2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup

Not to be confused with 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup.

The 2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup will be the eleventh 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 29th edition of European club rugby's second-tier competition.

2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Countries	England  France  Georgia  Ireland  Italy  Scotland  South Africa  Wales
Tournament statistics
Final
Venue	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
← 2023–24 (Previous) (Next) 2025–26 →

The final will be played at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales.^[1][2]

Teams

Sixteen teams qualified for the 2024–25 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 Champions Cup. Two further sides received invitations, South Africa's Cheetahs and Georgia's Black Lion.^[2]

The distribution of teams are:

• England: two teams
  • Teams in the 2023–24 Premiership Season that did not qualify for the 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup.
• France: six teams
  • Teams taking part in the 2024–25 Top 14 season that did not qualify for the 2024–25 Champions Cup
• Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa & Wales: ten teams
  • Eight teams in the 2024–25 United Rugby Championship season that did not qualify for the 2024–25 Champions Cup. This season this consists of four teams from Wales, and a single team each from South Africa, Ireland, Italy and Scotland.
  • Two teams invited, one each from (again) South Africa (but based in the Netherlands) and Georgia.^[3]

Entry Point	Premiership	Top 14	United Rugby Championship					Invited
—	England	France	Ireland	Italy	Scotland	Wales	South Africa		Georgia
Pool stage	Gloucester Newcastle Falcons	Pau Perpignan Lyon Bayonne Vannes Montpellier	Connacht	Zebre Parma	Edinburgh	Ospreys Cardiff Scarlets Dragons	Lions	Cheetahs	Black Lion

Pool stage

Main article: 2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup pool stage

Teams will be drawn into pools on 2 July in Cardiff.^[2] Teams will be 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

EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 1

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Cardiff	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Home round of 16
2	Cheetahs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Connacht	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Home round of 16 as third best
4	Lyon	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Away round of 16
5	Perpignan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Zebre Parma	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Source: EPCR^[4]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.

Pool 2

EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 2

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Dragons	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Home round of 16
2	Lions	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Montpellier	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Home round of 16 as third best
4	Newcastle Falcons	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Away round of 16
5	Ospreys	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Pau	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Source: EPCR^[4]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.

Pool 3

EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 3

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Bayonne	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Home round of 16
2	Black Lion	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Edinburgh	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Away round of 16
4	Gloucester	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Scarlets	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Vannes	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Source: EPCR^[4]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.

References

1. "Champions Cup: Cardiff to host 2025 final before 2026 return to Bilbao". BBC Sport. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
2. "2024/25 EPCR season and Pool Draws dates". European Professional Club Rugby. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
3. "Black Lion and Toyota Cheetahs to continue EPCR Challenge Cup participation for next two seasons". European Professional Club Rugby. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
4. "Pool Tables | EPCR Challenge Cup". European Professional Club Rugby. Retrieved 2 July 2024.