Challenge Cup

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

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup round three Sunday round-up

15 January 2024 0 comments

The third weekend of EPCR action ended with half of the qualification places now decided in each of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. Though […]

Williams sees red as Scarlets eliminated

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Clermont………..xxpts Tries: player name and time Conversions: player name and time Penalties: player name and time Drop goals: player name and time […]

Mercer in the right place for Gloucester

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh………..20pts Tries: Young 22, Ashman 61, Vellacott 68 Conversion: Healy 69 Penalty: Healy 52 Gloucester ……… 21pts Tries: Rees-Zammit 45, Mercer 74 […]

Full-back Hopkins is star of the show as fans pay tribute to JPR

14 January 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Ospreys………….25pts Tries: Hopkins 40, 50, Giles 63 Conversions: Edwards 51, 64 Penalties: Edwards 34, 43 Perpignan……….. 3pts Penalties: McIntyre 46 ON a […]

Willemse power makes difference

14 January 2024 0 comments

Montpellier ..13 Lions ……………… 3 UNDEFEATED Montpellier went three from three to top Pool 2 with victory over South African side the Lions. Both sides […]

Le Brun keeping Castres on course

14 January 2024 0 comments

Castres ………..28 Black Lion ……. 6 CASTRES secured their second win in the Challenge Cup to boost their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages […]

Dragons blow chance of booking home leg

14 January 2024 0 comments

By JOHN WILKINS Zebre………………20pts Tries: Gesi 26, 51; Bianchi 44 Conversions: Montemauri 45 Penalties: Montemauri 35 Dragons………….17pts Tries: Rosser 58 Penalties: Evans 6, 13, 17, […]

Cheetahs excited for trip to Dam

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Preview Cheetahs v Pau Today. 1pm THE Cheetahs are gearing up for this historic clash as the South African franchise host a […]

Horror show goes on for dejected Falcons

14 January 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle…………………….18pts Tries: Bello 13, McCallum 62 Conversion: Connon 14 Penalty: Connon 4, 24 Benetton……………………… 57pts Tries: Albornoz 16, Ratave 19, 43; Menoncello […]

Springbok stars step up for error-strewn Sharks

14 January 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Sharks …………38 Oyonnax ……….. 7 URC bottom side the Sharks made life difficult for themselves but in the end secured a convincing […]

Challenge Cup round three Friday and Saturday Preview

12 January 2024 0 comments

Round 3 of the Challenge Cup promises an array of exciting fixtures, featuring eight matches unfolding across Friday and Saturday with teams vying for a […]

The French out in front? That’s not how it looks

24 December 2023 0 comments

With 12 victories in 16 games, Paul Rees reflects on a promising start by English clubs in the Champions Cup It has been a chastening […]

Dreadful night for Scarlets

24 December 2023 0 comments

When they drank Llanelli dry the day the Scarlets beat New Zealand 51 years ago, the public houses to run out of beer included The […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Sunday round-up

18 December 2023 0 comments

Narrow victories for Exeter and Leicester ensured English teams came away with more wins than losses on a second-straight weekend of Champions Cup action. Although, […]

Dungeon of obscurity needs to be shut

17 December 2023 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT Barely able to buy a round of drinks, let alone a win – the good men and true of Kingsholm are up against […]

Scarlets stunned by Matkava’s history boys

17 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ………….. 7pts Try: Fifita 4 Conversion: Lloyd 5 Black Lion ……..23pts Tries: Modebadze 34, Mamrikishvili 58 Conversion: Matkava 35, 59 Penalties: […]

Mercer leads the charge at Kingsholm

17 December 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ………28pts Tries: May 16, Socino 32, 35 Conversions: Carreras 32, 35 Penalties: Carreras 40, 56, 68 Clermont…………. 17pts Tries: Jauneau 17, […]

Morgan rested as Booth makes changes for Ospreys’ French test

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK THE Ospreys go into today’s trip to Top 14 basement side Montpellier without Wales captain Jac Morgan, who is rested. Ospreys head […]

Prisciantelli drives Zebre fightback

17 December 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Oyonnax ………14 Zebre …………… 21 ZEBRE fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli kicked eight points as his side fought back from an 11-point deficit in […]

Try double gets record for Rhyno

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN WILLIAMS Benetton ……..29 Perpignan …….. 7 Full-back Rhyno Smith became Benetton’s all-time leading try scorer in EPCR competitions as his side enjoyed a […]

Late drama as Dragons denied at the death

17 December 2023 0 comments

By DAVID JOHN DRAGONS were denied back-to-back Challenge Cup victories in the final play of the game as Pau registered their first win of the […]

Sharks excited for derby tear up

17 December 2023 0 comments

Preview Cheetahs vSharks Today. 1pm By BEN JAYCOCK THE Sharks and Cheetahs both go into today’s Challenge Cup derby in high spirits after opening round […]

Tenth defeat in a row for battling Falcons

17 December 2023 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Lions blindside Emmanuel Tshituka scored two second-half tries as Newcastle were taken back to school by a brutally powerful South African side […]

Edinburgh coast home after Cocagi sees red

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER With Paterson failing to return from an HIA, Darcy Graham made an earlier than anticipated return to action from the bench. Duhan […]

Social media can hurt even the best

17 December 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Last weekend saw some of the best rugby we have seen this season, including the World […]

Challenge Cup round two Friday and Saturday preview

15 December 2023 0 comments

Having got their campaign underway with victory last week, Gloucester are now back to nearly full strength for a crucial match against Clermont under the […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Sunday round-up

11 December 2023 0 comments

Sunday saw a fourth meeting in as many seasons of La Rochelle and Leinster in the Champions Cup, with their last two clashes both having […]

Lions set to ring the changes

10 December 2023 0 comments

■By BEN JAYCOCK Preview… Perpignan v Lions Today. 1pm LIONS head coach Ivan van Rooyen will be banking on the strength of his squad as […]

Four-try Lake guides Ospreys safely home

10 December 2023 0 comments

■By ROB COLE Ospreys ……………………….. 43pts Tries: Lake 7, 26, 46, 56; Thomas 17, Morris 76 Conversions: Williams 8, 19, 27, 48; Walsh 77 Penalties: […]

Clermont dominate to see off Edinburgh

10 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Clermont……….. 31pts Tries: Moala 25, Newsome 31, 62; Bibi Biziwu 69 Conversions: Belleau 27, 32, 64, 70 Penalties: Belleau 38 Edinburgh……… 18pts […]

Lloyd blow a problem for Scarlets and Gatland

10 December 2023 0 comments

■By ANDY HOWELL Castres …………. 34pts Tries: Raisuqe 5, Fernandez 32, Papali’i 38, Dumora 43, Le Brun 66 Conversions: Le Brun 5, 43, 66 Scarlets […]

Barton is on target to rescue Gloucester

10 December 2023 0 comments

■By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Black Lion ………. 10pts Try: Matkava 20 Conversion: Matkava 21 Gloucester ……… 15pts Penalty: Matkava 68 Penalties: Barton 11, 17, 28, 48, […]

Newcastle are hoping for a cold front in basement battle

10 December 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Newcastle v Montpellier Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Kingston Park IT will be a case of bottoms up at Kingston Park today when […]

Pau no match for powerful Sharks

10 December 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Sharks ……….. 45 Pau ………………… 5 LUKHANYO Am and Eben Etzebeth scored two tries apiece as the Sharks launched their maiden Challenge […]

Perfect Pienaar downs Zebre

10 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Zebre ……………15 Cheetahs …….33 CHEETAHS scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar was perfect off the tee as the South African invitational side secured a routine […]

Dyer at the double to seal victory for Dragons

10 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Dragons………… 24pts Tries: Hewitt 43, Davies 74, Dyer 77, 80 Conversions: Reed 44, 80 Oyonnax………….. 7pts Tries: Treilles 22 Conversions: Soulan 23 […]

Challenge Cup round one Friday and Saturday preview

8 December 2023 0 comments

Gloucester will be looking to get their season back on track as they face Black Lion, with their opposition becoming the first Georgian team to […]

Georgia happy to be joining the party

3 December 2023 0 comments

The Challenge Cup is being used to widen boundaries. A Georgian side, Black Lion which will play its home matches in Tbilisi, has been included […]

Challenge Cup invite for Black Lion and Cheetahs

9 July 2023 0 comments

Georgian team Black Lion and South African side Cheetahs have been invited to join the 2023- 24 European Challenge Cup. Organisers have finalised the pool […]

Georgia and Israel in line for Challenge Cup

2 July 2023 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE Teams from Georgia, Israel and South Africa are in the running to fill the two vacant spots in the 2023/24 European Challenge […]

Superstar Parisse signs off in style

21 May 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Glasgow……………………….. 19pts Tries: Steyn 55, 73; Cancelliere 68 Conversions: Horne 56, 74 Toulon …………………………. 43pts Tries: Serin 4, 24, Parisse 17, Wainiqolo […]

Warriors will learn from this – Smith

21 May 2023 0 comments

Glasgow head coach Franco Smith accepted that his side were outplayed but believes this experience will help his players in the long run. He said: […]

European Challenge Cup final preview

19 May 2023 0 comments

The word “historic” is often overused when it comes to sporting triumphs, but there can be no doubt that will be the case for whoever […]

Miotti can be the main man for Glasgow – McDowall

14 May 2023 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Domingo Miotti can step up and fill the boots of banned fly-half Tom Jordan as Glasgow aim to become the first Scottish […]

Glasgow power on to first Euro final

30 April 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets ………………………..17pts Tries: Steff Evans 31 Penalties: Costelow 24, 28, 39, 46 Glasgow………………………. 35pts Tries: McDowall 3, 79; Horne 43, Matthews 51, […]

Negri’s keen on Parisse clash

30 April 2023 0 comments

■ By JON NEWCOMBE Preview Toulon v Benetton Today. Kick off 12.30pm SEBASTIAN Negri is relishing the prospect of being on the same pitch with […]

Monstrous defence wins battle for Warriors

9 April 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Glasgow………… 31pts Tries: Dempsey 9, Dobie 17, Fagerson 48, Jordan 73 Conversions: G Horne 10, 19, 49, 74 Penalties: G Horne 68 […]

Cardiff pay price for poor discipline

9 April 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Benetton ……………………. 27pts Tries: Smith 20, Lamaro 56, Watson 68 Conversions: Umaga 21, 57; Albornoz 70 Penalties: Umaga 6, 12 Cardiff ……………………….. […]

Costelow grabs it for Scarlets

9 April 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets …………………….. 32pts Tries: Halfpenny 8, Costelow 14, Williams 36, Conbeer 76 Conversions: Halfpenny 14, Costelow 36, 76 Penalties: Halfpenny 6, Costelow […]

Toulon have too much power for Lyon

9 April 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Toulon ………….. 48pts Tries: Wainiqolo 26, 66; Baubigny 38, Priso 40, Vuidravuwalu 49, Ollivon 57, Luc 77 Conversions: West 39, 40, 50, […]

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