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2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup

Rugby union competition From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup
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The 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup was the 10th edition of the EPCR Challenge Cup, an annual second-tier rugby union competition for professional clubs. Including the predecessor competition, the original European Challenge Cup, this is the 28th edition of European club rugby's second-tier competition.

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The tournament commenced in December 2023, and concluded with the final on 24 May 2024 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England.[1] In the final, Sharks beat Gloucester to win the cup for the first time.[2][3]

This is the second year that teams from South Africa can qualify, following the second United Rugby Championship season. Two teams have been invited from outside the three main European professional leagues; The Black Lion from Tbilisi, Georgia are current holders of the Rugby Europe Super Cup, the third-tier competition in European rugby administered by Rugby Europe, and Cheetahs the current holders of the Currie Cup, South Africa's second tier and most historic national competition. Originally not represented in the Challenge Cup, two Irish teams, Ulster and Connacht, joined in the play-off rounds, having dropped down from the Champions Cup.

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Teams

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Location of European teams

Location of South African teams

2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup (South Africa)
Locations of teams of the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup. Blue: Pool 1; Red: Pool 2; Green: Pool 3; Yellow italic: Entered competition in knockout stage.
Both home venues used by Cheetahs are marked.

Sixteen teams qualified for the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup from Premiership Rugby, the Top 14 and the United Rugby Championship as a direct result of their domestic league performance having not qualified for the Heineken Champions Cup. Plus two invited sides making 18 teams.[4]

The distribution of teams are:

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Team details

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Pool stage

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Teams were awarded four points for a win, two for a draw, one for scoring four tries in a game, and one for losing by less than eight points.

Pool 1

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Source: EPCR

Pool 2

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Source: EPCR

Pool 3

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Source: EPCR
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Knockout stage

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The knockout stage was played with a single-leg round of 16 matches consisting of the top four teams from each pool and the teams ranked 5th in each pool of the 2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup. The Round of 16 followed a pre-determined format, while the quarter-finals and semi-finals guaranteed home advantage to the higher-ranked team.

Seeding

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Bracket

Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
            
1 South Africa Sharks 47
16 Italy Zebre Parma 3
1 South Africa Sharks 36
8 Scotland Edinburgh 30
8 Scotland Edinburgh 33
9 France Bayonne 15
1 South Africa Sharks 32
4 France Clermont 31
4 France Clermont 27
13 South Africa Cheetahs 22
4 France Clermont 53
12 Ireland Ulster 14
5 France Montpellier 17
12 Ireland Ulster 40
1 South Africa Sharks 36
2 England Gloucester 22
2 England Gloucester 30
15 France Castres 25
2 England Gloucester 23
7 Wales Ospreys 13
7 Wales Ospreys 23
10 England Sale Sharks 15
2 England Gloucester 40
3 Italy Benetton 23
3 Italy Benetton 27
14 South Africa Lions 17
3 Italy Benetton 39
11 Ireland Connacht 24
6 France Pau 30
11 Ireland Connacht 40

Round of 16

5 April 2024
20:00
Gloucester England (2)30–25(15) France Castres
Try: Mercer 8' c
May 27' c
Llewellyn 31' c
Con: Carreras (3/3) 10', 28', 33'
Pen: Carreras (3/3) 55', 61', 79'
ReportTry: Dumora 1' c
Zarantonello 72' c
Raisuqe 80+2' m
Con: Popelin (2/3) 2', 73'
Pen: Popelin (2/2) 39', 52'
Kingsholm, Gloucester
Attendance: 9,134
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
6 April 2024
12:30
Clermont France (4)27–22(13) South Africa Cheetahs
Try: Jurand 1' c
Delguy 37' m
Fourcade 41' c
Jauneau 53' m
Con: Belleau (2/4) 2', 42'
Pen: Belleau (1/2) 22'
ReportTry: Qoma (2) 62' c, 72' c
Mafura 68' m
Con: Pienaar (2/3) 63', 73'
Pen: Pienaar (1/1) 11'
Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand
Attendance: 13,493
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
6 April 2024
17:30
Benetton Italy (3)27–17(14) South Africa Lions
Try: Gallo 8' c
Ratave 33' c
Bernasconi 51' c
Con: Umaga (3/3) 9', 34', 52'
Pen: Albornoz (1/1) 63'
ReportTry: Visagie 2' c
Hendrikse 46' c
Con: Hendrikse (2/2) 3', 47'
Pen: Hendrikse (1/3) 37'
Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso
Attendance: 4,846
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
6 April 2024
20:00
Ospreys Wales (7)23–15(10) England Sale Sharks
Try: Morris 32' m
Giles 46' m
Morgan-Williams 48' c
Con: O. Williams (1/3) 49'
Pen: O. Williams (2/4) 25', 78'
ReportTry: Reed 61' m
B. Curry 69' c
Con: R. du Preez (1/2) 69'
Pen: R. du Preez (1/1) 3'
Brewery Field, Bridgend[9]
Attendance: 4,225
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
6 April 2024
20:00
Edinburgh Scotland (8)33–15(9) France Bayonne
Try: Watson 23' m
Currie 42' c
Vellacott (2) 53' c, 56' c
Van der Merwe 67' c
Con: Healy (4/5) 42', 54', 57', 69'
ReportTry: Spring (2) 17' c, 49' m
Con: Spring (1/2) 18'
Pen: Spring (1/1) 48'
Murrayfield, Edinburgh [f]
Attendance: 5,365
Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)
7 April 2024
12:30
Montpellier France (5)17–40(12) Ireland Ulster
Try: Willemse 9' c
Eymeri 23' c
Con: Foursans-Bourdette (2/2) 10', 24'
Pen: Foursans-Bourdette (1/1) 38'
ReportTry: Addison 27' c
Baloucoune 42' m
Wilson 62' c
McCann 67' c
McCloskey 77' c
Penalty try 80'
Con: Cooney (4/5) 30', 63', 68', 79'
GGL Stadium, Montpellier
Attendance: 5,240
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
7 April 2024
15:00
Sharks South Africa (1)47–3(16) Italy Zebre Parma
Try: Tshituka 6' c
Kok 20' c
Rahl 35' c
Fassi 43' c
Buthelezi 56' m
Hooker 64' c
Bosch 74' c
Con: Masuku (5/6) 7', 21', 36', 44', 65'
Bosch (1/1) 75'
ReportPen: Eden (1/1) 5'
Kings Park Stadium, Durban
Attendance: 6,730
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (England)
7 April 2024
17:30
Pau France (6)30–40(11) Ireland Connacht
Try: Zegueur (2) 9' c, 38' c
Fisi'ihoi 46' c
Con: Simmonds (3/3) 9', 39', 47'
Pen: Simmonds (2/2) 25', 36'
ReportTry: Heffernan 4' c
Prendergast (2) 14' m, 78' c
Bolton 44' c
Blade 54' c
Aki 64' c
Con: Carty (2/3) 6', 45'
Hanrahan (3/3) 55', 65', 80'
Stade du Hameau, Pau
Attendance: 6,488
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)

Quarter-finals

12 April 2024
20:00
Gloucester England (2)23–13(7) Wales Ospreys
Try: Blake 30' m
Pen: Carreras (6/6) 6', 18', 34', 50', 60', 65'
ReportTry: Giles 13' c
Con: O. Williams (1/1) 14'
Pen: O. Williams (1/2) 22'
Giles (1/1) 40'
Kingsholm, Gloucester
Attendance: 9,816
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
13 April 2024
13:30
Sharks South Africa (1)36–30(8) Scotland Edinburgh
Try: Am 16' c
J. Venter 26' c
Mbonambi 55' c
Con: Makusu (3/3) 17', 27', 56'
Pen: Makusu (4/5) 48', 52', 65', 70'
Bosch (1/1) 78'
ReportTry: Schoeman 31' c
Watson 75' c
Cherry 80+2' c
Con: Healy (3/3) 32', 76', 80+3'
Pen: Healy (3/3) 3', 15', 40'
Kings Park Stadium, Durban
Attendance: 11,894
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
13 April 2024
13:30
Clermont France (4)53–14(12) Ireland Ulster
Try: Yato (2) 18' c, 68' c
Sowakula (2) 36' c, 59' c
Newsome 44' c
Simmons 63' c
Jurand 79' m
Con: Belleau (4/4) 19', 37', 61', 64'
Delguy (1/1) 45'
Bézy (1/2) 69'
Pen: Belleau (2/3) 28', 32'
ReportTry: Timoney (2) 12' c, 43' c
Con: Cooney (2/2) 13', 45'
Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont-Ferrand
Attendance: 13,945
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
14 April 2024
13:30
Benetton Italy (3)39–24(11) Ireland Connacht
Try: Lucchesi 5' c
Menoncello 12' c, 59' c
Smith 19' c
Albornoz (2) 26' 66'
Con: Albornoz (1/1) 6'
Umaga (3/3) 20', 28', 67'
Pen: Umaga 53', 60'
ReportTry: Heffernan 2' c
Boyle 41' c
Aki 56' c
Smith 68'
Con: Hanrahan (2/4) 3', 42'
Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso
Attendance: 4,098
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)

Semi-finals

4 May 2024
12:30
Sharks South Africa (1)32–31(4) France Clermont
Try: Koch 60' c
Mapimpi 70' c
Con: Masuku (2/2) 61', 71'
Pen: Masuku (6/6) 3', 8', 13', 18', 25', 28'
ReportTry: Jurand (2) 4' c, 19' m
Newsome 29' c
Con: Belleau (2/3) 6', 31'
Pen: Belleau (4/5) 15', 36', 40+1', 41'
Twickenham Stoop, London
Attendance: 5,517
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
4 May 2024
15:00
Gloucester England (2)40–23(3) Italy Benetton
Try: Hathaway 5' m
Blake 28' c
Hastings 57' c
Clarke 61' c
Thorley 77' m
Con: Hastings (3/5) 29', 59', 62'
Pen: Hastings (2/3) 19', 48'
Englefield (1/1) 69'
ReportTry: Smith 41' m
Lucchesi (2) 54' m, 66' c
Con: Albornoz (1/3) 67'
Pen: Albornoz (2/2) 15', 23'
Kingsholm, Gloucester
Attendance: 11,426
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)

Final

24 May 2024
20:00
Sharks South Africa (1)36–22(2) England Gloucester
Try: Buthelezi 25' c
Fassi 54' c
Mapimpi 59' c
Con: Masuku (3/3) 26', 55', 60'
Pen: Masuku (5/6) 14', 30', 36', 49', 52'
ReportTry: Tuisue 57' c
Socino 75' c
Clarke 78' m
Con: Hastings (2/3) 58', 76'
Pen: Englefield (1/1) 22'
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Attendance: 34,761
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
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See also

Notes

  1. Black Lion are champions of the third-tier Rugby Europe Super Cup competition for European nations outside the Six Nations.[6]
  2. Cheetahs formerly competed in the Pro 12, the earlier incarnation of the United Rugby Championship.[6]
  3. Richard Cockerill was sacked in November 2023 after a poor start to the season and replaced by Patrice Collazo.[7]
  4. Alex Codling stepped down from his daily duties as Newcastle Falcons head coach at the start of February 2024. Forwards coach Micky Ward took over on an interim basis.[8]
  5. Sharks finished eighth in the URC regular season phase, but were displaced in the Champions Cup by Cardiff Rugby as URC Welsh Shield winners
  6. Edinburgh's game against Bayonne was originally scheduled to be held at the Edinburgh Rugby Stadium but was moved the day of the game to Murrayfield Stadium due to strong winds from Storm Kathleen.[10]
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References

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