Challenge Cup

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Challenge Cup news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

stdClass Object ( [id] => 5 [league_name] => Challenge Cup [league_logo_id] => 0 [league_logo_url] => [parent_league_id] => 0 [wp_league_id] => 13 )

Bath

Benetton Treviso

Biarritz

Bristol

Brive

Cardiff

Connacht

Dragons

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Gloucester

Lions

London Irish

Lyon

Newcastle

Paris

Pau

Perpignan

Saracens

Scarlets

Toulon

Wasps

Worcester

Zebre

Blues fail to cash in on supershow from Garyn

15 October 2017 1 comment

■By ROGER PANTING GARYNSmith took his chance to impress by spearheading Blues to a bonus point victory over the Top 14 leaders Lyon. The centre […]

Wilson try staves off Dragons fightback

15 October 2017 0 comments

■By COLIN NEWBOULT THIS was a rather apt time for Newcastle to produce their worst performance of the season. At times they were outplayed, at […]

Gloucester leave it too late to make great escape

15 October 2017 1 comment

■By NICK WILLIAMS FORMER All Black Colin Slade scored 15 points as Pau saw off Gloucester on Thursday night. Trailing 20-0 after 55 minutes, Gloucester […]

Peerless Parisse leads his nearly men to glory

14 May 2017 0 comments

From NICK CAIN at Murrayfield STADE Francais have been Europe’s nearly men for so long they must have thought they were jinxed. However, the players […]

Glaws rue high penalty count

14 May 2017 1 comment

WITHGloucester losing out not just on a third Challenge Cup title, but also a chance at play-off qualification for next season’s European Cup – with […]

Savage:We’re going into unknown against Stade

7 May 2017 2 comments

By NEALE HARVEY GLOUCESTER stalwart Tom Savage warns his side to expect the unexpected when they take on Stade Francais in Friday’s Challenge Cup final […]

Ewels braced for Pumas cage battle

7 May 2017 0 comments

HUNGRY England second row hopeful Charlie Ewels has revealed how a chance meeting with his mentor Danny Grewcock left him in no doubt about the […]

Red-hot Burns fires Gloucester into final

23 April 2017 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD Burn ’em up: Gloucester’s Billy Burns breaks away to score his crucial try PICTURES: Getty Images GLOUCESTER showed real fighting spirit and […]

Palma-Newport: Bath simply must end the 9-year drought

23 April 2017 2 comments

By NEALE HARVEY Demanding success: Kane Palma Newport LONG-SERVING prop Kane Palma-Newport reckons it is high time Bath shook off their reputation as ‘nearly men’ […]

Plissons relishing Ford test

23 April 2017 0 comments

STADE Francais fly-half Jules Plissons is looking forward to once again lock horns with George Ford in the Challenge Cup semifinals today. The French international […]

Edinburgh crash out of the race after gifting

2 April 2017 0 comments

By GARY HEATLY EDINBURGHwere left to rue a dreadful start once again as they were bundled out of the Challenge Cup at the quarter-final stage […]

Twelvetrees fires reminder to Eddie

2 April 2017 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD BILLY Twelvetrees produced the kind of inspired display that helped win him 19 England caps as Gloucester set up a Challenge Cup […]

Top 14 high-fliers soft early tries

2 April 2017 0 comments

Rochelle replacement prop Lekso Kaulashvili picked up a yellow card and Edinburgh replacement Duncan Weir kicked the resulting penalty to bring Edinburgh back to within […]

Biggar: Play like last week and we’ll be in trouble

2 April 2017 1 comment

By ALEX BYWATER STAR fly-half Dan Biggar has revealed the Ospreys have had a few home truths spoken as they prepare for their crunch Challenge […]

Warburton still the pick of captaincy candidates

2 April 2017 1 comment

The clock is ticking in the run up to Warren Gatland’s Lions squad announcement, but for me there’s only one man to lead the touring […]

Cracked jaw small price to pay for a spot in the cup final!

2 April 2017 0 comments

I GOT a lot of stick for playing for Amman United last weekend, but even though we won, it didn’t all go to plan! A […]

Bath bury humiliation as Faletau roars back like a Lion

2 April 2017 2 comments

By NEALE HARVEY TAULUPE Faletau hammered out a statement to Lions boss Warren Gatland with a man-of-the-match display as Bath exorcised the ghosts of last […]

’Butcher’ Taulupe brings in the bacon

2 April 2017 0 comments

WITH Lions selection looming, Bath No.8 Taulupe Faletau produced a perfectly timed effort. WITH Lions selection looming, Bath No.8 Taulupe Faletau produced a perfectly timed […]

Tim Visser switches focus to his old Edinburgh pals

20 October 2016 0 comments

There might not be a Champions Cup place at stake but Tim Visser is adamant Harlequins will be chasing the Challenge Cup title just as […]

Brendan Gallagher on the love story between Harlequins and Challenge Cup

12 May 2016 0 comments

The Challenge Cup in its many guises has been good to Harlequins and vice versa. Quins have won Europe’s second tier Cup competition a record […]

Bath down London Wasps to reach Amlin Cup final

27 April 2014 1 comment

Bath will take on Northampton in the Amlin Challenge Cup final after beating London Wasps 24-18 at Adams Park today. Rob Webber scored two second-half […]

London Wasps and Bath set up all-English Amlin Cup semi-final

6 April 2014 3 comments

London Wasps have set up an all-English Amlin Cup semi-final against Bath after beating Gloucester 36-24 at Adams Park tonight. The two Premiership sides will […]

Leinster beat Stade Francais to claim Amlin Challenge Cup

17 May 2013 0 comments

Leinster lifted the Amlin Challenge Cup trophy after beating Stade Francais 34-13 in Dublin tonight. In front of their home fans at the RDS, the […]

Amlin Cup round 4 preview

14 December 2012 0 comments

Gloucester v London Irish Gloucester’s Nigel Davies has rung the changes for the return visit of Irish to Kingsholm tomorrow, despite his sides 29-22 victory […]

Live: Wasps v Bayonne

13 December 2012 1 comment

Live running commentary from our man Nick Verdier as London Wasps take on Bayonne in the fourth round of the Amlin Challenge Cup at Adams […]

Amlin Cup round 3 previews

7 December 2012 0 comments

London Irish v Gloucester David Paice and Jonathan Joseph return to the London Irish side from the England camp for tomorrow’s visit of Gloucester at […]

Andy Goode kicks Worcester to victory over Perpignan

7 December 2012 0 comments

Worcester have kept their qualification hopes alive in difficult weather conditions with a spirited 22-21 win over Perpignan at Sixways tonight. Andy Goode scored all […]

Amlin Challenge Cup round 2: preview and predictions

19 October 2012 0 comments

Dragons v Bayonne Tonderai Chavhanga returns for the Dragons as they face Bayonne following their defeat at Wasps last week. The former Springbok returns on […]

“We can’t afford to go backwards now, “ – Sailosi Tagicakibau

19 October 2012 0 comments

London Irish will look to build on their bonus point win over Bordeaux-Begles last week when they take on Mont de Marsan tomorrow at the […]

Gloucester get the five points but worry over injuries

18 October 2012 0 comments

Four first half tries handed Gloucester a 25-13 bonus-point win over Bordeaux-Begles at Kingsholm tonight. However, the game may be costly for the Cherry and […]

“Let’s keep the momentum before the Premiership resumes,” – Jim Hamilton

18 October 2012 0 comments

Gloucester host Bordeaux-Begles tonight in a bid to keep the pressure on London Irish at the top of their Amlin Cup group. For captain Jim […]

Amlin Challenge Cup round 1: preview and predictions

12 October 2012 1 comment

Bordeaux-Begles v London Irish Guy Armitage and Chris Hala’ufia will both start their first matches’ of the season as London Irish begin their Amlin Challenge […]

“Last week was a major boost but let’s be consistent now,” says Topsy Ojo

12 October 2012 2 comments

On paper, London Irish are one of the most threatening team in the Premiership. On the pitch however, the Exiles have struggled after seeing a […]

Gloucester do the job in France but Andy Hazell faces lengthy ban

11 October 2012 1 comment

Fourteen-men Gloucester earned an ugly 11-6 win at Mont-de-Marsan in the opening game of the Amlin Challenge Cup. Ian Clark’s first half try was enough […]

England legend Jonny Wilkinson still living for kicks after all these years

22 June 2012 0 comments

A campaign which began on England duty against Wales before 80,000 at Twickenham in early August ended ten months later for Toulon’s favourite émigré before […]