2011–12 European Challenge Cup
Encyclopedia
The 2011–12 Amlin Challenge Cup is the 16th season of the European Challenge Cup
, Europe's second tier club rugby union
competition. The tournament began with two matches on 10 November 2011 and is scheduled to end with the final in May 2012. Twenty teams from six countries will participate.
were ordered into four tiers according to the European Rugby Club Ranking. Five pools of four teams were drawn comprising one team from each tier.
The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking
at the end of the 2010–11 season.
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
, Europe's second tier club rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
competition. The tournament began with two matches on 10 November 2011 and is scheduled to end with the final in May 2012. Twenty teams from six countries will participate.
Teams
| England | France | Italy | Spain | Romania | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
USA Perpignan Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French... RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... CA Brive Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on... SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne is a French rugby union club based in Agen in the department of Lot-et-Garonne. They currently play in the top flight of French professional rugby, Top 14; they were most recently promoted after winning the 2010 title in the second-level Pro D2. Agen also... Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition... Lyon OU Lyon Olympique Universitaire or LOU is a French rugby union team that competes in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their spot in the Top 14 by winning the 2010–11 title of the second-tier Pro D2.... |
Rugby Club I Cavalieri Prato Rugby Club I Cavalieri is a rugby union team from the city of Prato, Italy. They play in the 2010-11 version of the Super 10 having been classified 5th in the 09-10 Super 10 just missing out on the play-off.-History:... |
CR La Vila Club de Rugby La Vila is a Spanish rugby team based in Villajoyosa, Spain.-Squad 2010-2011:-International honours: Joe Hutchinson Rodrigo Martinez Martin Aceña Matthew Cook Hernan Quirelli Marcos Poggi... |
|
Newport Gwent Dragons Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup... |
Seeding
Teams that did not qualify for the 2011–12 Heineken Cup2011–12 Heineken Cup
The 2011–12 Heineken Cup is the 17th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...
were ordered into four tiers according to the European Rugby Club Ranking. Five pools of four teams were drawn comprising one team from each tier.
The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking
European Rugby Club Rankings
The European Rugby Club Rankings were introduced for the 2008-09 European season. They are based on the points earned by teams in the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup over the past four years. They are used to aid in the seeding process for the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge...
at the end of the 2010–11 season.
| Tier 1 |  Stade Français (8) |
Perpignan USA Perpignan Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French... (9) |
 London WaspsLondon Wasps London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999... (14) |
Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... (19) |
Sale Sharks Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the... (22) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 2 |  Newport Gwent DragonsNewport Gwent Dragons Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup... (26) |
Brive CA Brive Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on... (27) |
Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in... (28) |
Worcester Warriors (29) |
Bayonne Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition... |
| Tier 3 |  Petrarca Padova |
Crociati Parma |
Rugby Rovigo |
Agen SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne is a French rugby union club based in Agen in the department of Lot-et-Garonne. They currently play in the top flight of French professional rugby, Top 14; they were most recently promoted after winning the 2010 title in the second-level Pro D2. Agen also... |
Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White .... |
| Tier 4 | Cavalieri Prato Rugby Club I Cavalieri Prato Rugby Club I Cavalieri is a rugby union team from the city of Prato, Italy. They play in the 2010-11 version of the Super 10 having been classified 5th in the 09-10 Super 10 just missing out on the play-off.-History:... |
Lyon Lyon OU Lyon Olympique Universitaire or LOU is a French rugby union team that competes in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their spot in the Top 14 by winning the 2010–11 title of the second-tier Pro D2.... |
Bordeaux-Bègles |
 Bucharest Wolves |
 Club Rugby La Vila Comunidad ValenciaCR La Vila Club de Rugby La Vila is a Spanish rugby team based in Villajoyosa, Spain.-Squad 2010-2011:-International honours: Joe Hutchinson Rodrigo Martinez Martin Aceña Matthew Cook Hernan Quirelli Marcos Poggi... |
Pool stage
| Winner of each pool advances to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses. |
Pool 1
| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stade Français |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 72 | 17 | +55 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Worcester Warriors |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 48 | 26 | +22 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Bucureşti Oaks |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 37 | 56 | −19 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Crociati Parma |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 10 | 68 | −58 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool 2
| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toulon RC Toulonnais RC Toulonnais is a French professional rugby union club based in Toulon in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 79 | 41 | +38 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 61 | 22 | +39 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Lyon Lyon OU Lyon Olympique Universitaire or LOU is a French rugby union team that competes in the Top 14, the first level of the country's professional league system. They earned their spot in the Top 14 by winning the 2010–11 title of the second-tier Pro D2.... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 38 | 53 | −15 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Petrarca Padova |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 25 | 87 | −62 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool 3
| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Wasps London Wasps London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 85 | 21 | +64 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Bayonne Aviron Bayonnais Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 63 | 13 | +50 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Bordeaux Bègles |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 17 | 67 | −50 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rovigo |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 17 | 81 | −64 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool 4
| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Gwent Dragons Newport Gwent Dragons Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 56 | 16 | +40 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White .... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 80 | 15 | +65 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Perpignan USA Perpignan Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 28 | 35 | −7 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Cavalieri Prato Rugby Club I Cavalieri Prato Rugby Club I Cavalieri is a rugby union team from the city of Prato, Italy. They play in the 2010-11 version of the Super 10 having been classified 5th in the 09-10 Super 10 just missing out on the play-off.-History:... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | −15 | 3 | 101 | −98 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool 5
| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brive CA Brive Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin is a French rugby union team founded in 1910 and based in Brive-la-Gaillarde in the département of Corrèze of the Limousin région . They wear black and white and play in the Stade Amédée-Domenech .- History :The club was created on 15 March 1910 established on... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 55 | 26 | +29 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sale Sharks Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 77 | 32 | +45 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Agen SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne is a French rugby union club based in Agen in the department of Lot-et-Garonne. They currently play in the top flight of French professional rugby, Top 14; they were most recently promoted after winning the 2010 title in the second-level Pro D2. Agen also... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 58 | 39 | +19 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| La Vila CR La Vila Club de Rugby La Vila is a Spanish rugby team based in Villajoyosa, Spain.-Squad 2010-2011:-International honours: Joe Hutchinson Rodrigo Martinez Martin Aceña Matthew Cook Hernan Quirelli Marcos Poggi... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 17 | −16 | 16 | 109 | −93 | 0 | 0 | 0 |