European Rugby Continental Shield

For the third-tier competition run from 2003 to 2005 and organised by European Rugby Cup, see European Shield.

The European Rugby Continental Shield (formerly the European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition) was 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.

European Rugby Continental Shield

Sport	Rugby union
Inaugural season	2014–15 (as Qualifying Competition) 2016–17 (as Continental Shield)
Organisers	EPCR Rugby Europe FIR
Number of teams	10 (8 (pools) + 2 (play-off))
Country	Italy  Georgia  Romania  Russia  Spain  Portugal  Germany  Belgium
Holders	Enisey-STM (2 titles) (2018–19)
Website	European Rugby Continental Shield Website Rugby Europe Website
Related competitions	European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Challenge Cup

The Qualifying Competition 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 featured teams from non-EPCR countries, such as Spain, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Georgia, Russia and Portugal, as well as select Italian Eccellenza clubs. In 2016–17, the qualification competition also became a European Rugby competition in its own right, the third tier European Rugby Continental Shield, with both successful play-off teams meeting in a final as a part of European Rugby Finals weekend.

Both editions of the Shield final were won by Russian club Enisey-STM.^[1]

The competition is the first third-tier European tournament since the suspension of the Parker Pen Shield in 2005.^[2]

The competition was discontinued after the 2018–19 edition.^[3]

Format

Under the Heads of Agreement announced on 10 April 2014, there were two places available in the European Rugby Challenge Cup through the Qualifying Competition.^[4]

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 winners 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.^[5]

An expanded format was announced on 22 December 2014,^[6] the expanded format includes clubs from non-EPCR 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.^[6]

In 2017, the competition was rebranded as the European Rugby Continental Shield, and it was announced that the two qualifiers would play each other as part of the EPCR's finals weekend,^[7] a practice which was discontinued for 2018–19.

Summary of results

Continental Shield Finals

Season	Country	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Country	Venue
2016–17	Russia	Enisey-STM	36–8	Krasny Yar	Russia	Murrayfield Complex, Edinburgh
2017–18	Russia	Enisey-STM	24–20	Heidelberger RK	Germany	Campos Deportivos de Fadura, Getxo, Biscay

Qualifying play-off results

Season	Play-off 1			Play-off 2			Qualify for
	Winners	Score	Runners-up	Winners	Score	Runners-up
2013–14	Rovigo Delta	46–39	Tbilisi Caucasians	București Wolves	28–26	Calvisano	2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup
Season	Play-off 1			Play-off 2			Qualify for
	Challenge Cup Side	Score	Continental Shield Side	Challenge Cup Side	Score	Continental Shield Side
2014–15	CSM Baia Mare	32–63	Enisey-STM	Rovigo Delta	24–52	Calvisano	2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup
2015–16	Enisey-STM	70–5	Rovigo	Calvisano	40–64	Timișoara Saracens	2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup
2016–17	Enisey-STM	97–7	Mogliano	Timișoara Saracens	35–39	Krasny Yar	2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup
Season	Play-off from Challenge Cup			Play-off from Continental Shield			Qualify for
	Challenge Side 1	Score	Challenge Side 2	C. Shield Side 1	Score	C. Shield Side 2
2017–18	Enisey-STM	74–48	Krasny Yar	Heidelberger RK	47–41	Timișoara Saracens	2018–19 European Rugby Challenge Cup
2018–19	Enisey-STM	58–52	Timișoara Saracens	Calvisano	57–43	Rovigo Delta	2019–20 European Rugby Challenge Cup

Key

Winners qualified to the European Rugby Challenge Cup

Winners continue in the European Rugby Challenge Cup

Winners advance to the European Rugby Challenge Cup

Runners-up advanced to the European Rugby Challenge Cup (winners ineligible)

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 winners, on aggregate, of these two games received one of the two places in the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Pool 1	Pool 2
Rovigo Delta	București Wolves
Tbilisi Caucasians	Calvisano

Rugby Europe 1 play-off

20 September 2014 16:00 CEST

Rovigo Delta	22–18	Tbilisi Caucasians

Stadio Mario Battaglini Referee: Lloyd Linton (SRU)

27 September 2014 17:00 GET

Tbilisi Caucasians	21–24	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 for the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Rugby Europe 2 play-off

20 September 2014 21:00 EEST

București Wolves	18–13	Calvisano

Stadium Arcul de Triumf Referee: Gary Conway (IRFU)

27 September 2014 19:30 CEST

Calvisano	13–10	București Wolves

Peroni Stadium Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (FFR)

• București Wolves won the play-off 28 – 26 on aggregate, and qualified as Rugby Europe 2 for the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

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.^[8] 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
Calvisano	Enisey-STM
Viadana	Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa
El Salvador	Mogliano

Pool 1

Matches
17 January 2015 Calvisano 34 – 3 Viadana 24 January 2015 Viadana 36 – 7 El Salvador 4 April 2015 El Salvador 12 – 62 Calvisano

Advances to Qualifying play-offs

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
Calvisano	2	2	0	0	96	15	+81	13	2	2	0	10
Viadana	2	1	0	1	39	41	–2	6	5	1	0	5
El Salvador	2	0	0	2	19	98	–79	3	15	0	0	0

Qualifying play-off

18 April 2015

Rovigo Delta	17 – 17	Calvisano

---

2 May 2015

Calvisano	35 – 7	Rovigo Delta

• Calvisano won the play-off 52–24 on aggregate, and will play in the 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Pool 2

Matches
17 January 2015 Mogliano 45 – 17 Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa 24 January 2015 Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa 6 – 28 Enisey-STM 4 April 2015 Enisey-STM 19 – 15 Mogliano

Advances to Qualifying play-offs

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts
Enisey-STM	2	2	0	0	47	15	+32	5	2	1	0	9
Mogliano	2	1	0	1	60	19	+41	6	4	1	1	6
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	20 – 30	Enisey-STM

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2 May 2015

Enisey-STM	33 – 12	CSM Baia Mare

• Enisey-STM won the play-off 63–32 on aggregate, and will play in the 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

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
Rovigo	4	3	0	1	136	77	59	3	0	15
Heidelberger RK	4	3	0	1	109	71	38	2	1	15
Fiamme Oro	4	3	0	1	74	51	23	0	0	12
Valladolid RAC	4	2	0	2	114	68	46	1	0	9

Pool B	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Timișoara Saracens	4	4	0	0	126	48	78	3	0	19
GD Direito	4	1	0	3	72	82	–10	0	2	6
Mogliano	4	0	0	4	49	105	–56	1	1	2
Royal Kituro	4	0	0	4	20	198	–178	0	0	0

Fixtures

Matches

14 November 2015 14:00 Royal Kituro 6 – 24 Fiamme Oro Fiamme Oro Complexe Wahis, Schaerbeek Attendance: 550 Referee: Cristophe Ridley (England) 14 November 2015 15:00 (BP) Rovigo 29 – 19 GD Direito Report Stadio Mario Battaglini Attendance: 800 Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)[9] 21 November 2015 16:00 Valladolid RAC 18 – 36 Timișoara Saracens (BP) Valladolid RAC Campos de Pepe Rojo Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy) 21 November 2015 15:00 (BP) GD Direito 21 – 24 Heidelberger RK Heidelberger RK Campo de Monsanto Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti (Spain) 21 November 2015 15:00 Royal Kituro P – P 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.[10] 21 November 2015 15:00 Fiamme Oro 19 – 0 Mogliano Report Stadio Gelsomini Attendance: 250 Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland) 12 December 2015 13:30 (BP) Timișoara Saracens 45 – 13 Rovigo Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland) 12 December 2015 15:00 Fiamme Oro 17 – 10 GD Direito (BP) Stadio Gelsomini Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti (Spain) 12 December 2015 15:00 (2 BPs) Mogliano 26 – 32 Heidelberger RK (BP) Stadio Maurizio Quaggia Referee: Graeme Wells (Scotland) 12 December 2015 16:00 (BP) Valladolid RAC 62 – 0 Royal Kituro Valladolid RAC Campos de Pepe Rojo Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy) 19 December 2015 13:30 (BP) Timișoara Saracens 35 – 14 Fiamme Oro Fiamme Oro Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu Referee: Philippe Brousset (France) 19 December 2015 14:00 (BP) Heidelberger RK 50 – 14 Royal Kituro Heidelberger RK Heidelberger RK, Heidelberg Attendance: 800 Referee: Vlad Iordăchescu (Romania) 19 December 2015 15:00 Mogliano 10 – 22 Valladolid RAC Report Stadio Maurizio Quaggia Attendance: 500 Referee: Craig Evans (Wales) 9 January 2016 15:00 GD Direito 22 – 12 Valladolid RAC Valladolid RAC Estádio Nacional, Jamor Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland) 16 January 2016 14:00 (BP) Heidelberger RK 3 – 10 Timișoara Saracens Heidelberger RK Timișoara Heidelberger RK, Heidelberg 16 January 2016 15:00 (BP) Rovigo 32 – 13 Mogliano Mogliano Stadio Mario Battaglini Attendance: 1,100 Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy) 23 January 2016 15:00 Royal Kituro 0 – 62 Rovigo Complexe Wahis, Schaerbeek

Qualifying play-offs

9 April 2016

Rovigo	0 – 31	Enisey-STM

Stadio Mario Battaglini

9 April 2016

Timișoara Saracens	36 – 23	Calvisano

Dan Paltinisanu Stadium

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23 April 2016

Enisey-STM	39 – 5	Rovigo

Trud Stadium, Krasnodar

23 April 2016

Calvisano	17 – 28	Timișoara Saracens

Peroni Stadium

• On aggregate, Enisey-STM (Aggregate score: 70–5) and Timișoara Saracens (Aggregate score: 64–40) qualify for the 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

2016–17

Main article: 2016–17 European Rugby Continental Shield

The format of the Qualifying Competition remains similar to 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 from the domestic leagues of non-EPCR 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 Timișoara 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.

Mid-season it was announced the competition would become the European Rugby Continental Shield and the two qualifiers will play a final match as part of EPCR's 2017 Edinburgh Finals weekend.^[7]

Advances to Qualifying play-offs

Pool A	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Krasny Yar	4	4	0	0	172	61	111	4	0	20
Petrarca	4	4	0	0	149	45	104	3	0	19
Calvisano	4	3	0	1	134	92	42	3	0	15
Dendermondse RC	4	0	0	4	50	167	–117	0	0	0

Pool B	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Mogliano	4	2	0	2	129	126	7	4	0	12
El Salvador	4	1	0	3	84	105	–21	1	1	6
Rovigo	4	1	0	3	72	95	–23	1	1	6
Heidelberger RK	4	1	0	3	80	181	–101	1	0	5

Fixtures

Matches

15 October 2016 16:00 Petrarca 24 – 13 Rovigo Centro Sportivo Plebiscito, Padua Referee: Craig Evans (Wales) 15 October 2016 17:00 (BP)El Salvador 57 – 8 Dendermondse RC Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid Referee: Emanuele Tomo (Italy) 15 October 2016 15:00 (BP)Calvisano 60 – 19 Heidelberger RK Peroni Stadium, Brescia Referee: Dan Jones (Wales) 16 October 2016 13:00 (BP)Krasny Yar 48 – 24 Mogliano(BP) Monino Stadium, Moscow Referee: Graeme Wells (Scotland) 22 October 2016 14:00 (BP)Krasny Yar 32 – 5 El Salvador Slava Stadium, Moscow Referee: Christophe Ridley (England) 22 October 2016 15:00 (BP)Rovigo 19 – 22 Calvisano Stadio Mario Battaglini Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland) 22 October 2016 16:00 (BP)Petrarca 31 – 22 Mogliano(BP) Centro Sportivo Memo Geremia, Padua Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland) 10 December 2016 13:00 El Salvador 3 – 39 Petrarca(BP) Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid Referee: Sean Gallagher (Ireland) 10 December 2016 17:00 Heidelberger RK 21 – 50 Krasny Yar(BP) Sportzentrum Sud, Heidelberg Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy) 10 December 2016 15:30 Dendermondse RC 7 – 29 Rovigo(BP) Sportcomplex Sint-Gillis, Dendermonde Referee: Vlad Iordăchescu (Romania) 10 December 2016 14:30 (BP)Mogliano 35 – 26 Calvisano(BP) Stadio Maurizio Quaggia Referee: Dan Jones (Wales) 17 December 2016 14:30 Rovigo 11 – 42 Krasny Yar(BP) Stadio Mario Battaglini Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland) 17 December 2016 14:30 (BP)Calvisano 26 – 19 El Salvador(BP) Peroni Stadium, Brescia Referee: Graeme Wells (Scotland) 17 December 2016 14:30 Heidelberger RK 7 – 55 Petrarca(BP) Sportzentrum Sud, Heidelberg Referee: Inigo Atorrasagasti (Spain) 17 December 2016 14:30 (BP)Mogliano 48 – 17 Dendermondse RC Stadio Maurizio Quaggia Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland) 14 January 2017 15:30 Dendermondse RC 16 – 33 Heidelberger RK Sportcomplex Sint-Gillis, Dendermonde Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)

Qualifying play-offs

EPCR will determine about one open question: If it was like the past years, according to the rating, Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk would meet with the Romanian Timișoara. But Krasny Yar received a letter that EPCR will hold a meeting on the final round of qualifying Challenge Cup, which will be determined the opponents.^[11] On February 14, at the office of RK "Yenisei-STM" received a letter signed by the coordinator of the qualifying competitions EPCR Vincent Prebande. Mr. Prebande reports that, like last year, the second stage of Qualifying teams will play in accordance with the principle of sport. The two-legged confrontation "Yenisei-STM" will meet the Italian club "Mogliano" and "Krasny Yar" - with the Romanian club "Timișoara Saracens".^[12]

1 April 2017

Mogliano	0 – 46	Enisey-STM

Stadio Maurizio Quaggia

1 April 2017

Krasny Yar	12 – 17	Timișoara Saracens

Rustavi Arena, Georgia

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22 April 2017

Enisey-STM	51 – 7	Mogliano

Slava Stadium, Moscow

22 April 2017

Timișoara Saracens	18 – 27	Krasny Yar

Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu

• On aggregate, Enisey-STM (Aggregate score: 97–7) and Krasny Yar (Aggregate score: 39–35) qualify for the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Continental Shield Final

13 May 2017

Enisey-STM	36 – 8	Krasny Yar

Murrayfield Complex, Edinburgh

2017–18

Main article: 2017–18 European Rugby Continental Shield

The format of the Qualifying Competition remains similar to the previous season. As before, two places in the next year's Challenge Cup will be available for teams in the Continental Shield. Clubs from six countries will compete in the 2017–18 Continental Shield.

Four representatives from the Italian Eccellenza – Pataro Rugby Calvisano, Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo, Rugby Petrarca and Rugby Viadana – will be joined by Romania's Timișoara Saracens, RC Batumi from Georgia, Heidelberger RK of Germany and Portugal's Centro Desportivo Universitario de Lisboa (CDUL Rugby) competing in two pools of four.

Following the pool stage matches, the winners of Pool A will play the runners-up in Pool B, and the winners of Pool B will play the runners-up in Pool A on a home and away basis.

The two clubs which advance will then play each other home and away with the winners securing a place in the Continental Shield final in Bilbao next May and also qualifying for the 2018–19 Challenge Cup.

The other Continental Shield finalist will be decided by a home and away play-off between Russia's Enisei-STM and Krasny Yar who have both received a bye into the knockout stage of the competition due to their participation in this season's Challenge Cup and to their success in last season's Continental Shield.

The winners of the Enisei-STM v Krasny Yar play-offs will go through to the Continental Shield final in Bilbao and will also qualify for the 2018–19 Challenge Cup.

The aim of the Continental Shield is to widen the footprint of club rugby across Europe and to give both emerging and established clubs in different territories the opportunity to qualify for the Challenge Cup.

Advances to Pool play-offs

Pool A	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Timișoara Saracens	4	3	0	1	106	68	+38	1	1	14
Heidelberger RK	4	3	0	1	96	74	+22	1	0	13
Rovigo	4	2	0	2	89	86	+3	2	1	11
Viadana	4	1	0	3	66	128	–62	1	1	6

Pool B	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Calvisano	4	2	0	2	107	52	+55	2	2	12
Batumi	4	2	0	2	107	95	+12	2	2	12
Petrarca	4	2	0	2	99	68	+31	1	2	11
CDUL	4	1	0	3	43	142	–99	0	0	4

Fixtures

Matches

14 October 2017 15:00 Timișoara Saracens 29 – 25 Petrarca (BP) Dan Paltinisanu Stadium, Timișoara Referee: Lloyd Linton 14 October 2017 15:00 (BP) Rovigo 31 – 27 Batumi (2 BP) Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo Referee: Maxime Burlet 14 October 2017 15:00 Heidelberger RK 23 – 19 Calvisano (BP) Sportzentrum Süd, Heidelberg Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti 14 October 2017 15:00 (BP) Viadana 14 – 19 CDUL Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana Referee: Nika Amashukeli 21 October 2017 15:00 (BP) Calvisano 41 – 14 Viadana Centro Sportivo San Michele, Calvisano Referee: Sam Grove White 21 October 2017 15:00 Petrarca 18 – 13 Rovigo (BP) Centro Sportivo Plebiscito, Padua Referee: Shota Tevzadze 21 October 2017 15:00 (BP) Batumi 33 – 16 Heidelberger RK Rugby Arena, Batumi Referee: Maxime Burlet 21 October 2017 15:00 CDUL 10 – 45 Timișoara Saracens (BP) Estadio Universitario de Lisboa, Lisboa Referee: Andrea Piardi 9 December 2017 15:00 Heidelberger RK 19 – 15 Petrarca (BP) Sportzentrum Süd, Heidelberg Referee: Andrea Piardi 9 December 2017 15:00 Timișoara Saracens 15 – 13 Calvisano (BP) Dan Paltinisanu Stadium, Timișoara Referee: Nika Amashukeli 9 December 2017 15:00 (BP) Viadana 31 – 27 Batumi (BP) Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti 9 December 2017 15:00 (BP) Rovigo 45 – 7 CDUL Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo Referee: Ben Blain 16 December 2017 15:00 (BP) Calvisano 34 – 0 Rovigo Centro Sportivo San Michele, Calvisano Referee: Lloyd Linton 16 December 2017 15:00 CDUL 7 – 38 Heidelberger RK (BP) Estadio Universitario de Lisboa, Lisboa Referee: Shota Tevzadze 16 December 2017 15:00 Batumi 20 – 17 Timișoara Saracens (BP) Rugby Arena, Batumi Referee: Keith Allen 16 December 2017 15:00 (BP) Petrarca 41 – 7 Viadana Impianti Sportivi Memo Geremia, Padua Referee: Andrea Piardi

Pool play-offs

13 January 2018 15:00

Batumi	6 – 11	Timișoara Saracens

Rugby Arena, Batumi

13 January 2018 15:00

Heidelberger RK	34 – 29	Calvisano

Sportzentrum Süd, Heidelberg

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20 January 2018 14:00

Timișoara Saracens	21 – 12	Batumi

Cluj Arena, Cluj

20 January 2018 15:00

Calvisano	13 – 17	Heidelberger RK

Centro Sportivo San Michele, Calvisano

• On aggregate, Timișoara Saracens (Aggregate score: 32–18) and Heidelberger RK (Aggregate score: 51–42) qualify for Qualifying play-offs.

Qualifying play-offs

31 March 2018 15:00

Enisey-STM	47 – 22	Krasny Yar

Trud Stadium, Krasnodar

31 March 2018 14:00

Timișoara Saracens	26 – 20	Heidelberger RK

Dan Paltinisanu Stadium, Timișoara

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21 April 2018 15:00

Krasny Yar	26 – 27	Enisey-STM

Krasny Yar Stadium, Krasnoyarsk

21 April 2018 15:00

Heidelberger RK	27 – 15	Timișoara Saracens

Sportzentrum Süd, Heidelberg

Despite Heidelberger RK defeating Timișoara Saracens with the aggregate score of 47-41 and going into the Challenge Cup for the first time, Heidelberger RK have been disqualified from the Challenge Cup so Timișoara Saracens will replace them.

Continental Shield Final

12 May 2018 12:00

Enisey-STM	24 – 20	Heidelberger RK

Campos Deportivos de Fadura, Getxo, Biscay

2018–19

Main article: 2018–19 European Rugby Continental Shield

Clubs from Italy, Georgia and Belgium competed in the 2018/19 Continental Shield with a place in the Challenge Cup up for grabs.

Four sides from the Italian Eccellenza – Argos Rugby Petrarca, Pataro Calvisano, Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo Delta and GS Fiamme Oro Rugby – were joined by Georgia's RC Locomotive Tbilisi and Belgian representatives, Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV, competing in two pools of three.

Locomotive Tbilisi, Calvisano and Fiamme Oro from Rome were drawn in Pool A while Pool B was made up of Petrarca, Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV and Rovigo. Clubs in the same pool played one another on a home and away basis and the two pool winners played off over two legs to decide which club qualified for the 2019/20 Challenge Cup.

A further place in the 2019/20 Challenge Cup was decided by a home and away play-off between Russia's Enisei-STM and Timișoara Saracens of Romania who are both competing in this season's Challenge Cup.

The aim of the Continental Shield is to widen the footprint of club rugby across Europe and to give both emerging and established clubs in different territories the opportunity to qualify for the Challenge Cup.

The Continental Shield, which was won for the second time by Enisei-STM in Bilbao in 2017–18, is organised by EPCR in conjunction with Rugby Europe and the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR).

Pool A	Pool B
Calvisano	Petrarca
Fiamme Oro	Rovigo Delta
RC Locomotive Tbilisi	Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV [fr]

Advances to Pool play-offs

Pool A	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Calvisano	4	3	0	1	98	56	+42	2	1	15
RC Locomotive Tbilisi	4	3	0	1	102	62	+40	2	0	14
Fiamme Oro	4	0	0	4	62	144	-82	0	1	1

Pool B	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Rovigo Delta	4	3	1	0	218	73	+145	2	0	16
Petrarca	4	2	1	1	121	87	+34	3	1	14
Belgium Barbarians XV	4	0	0	4	45	224	-179	0	0	0

Fixtures

Matches

Saturday 13 October 15:00 RC Locomotive Tbilisi 6 – 17 Calvisano Pool A Avchala Stadium, Tbilisi Saturday 13 October 15:00 Rovigo Delta 34 – 34 Petrarca (BP) Pool B Stadio Comune Mario Battaglini, Rovigo Saturday 20 October 15:00 (BP) Calvisano 35 – 20 Fiamme Oro Pool A Pata Stadium, Calvisano Attendance: 1000 Saturday 20 October 13:00 Belgium Barbarians XV 12 – 31 Petrarca (BP) Pool B Stade Nelson Mandela, Brussels Attendance: 300 Saturday 8 December 15:00 (BP) Fiamme Oro 22 – 29 RC Locomotive Tbilisi (BP) Pool A Fiamme Oro Stadium, Italy Attendance: 400 Saturday 8 December 15:00 (BP) Petrarca 36 – 14 Belgium Barbarians XV Pool B Argos Arena, Italy Attendance: 500 Saturday 15 December 15:00 (BP) Calvisano 13 – 20 RC Locomotive Tbilisi Pool A Pata Stadium, Calvisano Saturday 15 December 15:00 (BP) Rovigo Delta 68 – 12 Belgium Barbarians XV Pool B Stadio Comune Mario Battaglini, Rovigo Saturday 12 January 2019 15:00 (BP) RC Locomotive Tbilisi 47 – 10 Fiamme Oro Pool A Avchala Stadium, Tbilisi Saturday 12 January 2019 18:00 Petrarca 20 – 27 Rovigo Delta Pool B Argos Arena, Italy Saturday 19 January 2019 18:00 Fiamme Oro 10 – 33 Calvisano (BP) Pool A Fiamme Oro Stadium, Italy Saturday 19 January 2019 18:00 Belgium Barbarians XV 7 – 89 Rovigo Delta (BP) Pool B Stade du Pachy, Waterloo

Qualifying play-offs

30 March 2019 14:00 (CET)

Timișoara Saracens	20–18	Enisey-STM

Dan Paltinisanu Stadium, Timișoara

30 March 2019 15:00 (CET)

Calvisano	29–13	Rovigo Delta

Pata Stadium, Calvisano

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20 April 2019 10:00 (CEST)

Enisey-STM	40–32	Timișoara Saracens

Avangard Stadium, Krasnoyarsk

20 April 2019 15:00 (CEST)

Rovigo Delta	30–28	Calvisano

Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo

• On aggregate, Enisey-STM (aggregate score: 58–52) and Calvisano (aggregate score: 57-43) qualify for the 2019–20 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

See also

• European Rugby Challenge Cup
• Rugby Europe

References

1. "European Shield".
2. European Shield at Rugbyarchive.net
3. "La LNR propone a la FER gestionar la División de Honor". 11 October 2019.
4. http://www.epcrugby.com/news/28828.php New Tournament Formats Agreed, EPCRugby.com, 10 April 2014
5. "Two places up for grabs in Challenge Cup : European Professional Club Rugby | Official website". Archived from the original on 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
6. Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition Expanded
7. "New identity for the Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition". epcrugby.com.
8. "News".
9. "Match Appointments for November 2015". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
10. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
11. "Игорь Николайчук: "EPCR на заседании определит нашего соперника"" (in Russian). EPCR will determined the opponents. Retrieved 21 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
12. "СПОРТИВНЫЙ ПРИНЦИП ВОСТОРЖЕСТВОВАЛ" (in Russian). Sports principle prevail. Retrieved 14 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)