European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition

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European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition
Sport Rugby union
Inaugural season 2014–15
Organisers EPCR
Rugby Europe
FIR
Number of teams 8 (6 (pools) + 2 (play-off))
Website European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition Website
Rugby Europe Website
Related competitions European Rugby Champions Cup
European Rugby Challenge Cup

The European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition is a rugby union competition, organised by European Professional Club Rugby, Rugby Europe and the Federazione Italiana Rugby, for entry into the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

The tournament was first announced in April 2014, at the same time as the announcement of the creation of the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions. The tournament features teams from tier 2 countries, such as Russia and Portugal, as well as select Italian Eccellenza clubs.

Format

Under the Heads of Agreement announced on 10 April 2014, there are two places available in the European Rugby Challenge Cup through the Qualifying Competition.[1]

For the 2014-15 season, given the time constraints in filling the competition, this was a reduced competition the form of 2 two-legged play-off matches, with the aggregate winner of each taking one of the two Rugby Europe spots in the draw, and it involved the 2 best teams from Italy's National Championship of Excellence, plus a Romanian and Georgian selection.[2]

An expanded format was announced on 22 December 2014,[3] the expanded format includes clubs from Rugby Europe member Unions, Russia, Spain and Portugal alongside representatives from the Italian Eccellenza.

The 6 teams in the Qualifying Competition are split into 2 pools of 3 teams each. Each team will play the other teams in their pool once, before the two pool winners compete in a two-legged play-off against the teams currently competing in the Challenge Cup from the previous Qualifying Competition.

The winners, on aggregate, of these two play-offs will take up the Qualifying Competition places in the Challenge Cup.[3]

Tournaments

2014

The reduced format for the inaugural Qualifying Competition included two Italian Clubs, a Romanian and a Georgian side. Sides were paired up and competed in two matches, home and away. The winner, on aggregate, of these two games received one of the two places in the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Rugby Europe 1 Play-off

20 September 2014
16:00 CEST
Rovigo Delta Italy 22–18 Georgia (country) Tbilisi Caucasians
Stadio Mario Battaglini
Referee: Lloyd Lynton (SRU)
27 September 2014
17:00 GET
Tbilisi Caucasians Georgia (country) 21–24 Italy Rovigo Delta
Vake Stadium, aka Meskhi
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
  • Rovigo Delta won the play-off 46 - 39 on aggregate, and qualifies as Rugby Europe 1.

Rugby Europe 2 Play-off

20 September 2014
21:00 EEST
București Wolves Romania 18–13 Italy Calvisano
Stadium Arcul de Triumf
Referee: Gary Conway (IRFU)
27 September 2014
19:30 CEST
Calvisano Italy 13–10 Romania București Wolves
Peroni Stadium
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (FFR)
  • București Wolves won the play-off 28 - 26 on aggregate, and qualified as Rugby Europe 2

2015

The expanded competition for entry into the 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup features six teams, in two pools of three. Russia is represented in European competition for the first time.[4] Matches are scheduled for the same weekends as the 2014–15 Challenge Cup, beginning with the 5th Round of the Challenge Cup.

Pool 1 Pool 2
Italy Calvisano Russia Enisey-STM
Italy Viadana Portugal Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa
Spain El Salvador Italy Mogliano

Pool 1

17 January 2015
Calvisano Italy 34 - 3 Italy Viadana
24 January 2015
Viadana Italy 36 - 7 Spain El Salvador
4 April 2015
El Salvador Spain 12 - 62 Italy Calvisano
P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Italy Calvisano 2 2 0 0 96 15 +81 13 2 2 0 10
Italy Viadana 2 1 0 1 39 41 -2 6 5 1 0 5
Spain El Salvador 2 0 0 2 19 98 -79 3 15 0 0 0


Qualifying Play-off

18 April 2015
Rovigo Delta Italy 17 - 17 Italy Calvisano
2 May 2015
Calvisano Italy 35 - 7 Italy Rovigo Delta

Pool 2

17 January 2015
Mogliano Italy 45 - 17 Portugal Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa
24 January 2015
Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa Portugal 6 - 28 Russia Enisey-STM
4 April 2015
Enisey-STM Russia 19 - 15 Italy Mogliano
P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Russia Enisey-STM 2 2 0 0 47 15 +32 5 2 1 0 9
Italy Mogliano 2 1 0 1 60 19 +41 6 4 1 1 6
Portugal Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa 2 0 0 2 17 73 -56 3 10 0 0 0

Qualifying Play-off

18 April 2015
CSM Baia Mare Romania 20 - 30 Russia Enisey-STM
2 May 2015
Enisey-STM Russia 33 - 12 Romania CSM Baia Mare

2015–16

The Qualifying Competition was once again expanded, this time featuring 8 teams in two pools of four. Each team will play the teams in the other pool once. Belgium and Germany are represented in pan-European Rugby competition for the first time, through Royal Kituro and Heidelberger RK respectively

Pool A P W D L PF PA Diff TB LB Pts
Italy Rovigo 4 3 0 1 136 77 59 3 0 15
Germany Heidelberger RK 4 3 0 1 109 71 38 2 1 15
Italy Fiamme Oro 4 3 0 1 74 51 23 0 0 12
Spain Valladolid RAC 4 2 0 2 114 68 46 1 0 9
Pool B P W D L PF PA Diff TB LB Pts
Romania Timișoara Saracens 4 4 0 0 126 48 78 3 0 19
Portugal GD Direito 4 1 0 3 72 82 -10 0 2 6
Italy Mogliano 4 0 0 4 49 105 -56 1 1 2
Belgium Royal Kituro 4 0 0 4 20 198 -170 0 0 0

Fixtures

14 November 2015
14:00
Royal Kituro Belgium 6 – 24 Italy Fiamme Oro
Fiamme Oro
Complexe Wahis, Schaerbeek
Attendance: 550
Referee: Cristophe Ridley (England)
14 November 2015
15:00
(BP) Rovigo Italy 29 – 19 Portugal GD Direito
Report
Stadio Mario Battaglini
Attendance: 800
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)[5]
21 November 2015
16:00
Valladolid RAC Spain 18 – 36 Romania Timișoara Saracens (BP)
Valladolid RAC
Campos de Pepe Rojo
Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy)
21 November 2015
15:00
(BP) GD Direito Portugal 21 – 24 Germany Heidelberger RK
Heidelberger RK
Campo de Monsanto
Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti (Spain)
21 November 2015
15:00
Royal Kituro Belgium P – P Italy Rovigo
Complexe Wahis, Schaerbeek
  • In the wake of the Paris attacks, Brussels was placed on a Level 4 Alert. In agreement with EPCR, FBRB and the municipal authorities, this game was postponed.[6]
21 November 2015
15:00
Fiamme Oro Italy 19 – 0 Italy Mogliano
Report
Stadio Gelsomini
Attendance: 250
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
12 December 2015
13:30
(BP) Timișoara Saracens Romania 45 – 13 Italy Rovigo
Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu
Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland)
12 December 2015
15:00
Fiamme Oro Italy 17 – 10 Portugal GD Direito (BP)
Stadio Gelsomini
Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti (Spain)
12 December 2015
15:00
(2 BPs) Mogliano Italy 26 – 32 Germany Heidelberger RK (BP)
Stadio Maurizio Quaggia
Referee: Graeme Wells (Scotland)
12 December 2015
16:00
(BP) Valladolid RAC Spain 62 – 0 Belgium Royal Kituro
Valladolid RAC
Campos de Pepe Rojo
Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy)
19 December 2015
13:30
(BP) Timișoara Saracens Romania 35 – 14 Italy Fiamme Oro
Fiamme Oro
Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu
Referee: Philippe Brousset (France)
19 December 2015
14:00
(BP) Heidelberger RK Germany 50 – 14 Belgium Royal Kituro
Heidelberger RK
Heidelberger RK, Heidleberg
Attendance: 800
Referee: Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)
19 December 2015
15:00
Mogliano Italy 10 – 22 Spain Valladolid RAC
Report
Stadio Maurizio Quaggia
Attendance: 500
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
9 January 2016
15:00
GD Direito Portugal 22 – 12 Spain Valladolid RAC
Valladolid RAC
Estádio Nacional, Jamor
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
16 January 2016
14:00
(BP) Heidelberger RK Germany 3 – 10 Romania Timișoara Saracens
Heidelberger RK
Timișoara
Heidelberger RK, Heidleberg
16 January 2016
15:00
(BP) Rovigo Italy 32 – 13 Italy Mogliano
Mogliano
Stadio Mario Battaglini
Attendance: 1,100
Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy)

23 January 2016
15:00
Royal Kituro Belgium 0 – 62 Italy Rovigo
Complexe Wahis, Schaerbeek

Qualifying Play-offs

9 April 2016
Rovigo Italy 0 - 31 Russia Enisey-STM
9 April 2016
Timișoara Saracens Romania 36 - 23 Italy Calvisano
23 April 2016
Enisey-STM Russia 39 - 5 Italy Rovigo
23 April 2016
Calvisano Italy 17 - 28 Romania Timișoara Saracens

See also

References

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  1. ↑ http://www.epcrugby.com/news/28828.php New Tournament Formats Agreed, EPCRugby.com, 10 April 2014
  2. ↑ http://www.epcrugby.com/eng/news/28916.php
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition Expanded
  4. ↑ http://www.epcrugby.com/news/29908.php#.VJgUPv8cA
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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