2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup
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The 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup was the fourth edition of the European Rugby Challenge Cup, an annual second-tier rugby union competition for professional clubs. It was also the 22nd season of the Challenge Cup competition in all forms, following on from the now defunct European Challenge Cup. Clubs from six European nations plus two Russian club competed for the title.
2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup | |
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Tournament details | |
Countries | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and Knockout |
Date | 12 October 2017 – 11 May 2018 |
Tournament statistics | |
Teams | 20 |
Matches played | 67 |
Attendance | 438,380 (6,543 per match) |
Highest attendance | 32,543 Cardiff Blues v Gloucester (11 May 2018) |
Lowest attendance | 500 Enisei-STM v Newcastle Falcons (20 October 2017) Krasny Yar v London Irish (20 January 2018) |
Tries scored | 457 (6.82 per match) |
Top point scorer(s) | Jack Carty (Connacht) Jarrod Evans (Cardiff Blues) (56 points) |
Top try scorer(s) | Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons) (10 tries) |
Final | |
Venue | San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao |
Champions | ![]() |
Runners-up | ![]() |
The first round of the group stage began on the weekend of 12/13/14/15 October 2017, and the competition ended with the final on 11 May 2018 in Bilbao, Spain.[1][2] This was the first time the final has been held outside one of the Six Nations countries.
French side Stade Français were the reigning champions but failed to progress past the quarter-finals after losing to Newcastle Falcons. Gloucester returned to the final having lost to Stade Français last season, where they faced Cardiff Blues, who made it their first final of any competition since their 2010 European Challenge Cup Final victory. Like then, Cardiff Blues were victorious, defeating Gloucester 31–30 with a 78th-minute penalty by Gareth Anscombe to clinch the title.