European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition

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))
Country  Italy
 Georgia
 Romania
 Russia
 Spain
 Portugal
 Germany
 Belgium
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 Spain, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Georgia, 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.

Pool 1 Pool 2
Italy Rovigo Delta Romania București Wolves
Georgia (country) Tbilisi Caucasians Italy Calvisano

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)

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)

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

Advances to Qualifying Play-offs
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

Advances to Qualifying Play-offs
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

Advances to Qualifying Play-offs
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

Qualifying Play-offs

9 April 2016
Rovigo Italy 0 - 31 Russia Enisey-STM
Stadio Mario Battaglini
9 April 2016
Timișoara Saracens Romania 36 - 23 Italy Calvisano
Dan Paltinisanu Stadium

23 April 2016
Enisey-STM Russia 39 - 5 Italy Rovigo
TRUD Stadium, Krasnodar
23 April 2016
Calvisano Italy 17 - 28 Romania Timișoara Saracens
Peroni Stadium

2016–17

The format of the Qualifying Competition remains the same as the previous season. As before, two places in the next year's Challenge Cup will be available for teams in the Qualifying Competition.

This season's competition features clubs which have qualified from the domestic leagues of Rugby Europe member unions, Russia, Spain, Germany and Belgium, as well as four representatives from the Italian Eccellenza.

The eight participating clubs will compete in two pools with each club in Pool A playing once against each club in Pool B.

The two pool winners will then play off against Timisoara Saracens of Romania and Russia's Enisei-STM on a home and away basis to decide which two clubs will qualify for the 2017/18 Challenge Cup.

In addition, the two qualifiers will play a final match as part of EPCR's 2017 Edinburgh Finals weekend.

The Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition is organised by EPCR in conjunction with Rugby Europe and the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR).

Advances to Qualifying Play-offs
Pool A P W D L PF PA Diff TB LB Pts
Russia Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk 2 2 0 0 80 29 51 2 0 10
Italy Calvisano 2 2 0 0 82 38 44 1 0 9
Italy Petrarca 2 2 0 0 55 35 20 1 0 9
Belgium Dendermondse RC 1 0 0 1 8 57 -49 0 0 0
Pool B P W D L PF PA Diff TB LB Pts
Spain El Salvador 2 1 0 1 62 40 22 1 0 5
Italy Mogliano 2 0 0 2 46 79 -33 2 0 2
Italy Rovigo 2 0 0 2 32 46 -14 0 1 1
Germany Heidelberger RK 1 0 0 1 19 60 -41 0 0 0

Fixtures

15 October 2016
16:00
Petrarca Italy 24 – 13 Italy Rovigo
Centro Sportivo Plebiscito, Padua
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
15 October 2016
17:00
(BP)El Salvador Spain 57 – 8 Belgium Dendermondse RC
Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid
Referee: Emanuele Tomo (Italy)
15 October 2016
15:00
(BP)Calvisano Italy 60 – 19 Germany Heidelberger RK
Peroni Stadium, Brescia
Referee: Dan Jones (Wales)
16 October 2016
13:00
(BP)Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk Russia 48 – 24 Italy Mogliano(BP)
Monino Stadium, Moscow
Referee: Graeme Wells (Scotland)

22 October 2016
14:00
(BP)Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk Russia 32 – 5 Spain El Salvador
Slava Stadium, Moscow
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
22 October 2016
15:00
(BP)Rovigo Italy 19 – 22 Italy Calvisano
Stadio Mario Battaglini
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
22 October 2016
16:00
(BP)Petrarca Italy 31 – 22 Italy Mogliano(BP)
Centro Sportivo Memo Geremia, Padua
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)

10 December 2016
13:00
El Salvador Spain 0 – 0 Italy Petrarca
Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid
10 December 2016
14:30
Heidelberger RK Germany 0 – 0 Russia Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk
Sportzentrum Sud, Heidelberg
10 December 2016
15:30
Dendermondse RC Belgium 0 – 0 Italy Rovigo
Sportcomplex Sint-Gillis, Dendermonde
10 December 2016
14:30
Mogliano Italy 0 – 0 Italy Calvisano
Stadio Maurizio Quaggia

17 December 2016
14:30
Rovigo Italy 0 – 0 Russia Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk
Stadio Mario Battaglini
17 December 2016
14:30
Calvisano Italy 0 – 0 Spain El Salvador
Peroni Stadium, Brescia
17 December 2016
14:30
Heidelberger RK Germany 0 – 0 Italy Petrarca
Sportzentrum Sud, Heidelberg
17 December 2016
18:00
Mogliano Italy 0 – 0 Belgium Dendermondse RC
Stadio Maurizio Quaggia

14 January 2017
15:30
Dendermondse RC Belgium 0 – 0 Germany Heidelberger RK
Sportcomplex Sint-Gillis, Dendermonde

Qualifying Play-offs

April 2017
SpainItalyBelgiumGermanyRussia 0 - 0 Russia Enisey-STM

April 2017
SpainItalyBelgiumGermanyRussia 0 - 0 Romania Timișoara Saracens


April 2017
Enisey-STM Russia 0 - 0 SpainItalyBelgiumGermanyRussia

April 2017
Timișoara Saracens Romania 0 - 0 SpainItalyBelgiumGermanyRussia

Qualifiers final

In addition, the two qualifiers will play a final match as part of EPCR's 2017 Edinburgh Finals weekend.

May 2017
Winner Qer 1 0 - 0 Winner Qer 2
Edinburgh

Compilation Qualifying Play-offs

Key to colours
     Winner qualified to The European Challenge Cup.
     Winner continue in The European Challenge Cup.
     Winner advance to The European Challenge Cup.
Inaugural Qualifying Competition
Season Winners Score Runners-up Winners Score Runners-up qualified for
2013–14 Italy Rovigo Delta 46 - 39 Georgia (country) Tbilisi Caucasians Romania București Wolves 28 - 26 Italy Calvisano 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup
The expanded Qualifying Competition
Season From Challenge Score From Qualifying From Challenge Score From Qualifying qualified for
2014–15 Italy Rovigo Delta 24 - 52 Italy Calvisano Romania CSM Baia Mare 32 - 63 Russia Enisey-STM 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup
2015–16 Italy Calvisano 40 - 64 Romania Timișoara Russia Enisey-STM 70 - 5 Italy Rovigo 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup
2016–17 Romania Timișoara 0 - 0 Russia Enisey-STM 0 - 0 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup

See also

References

  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. 1 2 Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition Expanded
  4. http://www.epcrugby.com/news/29908.php#.VJgUPv8cA
  5. "Match Appointments for November 2015". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  6. "COUPE D'EUROPE: KITURO v ROVIGO MATCH ANNULE" (in French). En raison du passage au niveau d'alerte 4 et en accord avec EPCR, FBRB et les autorités communales le match de ce samedi est annulé. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
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