Challenge Cup

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

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EPCR Challenge Cup Quarter-Final Preview

7 April 2023 0 comments

There is no English representation left in this year’s EPCR Challenge Cup, but with three sides from France, two from Wales, and one each from […]

Battling Cardiff grab the glory in magnificent triumph over Sharks

2 April 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ……………………… 28pts Tries: Domachowski 19, Adams 33, 40+2, Conversions: J Evans 20, 40+3 Penalties: J Evans 9, 71; Priestland 43 Sale […]

Lions ……………. 51 Racing 92 ……28

2 April 2023 0 comments

LIONS battled to victory in their first ever Challenge Cup knockout stage game in Johannesburg, crushing Racing 92 despite being down to 14 men from […]

Stade F ………. 24 Lyon ……………..41

2 April 2023 0 comments

CHALLENGE Cup holders Lyon had to come from behind twice to win at Stade Français and earn a place in the quarter-finals. Lyon with face […]

High five for Matthews as Warriors crush Dragons

2 April 2023 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow…………73pts Tries: Horne 2, Matthews 15, 22, 26, 33, 42; Turner 55, Forbes 57, Jones 59, Steyn 72, 79 Conversions: Horne 3, […]

Scarlets grit it out to set up clash with Clermont

2 April 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets ……….. 19pts Tries: Fifita 50, Shingler 78 Penalties: Costelow 3, 15, 28 Brive……………….. 7pts Tries: Olding 47 Conversions: Olding 48 SCARLETS […]

Former Wasps star for Treviso

2 April 2023 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Benetton ……..41 Connacht …….. 19 CONNACHT could have few complaints as yet another Challenge Cup campaign fizzled out. Connacht failed to build […]

Easy for Clermont as Bears stumble

2 April 2023 0 comments

By TOM BRADSHAW Bristol ………………………….. 26pts Tries: Randall 34, Radradra 38 Conversions: MacGinty 35, 39 Penalties: MacGinty 11, 18, 49, 78 Clermont……………………… 33pts Tries: Lavanini […]

Biggar keeps Toulon on track

2 April 2023 0 comments

Toulon …………36 Cheetahs …….. 21 DAN Biggar helped steer Toulon past the Cheetahs at Stade Mayol. Thomas Salles cut through the midfield to score the […]

Genge puts on a show to power Bears home

22 January 2023 0 comments

By NICK POWELL Bristol …………….33pts Tries: Randall 14, Genge 20, 40+1; Thomas 23, Naulago 27 Conversions: MacGinty 15, 20, 25, 40+2 Perpignan……… 19pts Tries: Crossdale […]

Toulon have to beat the cold to secure home tie

22 January 2023 3 comments

Toulon ………… 14 Zebre …………….. 5 TOULON secured a home tie in the Challenge Cup round of 16 as they maintained their winning run with […]

Benetton edge it but Stade still in

22 January 2023 0 comments

Benetton ……..35 Stade F ………..32 BENETTON couldn’t quite make it to the top of Pool B – but they put in a determined display to […]

Falcons on song but it’s too late to matter

22 January 2023 1 comment

■By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle……….35pts Tries: Young 3, Orlando 10, Carreras 18, Barton 42, Lucock 77 Conversions: Schoeman 4, 11, 19, 43, Thomas 78 Connacht ………… […]

Weir off target as Glasgow fail to overcome Bath

22 January 2023 2 comments

■By BRYN PALMER Glasgow………… 19pts Tries: Fagerson 6, Vailanu 22, Cancelliere 47 Conversions: Jordan 7, 23 Bath ……………….. 19pts Tries: Cloete 25 Conversions: Francis 25 […]

Cheetahs ready to go on attack

22 January 2023 0 comments

Preview Cheetahs v Pau Today. Kick-off 3.15pm TWO teams with almost identical Pool B records meet today knowing victory is a must to keep their […]

Little goes right for slack Cardiff

22 January 2023 0 comments

By PAUL REYNOLDS Brive ……………..37 Cardiff ………… 24 CARDIFF ended the group stage on a downbeat note as defeat in Brive saw them miss out […]

Scarlets on cruise control

22 January 2023 1 comment

By SAM JACKSON Bayonne ………… 7 Scarlets ………. 20 SCARLETS maintained their 100 per cent record in this season’s Challenge Cup with a comfortable victory […]

Cross: It’s all about physicality

22 January 2023 1 comment

Preview Dragons v Lions Kick-off 1pm URC rivals Lions and Dragons collide in what is a winner takes all contest in round four of the […]

Halfpenny’s boot proves the difference for Scarlets

15 January 2023 1 comment

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets ……….. 20pts Tries: Steff Evans 22, McNicholl 54 Conversions: Halfpenny 22, 54 Penalties: Halfpenny 10, 63 Cheetahs ……… 17pts Tries: van […]

Thacker’s hat-trick lifts Bears

15 January 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Zebre……………… 11pts Tries: Gesi 60 Penalties: Eden 7, 24 Bristol …………… 34pts Tries: Thacker 43, 67, 77; Lloyd 52, Harding 73, Bradbury […]

Stuart: It will be tough but we’ll do our best

15 January 2023 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Cardiff v Newcastle Today. Kick-off 1pm, Arms Park SCRUM-HALF Sam Stuart insists Newcastle haven’t given up hope of making the knockout […]

It’s like a cup final – Annett

15 January 2023 1 comment

Preview Bath v Toulon Kick-off 3.15pm BATH’S Challenge Cup game against Toulon was postponed yesterday because of flooding. The game will take place today at […]

Connacht cruise into knockouts

15 January 2023 0 comments

By DARAGH SMALL Connacht …….. 61 Brive ………………. 5 ALEX Wootton scored a hat-trick as Connacht’s bonus point win secured their place in the knockout […]

Warriors hit Perpignan for six

15 January 2023 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Perpignan …..26 Glasgow ……….40 GLASGOW maintained their 100 per cent record in the European Challenge Cup pool stages and booked their place […]

Dragons end European drought

15 January 2023 1 comment

By ROB COLE Pau ……………….. 12 Dragons ……….. 21 DRAGONS took revenge on Pau to record a first win in European competition for more than […]

Benetton ………26 Bayonne ………… 7

15 January 2023 0 comments

BENETTON booked their place in the knockout stage of the Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over rock-bottom Bayonne in Pool B. The Italian side […]

Stade F ………… 17 Lions ……………… 7

15 January 2023 0 comments

A SECOND half horror show saw the Lions go down to Stade Francais at the Stade Jean-Bouin. The Lions completely dominated the first period but […]

Challenge Cup Friday and Saturday preview

13 January 2023 0 comments

With two Welsh sides currently dominating both of the European Challenge Cup’s 12-team pools, it’s a busy Friday and Saturday as teams’ jostling for a […]

Davidson makes history in Scarlets vs Cheetahs

12 January 2023 0 comments

Scotland‘s Hollie Davidson is set to lead the first ever all-female officiating team in a men’s European rugby match this Friday. The 30-year-old will be […]

Clinical Bears go back to back

23 December 2022 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Bristol ………………….35 Zebre…………………… 19 BRISTOL Bears strengthened their chances of progression to the next stage of the Challenge Cup with a victory […]

Dragons denied at the death by TMO call

18 December 2022 1 comment

By ROB COLE Dragons …………. 21pts Tries: Roberts 28, 62 Conversions: Hanrahan 63 Penalties: Davies 3, 15, 17 Pau ………………….27pts Tries: Carol 32, Roudil 58, […]

Glasgow find it tough going to take down Perpignan

18 December 2022 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow………..26pts Tries: McLean 18, Jones 24, Pen try 66, Cancelliere 78 Conversions: Weir 19, 25 Perpignan…….. 18pts Tries: McIntyre 34, Dubois 60 […]

Parisse has too much class as Toulon give Bath lesson

18 December 2022 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Toulon ……………..29pts Tries: Wainiqolo 14, Rabut 23, Deavaux 37 Cordin 54 Conversions: Biggar 15, 24, 38 Penalties: Biggar 7 Bath …………………… 7pts […]

First-half blitz puts Scarlets on right course

18 December 2022 0 comments

By DAVID ROBERTS Cheetahs ……….26pts Tries: Hartzenberg 3, Fortuin 63, Kapepula 68, Oliver 73 Conversions: Pienaar 3, 68, 73 Scarlets ……….. 45pts Tries: Evans 11, […]

Double injury blow spoils Connacht’s awayday win

18 December 2022 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Brive …………….. 24pts Tries: Fabien 65, 75, Raffy 61 Conversions: Laranjeira 61, 66, 75 Penalties: Sanchez 9 Connacht ……… 31pts Tries: Hawkshaw […]

Adams shows he’s the man for Gatland

18 December 2022 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle……….. 10pts Tries: Stuart 44 Conversions: J Thomas 45 Penalties: J Thomas 30 Cardiff…………….. 47pts Tries: Adams 8, 55; Priestland 20, Lane […]

Breakdown will be key against Zebre, says MacGinty

18 December 2022 0 comments

Focus: AJ MacGinty FLY-HALF AJ Mac-Ginty, who will be up against former Bear Tiff Eden at Ashton Gate when Bristol take on Zebre in round […]

Scarlets looking to prove worth

11 December 2022 1 comment

Preview Scarlets v Bayonne Today. 3.15pm SCARLETS welcome Wales internationals Dane Blacker, Ryan Elias and Josh Macleod back into their starting line-up for their Challenge […]

Cardiff cruise home as Williams hits 250 in style

11 December 2022 0 comments

By SIMON ROBERTS Cardiff…………… 41pts Tries: Dacey 4, 18; Adams 22, L Williams 48, T Williams 60, Grady 77, Cabango 80 Conversions: Evans 5, 19, […]

Weir keeps his cool to guide Glasgow home

11 December 2022 0 comments

By HAMISH STUART Bath………………….. 19pts Tries: White 22, Lee-Warner 28, Gallagher 61 Conversions: Francis 29, 62 Glasgow……………22pts Tries: Bean 3, Turner 15, Jones 38 Conversions: […]

Relief for Moriarty after he loses head

11 December 2022 2 comments

By MATT LLOYD Lions………………. 31pts Tries: Lombard 15, Ntlabakanye 30, van der Merwe 44, 48 Conversions: Lombard 10, 30; Hendrikse 44, 48 Penalties: Lombard 4 […]

Walder: We couldn’t put them under any pressure

11 December 2022 2 comments

By JOHN FALLON Connacht……….22pts Tries: Boyle 4, Byrne 37, Killgallen 77 Conversions: Hawkshaw 4, 38 Penalties: Hawkshaw 60 Newcastle………. 8pts Tries: Earle 25 Penalties: Schoeman […]

Zebre……………….. 21 Toulon…………….. 24

11 December 2022 1 comment

GAEL Drean’s 71st minute try won the match for Toulon against a plucky Zebre side. The visitors made a strong start and after consecutive penalties […]

Pau…………………… 16 Cheetahs………… 21

11 December 2022 2 comments

SOUTH African franchise the Cheetahs made a victorious start to their Challenge Cup campaign as they edged Top 14 strugglers Pau. Clement Mondinant opened the […]

Stade Fr……………24 Benetton………… 14

11 December 2022 0 comments

STADE Francais produced a stunning second half to overcome a resilient Benetton at the Stade Jean-Bouin on Friday. In a turgid first period, it was […]

Crane delight as Bears put on ‘best show of the season’

11 December 2022 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD Perpignan………. 5pts Tries: Shahn 40 Bristol Bears… 19pts Tries: Piutau 3, Harding 11, Jenkins 34 Conversions: MacGinty 4, 12 JORDAN Crane saluted […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup fixture lists: Premiership sides set to head to South Africa

21 July 2022 0 comments

The round-by-round fixtures for the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournament have been announced. Teams were split into four tiers for […]

European draws set for 28 June

20 June 2022 0 comments

The pool draws for the 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will be held at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on 28 June, EPCR confirmed […]

Five South African clubs enter Europe next season

2 June 2022 1 comment

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup organisers have announced five South African club sides will play in European competition next season. The Stormers, Bulls and Sharks, […]

At last! Long wait is over for elated Lyon

29 May 2022 1 comment

By BEN JAYCOCK Lyon ………………..30pts Tries: Couilloud 7, Penalty 45, Barassi 47 Conversions: Berdeu 9, 49 Penalties: Berdeu 20, 59, Ngatai 69 Toulon …………….12pts Tries: […]

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