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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Creevy at the double as Exiles enjoy away day

12 December 2021 1 comment

By JOHN WILLIAMS Pau ………………….17pts Tries: Levron 58, Joseph 77 Conversions: Levron 59, 78 Penalties: Levron 14 London Irish ….26pts Tries: Penalty 12, Creevy 19, […]

Valiant Gloucester kids fall just short

12 December 2021 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD Lyon ………………..19pts Tries: Taufua 46 Conversions: Doussain 47 Penalties: Doussain 10, 24, 58; Pelissie 70 Gloucester ……..13pts Tries: Jordan 59 Conversions: Twelvetrees […]

Billy blow makes bad day worse for Sarries

12 December 2021 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Saracens ……….18pts Tries: Goode 13, Christie 26 Conversions: M Vunipola 27 Penalties: M Vunipola 42, 57 Edinburgh……….21pts Tries: Moyano 23, Nel 66 […]

Biarritz send the Warriors a warning

12 December 2021 0 comments

By SUFIAN ALAM Zebre …………….13 Biarritz …………26 BIARRITZ scored four tries as they dispatched Zebre in Palma in a match between two teams desperately struggling […]

Scarlets concede Champions Cup opener with Bristol Bears

7 December 2021 0 comments

Scarlets have been forced to concede their opening Heineken Champions Cup Pool game vs Bristol Bears on Saturday. The decision was made due to concerns […]

Saints aim to make a statement in Europe

5 December 2021 0 comments

By PAUL REES ALEX Waller is one of Northampton’s longest serving players, having made his debut 12 years ago, and hopes to see out his […]

Bordeaux can be Woki champs

5 December 2021 0 comments

PAUL REES CONSIDERS THE COVID IMPACT ON THIS SEASON’S EUROPEAN CUP Tigers roar in 2002: Leicester will be hoping to revive the old glory days […]

Sarries look the clear favourites for smaller Euro crown

5 December 2021 0 comments

Challenge Cup WHO WOULD have thought it only a few years ago when they were jockeying for the title of the best club in Europe, […]

Tell us European Cup dates, clubs urge EPCR

5 September 2021 0 comments

EUROPEAN Challenge Cup organisers are coming under pressure from clubs to announce the format of this season’s competition which remains under discussion weeks before the […]

Youngs: This will help us be great

23 May 2021 2 comments

The Leicester Tigers captain offered his reaction after coming agonisingly close to winning the Challenge Cup trophy

Leicester 17-18 Montpellier: Tigers put maul in the bin and pay the penalty

23 May 2021 1 comment

Brendan Gallagher’s report from Leicester Tigers’ narrow Challenge Cup final defeat at Twickenham

Reaching a European final is testament to the squad-building at Leicester

20 May 2021 1 comment

Ben Kay breaks down the improvements made by Leicester Tigers under Steve Borthwick ahead of their trip to Twickenham on European Final Weekend

Alex Lozowski eyes glory finish to iffy start in France with Montpellier

16 May 2021 0 comments

Lozowski compares his experiences playing alongside Owen Farrell for so long at Saracens and his season in France with Handre Pollard

Tom Youngs promises fight to the finish at Twickenham

16 May 2021 1 comment

The Leicester Tigers captain talks to Paul Rees about his desire to bring silverware home to Welford Road by beating Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final

Leicester 33-24 Ulster: Fabulous George Ford puts Tigers into the final

2 May 2021 0 comments

The Leicester fly-half was pivotal to extinguishing Ulster’s first start in Friday’s Challenge Cup semi-final

McFarland: Defeat is hard to take

2 May 2021 0 comments

ULSTER head coach Dan McFarland was dejected by this semi-final defeat and fears his squad will take time to recover from conceding their 17-6 lead. […]

Bath 10-19 Montpellier: Toothless Bath flop out with whimper

2 May 2021 1 comment

Montpellier progress to the final with remarkable win at the Rec, their first match in over three weeks

Leicester 39-15 Newcastle: Tigers’ too powerful for 12-man Falcons

11 April 2021 0 comments

Newcastle fall to the grunt of Tigers’ forwards pack, following a chaotic finish that saw Falcons reduced to 12 men

Bath 26-13 London Irish: Zach Mercer the man as Bath flex muscles

11 April 2021 0 comments

Bath remain in the hunt for their first trophy in 13 years

Hooper: Cameron Redpath has grown so much

11 April 2021 1 comment

Redpath answered every question asked by Hooper in his comeback from injury

Northampton 27-35 Ulster: Even battling Ludlam can’t drag Saints home

11 April 2021 0 comments

Nick Isiekwe and David Ribbans sin-bins cost Saints dear at Franklin’s Gardens

Newcastle not at the races admits Dean Richards

11 April 2021 1 comment

Dean Richards offers his thoughts on Falcons 39-15 loss to Leicester Tigers

Jake Ball evades citing for contact with Faf de Klerk

7 April 2021 1 comment

The ball was deemed to be out at the ruck by referee Mathieu Raynal when Ball charged into de Klerk

Leicester 48-32 Connacht: Tigers leave it late to end Connacht’s challenge

4 April 2021 0 comments

An 11-try thriller at Welford Road sees Leicester come through to beat Connacht and advance in the Challenge Cup

Ospreys 24-28 Newcastle: Falcons hit quick triple with Tipuric in sin bin

4 April 2021 1 comment

Justin Tipuric pays the price for a no-arms tackle that reduced Ospreys to 14 players and gave Newcastle the edge

Zebre 27-35 Bath: Bath battle back to claim victory after Bruno’s hat-trick catches them cold

4 April 2021 0 comments

Anthony Watson and Jacques du Toit ensure Bath finish strongly on their visit to Parma

Dragons 39-43 Northampton: Collins try gets Saints out of jail

4 April 2021 0 comments

Saints come back to win despite being reduced to 13 players, Teimana Harrison gives his reaction

Montpellier 26-21 Glasgow Warriors: Indisciplined Warriors crash out of Europe after Ioane red

4 April 2021 0 comments

All of Glasgow’s points came from penalties conceded by Montpellier, but they were still left to rue their own indiscipline

Quins make big changes to take on the ‘favourites’

4 April 2021 4 comments

Neil Fissler previews Harlequins’ Challenge Cup clash against Ulster to wrap up the European Easter weekend

London Irish 41-35 Cardiff Blues: Irish defy red card with late winner

4 April 2021 1 comment

Another match where Ben Loader and Ollie Hassell-Collins star for London Irish

Benetton 29-16 Agen: Taulagi’s red card opens door for Benetton

4 April 2021 1 comment

Agen show no signs of winning as their hapless season continues

Bath lose banned captain Charlie Ewels for Challenge Cup clash

30 March 2021 0 comments

A one-week ban for his red card against London Irish rules the England lock out of Bath’s trip to Zebre in the European knockouts

Jarrod Evans eager for action after ‘frustrating’ Six Nations

28 March 2021 2 comments

The Cardiff Blues fly-half saw Callum Sheedy overtake him in the Wales pecking order for the Six Nations, to the Welshman’s frustration

Round of 16 stages drawn for Champions Cup and Challenge Cup

9 March 2021 2 comments

The Round of 16 draw for the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup knockout stages has taken place in Lausanne, Switzerland

Exclusive: Easter Monday slot for European Cup games

7 March 2021 0 comments

Jon Newcombe reveals how the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will be crammed in to the remainder of the season’s schedule

Simon Halliday says French govt’s decision to block European Cup competition was ‘unnecessary’

19 January 2021 0 comments

The EPCR chairman says protocols could not have been more safer for players

French call two-week halt to the European Cups

10 January 2021 1 comment

Covid-19 spike in Europe is set to obstruct the upcoming rounds of Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competition

George Nott eyes top spot to build momentum for Rec visit

20 December 2020 2 comments

By NEALE HARVEY LONDON Irish lineout leader George Nott is confident of backing up last week’s fine 34-8 win at Agen as his side aim […]

Worcester Warriors fall at final hurdle with Erbani crashing over

13 December 2020 0 comments

Worcester fall to a bitter 24-20 defeat in the opening round of the Challenge Cup in France

Albert Tuisue does the damage with early try double for London Irish

13 December 2020 1 comment

London Irish come away from their trip to Agen with a opening round victory in the Challenge Cup

England stars get job done for Leicester Tigers

13 December 2020 2 comments

The Youngs brothers and George Ford guide Tigers to victory over Brive at Welford Road

Sam Parry double helps Osprey banish their Euro hoodoo

13 December 2020 0 comments

THE Ospreys ended the worst losing streak in their European history as they put Castres to the sword with a five star performance. The Welsh […]

TEAMS: Will Butler returns from injury for start of Worcester’s Challenge Cup campaign

11 December 2020 0 comments

Selection news for all of the Challenge Cup’s opening round of competition, as Worcester Warriors travel to Pau

Teams will be at full strength for Champions Cup, says Lawrence Dallaglio

10 December 2020 0 comments

The Champions Cup remains the pinnacle of the European club game and a bigger prize than domestic success

This is just the start of something special – Bristol chairman Chris Booy

21 October 2020 0 comments

Challenge Cup glory is a huge stride forward for Bears who since their Championship days only two years ago

Breakdown king Ben puts Bears on track for first-ever Euro crown

18 October 2020 2 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER BRISTOL – as cool and canny after the break as they were frenetic before it – claimed a magnificent first European title […]

PLAYER WATCH…

18 October 2020 0 comments

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Lam: We showed no fear – that’s the Bristol way

18 October 2020 1 comment

PAT LAM doesn’t really want his team contesting a surprise Premiership final next week against Exeter but vowed Bristol will be ready should Wasps be […]