La Rochelle Leeds Carnegie
Montpellier Petrarca Rugby Brive Exeter Chiefs Bucureşti Oaks Rugby Rovigo La Rochelle Harlequins Bayonne Leeds Carnegie
Stade Français Connacht Cavalieri Prato Bourgoin Agen El Salvador Sale Sharks Newcastle Falcons Crociati Parma Gloucester Agen Brive Sale Sharks Newcastle Falcons Bayonne Cavalieri Prato Exeter Chiefs Crociati Parma Rugby Rovigo Stade Français
Gloucester La Rochelle Connacht Harlequins El Salvador Petrarca Rugby Montpellier Bourgoin* Crociati Parma 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 |
Bourgoin Crociati Parma El Salvador Petrarca Rugby Gloucester Connacht Montpellier Leeds Carnegie La Rochelle Harlequins
Newcastle Falcons Bayonne Exeter Chiefs Cavalieri Prato Sale Sharks Brive Crociati Prato Rugby Rovigo Agen Stade Français
Bourgoin El Salvador Sale Sharks Newcastle Falcons Stade Français Agen Gloucester Connacht Cavalieri Prato Crociati Parma Bucureşti Oaks Harlequins Bayonne Montpellier Rugby Rovigo Petrarca Rugby Brive Exeter Chiefs Leeds Carnegie La Rochelle
La Rochelle El Salvador Petrarca Rugby Montpellier Connacht Harlequins Bourgoin Bucureşti Oaks Gloucester Leeds Carnegie
Agen Rugby Rovigo Cavalieri Prato Bayonne Sale Sharks Brive Exeter Chiefs Newcastle Falcons* Stade Français Bucureşti Oaks |
Newcastle Paris Stockport Brive-la-Gaillarde Agen Prato Exeter Bucharest Rovigo Bayonne
Montpellier Galway Bourgoin-Jallieu London Padua Valladolid Bucharest Gloucester La Rochelle Leeds
Montpellier Padua Brive-la-Gaillarde Exeter Bucharest Rovigo La Rochelle London Bayonne Leeds
Paris Galway Livorno Bourgoin-Jallieu Agen Valladolid Galashiels Galashiels Parma Gloucester
Agen Brive-la-Gaillarde Stockport Newcastle Bayonne Prato Exeter Parma Rovigo Paris
Gloucester La Rochelle Galway London Valladolid Padua Montpellier Bourgoin-Jallieu Parma Leeds |
22 57 97 32 26 23 13 9 3 16
32 16 19 55 9 3 20 90 30 13
39 37 18 36 20 10 6 20 65 55
35 9 7 36 61 37 13 26 6 18
17 52 54 0 21 16 17 16 7 39 60 71 83 39 5 20 32 28* 17 26 |
16 6 11 6 19 21 20 23 38 12
8 13 34 17 56 116 19 7 23 22 14 10 9 10 29 33 13 9 7 6
7 15 31 18 11 16 15 24 44 24
28 3 0 6 35 48 6 12 55 10
7 17 7 17 50 24 30 0* 34 6 |
*Bourgoin were awarded a 5 point 28-0 win after Newcastle refused to play and left before the pitch inspection was carried out.
Three teams from the Heineken Cup 'parachuted' into the 2011/12 European
Challenge Cup (Amlin Cup) playoffs. These teams were: London Wasps, Clermont and Munster
|
April 7 April 8 April 9 |
La Rochelle Stade Français Harlequins Brive |
v v v v |
Clermont Montpellier London Wasps Munster |
La Rochelle Paris London Brive-la-Gaillarde |
13 32 32 37 |
23 28 22 42 |
|
April 29 April 30 |
Stade Français Munster |
v v |
Clermont Harlequins |
Paris Limerick |
29 12 |
25 20 |
|
May 20 |
Harlequins |
v |
Stade Français |
Cardiff |
19 |
18 |