European Shield
Encyclopedia
The European Shield was a reprechage tournament for teams knocked out in the first round of the European Challenge Cup
in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The name "European Shield" had previously been used for the now renamed European Challenge Cup.
In 2004-05 the twelve teams who failed to progress from the qualifying round of the European Challenge Cup were joined in the draw for the European Shield by Bucureşti
(Romania), UCM Madrid (Spain), Bera Bera (Spain) and Lisboa Rugby Club (Portugal).
The Shield competition has not been held since 2005 due to restructuring of the European Challenge Cup.
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...
in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The name "European Shield" had previously been used for the now renamed European Challenge Cup.
In 2004-05 the twelve teams who failed to progress from the qualifying round of the European Challenge Cup were joined in the draw for the European Shield by Bucureşti
Bucuresti Rugby
Bucureşti are a rugby union team from Bucharest, Romania, that competes in the European Challenge Cup. The side is a team that is formed every season to play in the Challenge Cup, consisting of footballers playing in the domestic Romanian leagues...
(Romania), UCM Madrid (Spain), Bera Bera (Spain) and Lisboa Rugby Club (Portugal).
The Shield competition has not been held since 2005 due to restructuring of the European Challenge Cup.
Previous Winners of the European Shield
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Castres Olympique Castres Olympique Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906... |
40–12 | Caerphilly Caerphilly RFC Caerphilly Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1887. Their home ground is Virginia Park in Caerphilly and their nickname is The Cheesemen. Caerphilly RFC currently play in the WRU Division One East and are a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.Caerphilly RFC also run a... |
Madejski Stadium Madejski Stadium The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon... , Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....  |
3,500 |
| 2004 | Montpellier | 25–19 | Arix Viadana Viadana Rugby Rugby Viadana is an Italian rugby union club that until 2010 competed in the Super 10. They are based in Viadana . The club was established in 1970, and has since won the Italian championship in 2002, and the Coppa Italia three times. They also compete in European rugby competitions and were... |
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma Parma Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....  |
2,553 |
| 2005 | FC Auch | 23–10 | Worcester Warriors | Kassam Stadium Kassam Stadium The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner, and former chairman of the club, Firoz Kassam.... , Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
2,823 |
See also
- Heineken CupHeineken CupThe Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
- European Challenge CupEuropean Challenge CupThe 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...
- Guinness PremiershipGuinness PremiershipThe English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
- Ligue Nationale de RugbyLigue Nationale de RugbyThe Top 14 is a rugby union club competition which is played in France. The Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism of LNR. There is promotion and relegation between the Top 14 and the next level down, the...
- Celtic LeagueCeltic League (rugby union)The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
- Super 10 (Italian premiership)Super 10 (Italian premiership)The withdrawal of Viadana and Benetton Treviso from the league has been compounded by club mergers. Rugby Viadana, Gran Parma and Colorno have merged to form GranDucato Rugby. Overmach Parma and Noceto have merged to form Crociati, both new clubs to be based in Parma. These changes created 2...