Challenge Cup

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

TEAMS: McCall sticks by the Saracens who overcame Leinster

25 September 2020 0 comments

Full teams for the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals this weekend

Dragons slayed by ‘soft’ penalties

20 September 2020 0 comments

DRAGONS centre Jamie Roberts says ‘soft’ penalties cost his side dearly. “Tactically we were very good in the first 15 minutes but then we gave […]

Captain Tom chasing glory finish to year of progress

20 September 2020 2 comments

By NEALE HARVEY Focused: Tom Youngs LEICESTER’S quarterfinal clash with Castres today was cancelled after three of the French side’s players tested positive for coronavirus. […]

Super-sub Louis sinks Scarlets’ European dream

20 September 2020 0 comments

By ALEX BYWATER Victory kiss: Try-scorer Sergio Parisse embraces Charles Ollivon SCARLETS suffered a heartbreaking Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat and have still never won in […]

Semi sizzles as seven-try Bears cruise into last four

20 September 2020 1 comment

By ROGER PANTING Action man: Ben Earl dives over to score Bristol’s second try PICTURE: Getty Images SEMI Radradra produced another magical performance as Bristol […]

Edinburgh crash out after gifting Bordeaux 14-point start

20 September 2020 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Scorer: Damien Hoyland EDINBURGH slumped to a fifth consecutive knockout defeat in three seasons under Richard Cockerill as Bordeaux booked a semifinal […]

Leicester Tigers tie cancelled after Castres’ positive COVID-19 tests

19 September 2020 0 comments

Sunday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final at Welford Road has been cancelled, meaning Tigers progress

George Ford back for Leicester Tigers Challenge Cup clash

18 September 2020 0 comments

Team line-ups for this weekend’s Challenge Cup action, as Tigers welcome Castres to Welford Road

Champions Cup preview: Saracens head for their great showdown

15 September 2020 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher sets the scene for this weekend’s Champions Cup knockouts

Tackling Radradra? I used to face Billy Vunipola in training, says Nick Tompkins

3 September 2020 0 comments

Dragons centre Nick Tompkins is already looking forward to the Challenge Cup quarter-final against Bristol Bears

Revealed: Champions Cup and Challenge Cup to undergo radical format change

2 September 2020 0 comments

EPCR confirm big shake-up to European format for 2020-21

EPCR take decision to not host 2020 European Cup finals in Marseille

9 July 2020 0 comments

Stade Velodrome will not be the venue for October’s finals

Laporte’s World Club Cup won’t harm Champions Cup, says EPCR chief

30 June 2020 0 comments

EPCR chairman Simon Halliday sees little logical sense in how a World Club Cup could be held every year

Dates for Champions Cup and Challenge Cup confirmed by EPCR

25 June 2020 0 comments

Picture of 2019-20 season resumption now clear for Premiership, PRO14 and Top 14 clubs

Leinster wing Dave Kearney is king of Europe’s elite tryscorers

28 May 2020 0 comments

Peter Jackson looks over the stats for Europe’s top performing players in terms of tries and points scored

World Rugby vice-chairman candidate Bernard Laporte proposes axing Champions Cup

6 April 2020 0 comments

Laporte sees a radical improvement on the Champions Cup which would incorporate teams in both hemispheres

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup postponed by EPCR

24 March 2020 0 comments

EPCR will liaise with the Premiership, PRO14 and Top 14 to try and complete the European Cup season

Geordan Murphy reveals Leicester will be without three senior players

12 March 2020 0 comments

Jonny May is set for an ‘extended period’ on the sidelines after receiving a HIA on Six Nations duty

Randall bails Bristol out with try on the buzzer

19 January 2020 1 comment

By TIM LEWIS POOL 4 HARRY Randall saved Bristol’s blushes with a late try to secure a 7-7 draw against lowly Zebre in Italy. A […]

Wasteful Wasps get blast from boss Dai

19 January 2020 1 comment

By ROGER PANTING POOL 3 WASPS’ European campaign came to a miserable end as the French secured a home quarter-final with a convincing victory. Wasps […]

Hardwick lands the bonus as Tigers fumble their chances against battling Pau

19 January 2020 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD Power: Manu Tuilagi POOL 5 GEORDAN Murphy’s much-changed Tigers had their claws clipped by their French rivals but had already booked themselves […]

Blues blast ten tries but still fail to qualify

19 January 2020 0 comments

By STEFFAN THOMAS POOL 5 Try time: Lewis Jones runs in a try for Blues PICTURE: Huw Evans CARDIFF Blues scored ten tries as they […]

Bayonne hit for six as Toulon turn on the style

19 January 2020 0 comments

ROUND-UP TOULON completed a clean sweep of six victories with a 50-6 triumph over Bayonne in Pool 2. They struggled to make their extra class […]

Maestro Randall helps Bristol hit high notes

12 January 2020 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY Nap hand: Luke Hamilton goes over to score Bristol’s fifth try PICTURE: Getty Images HARRY Randall underlined his England potential with a […]

Wasps sign off in France with eight-try salvo as Sopoaga weighs in with 12 points for the visitors

12 January 2020 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Double: Jimmy Gopperth DAI Young’s men are clearly keen to end their dismal European crusade on a high note after dishing out […]

Tigers will go hunting for a home quarter-final

12 January 2020 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY First appearance: Dillon Lewis Must-win game: Tommy Reffell PICTURES: Getty Images TOUGH-TACKLING Welsh flanker Tommy Reffell is ready to step up to […]

Lancaster quells talk of unbeaten season

12 January 2020 1 comment

By JOHN FALLON STUART Lancaster says Getty Images Leinster are dealing well with the expectation which comes from winning all 14 games so far this […]

It’s job done for Chiefs but they’ll have to raise game

12 January 2020 1 comment

By NICK CAIN Held: Chiefs’ Olly Woodburn is tackled IT IS the first stage of mission accomplished for Exeter in their bid to become the […]

Mallinder’s back at last as Saints

12 January 2020 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY Year out: Harry Mallinder HARRY Mallinder makes his first appearance in over a year as Northampton take on Benetton in the first […]

Baxter: It feels like a winning draw…

12 January 2020 2 comments

EXETER director of rugby Rob Baxter said his team had “shown huge character” after coming away from Glasgow with a draw after a difficult week […]

Sale find Kerr-Barlow too much of a handful

12 January 2020 0 comments

By STEFFAN THOMAS A MASTERCLASS from former All Blacks scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow helped La Rochelle dump Sale Sharks out of Champions Cup contention. Steve Diamond’s […]

Ryan dares to hope despite his Dragons’ six-try pasting

12 January 2020 0 comments

By TOM COLEMAN DEAN RYAN is refusing to give up on his side’s European dreams despite being hit for six in France. Castres ran in […]

Not perfect, but Warriors still score dazzling ten

12 January 2020 0 comments

By ANDY MITCHELL Away: Scott van Breda breaks to score the first try Hat-trick: Ollie Lawrence lands his third try of the match PICTURES: Getty […]

Sad Irish are thumped again after slow start leaves them playing catch-up

12 January 2020 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD IRISH are in danger of finishing bottom of their European pool after slumping to yet another dismal loss in France. The visitors […]

Scarlets thumped by Toulon power game

12 January 2020 1 comment

By ALEX BYWATER Spirit: Uzair Cassiem tries to battle through for Scarlets PICTURES: Getty Images TEAMS SCARLETS: Halfpenny 4; Mc- Nicholl 5, Hughes 5 (Asquith […]

Zebre shock Stade’s aristos

12 January 2020 1 comment

ROUND-UP ZEBRE produced the shock of the round with a dramatic 29-24 victory over Stade Francais – only their fourth-ever win on their travels in […]

Cockerill left chasing bonus point at Agen

12 January 2020 0 comments

By GARY HEATLY POOL 3 Bordeaux …….32 Edinburgh…….17 BORDEAUX-Begles progressed to the knock-out stages with victory over Edinburgh Rugby. And the loss means that Richard […]

Davies on target as Dragons defy rain

15 December 2019 1 comment

By ROGER PANTING Threat: Sam Davies takes on the Warriors’ defence Fast start: Adam Warren dives in to score for Dragons PICTURES: Huw Evans TEAMS […]

Scarlets hit Bayonne for six to keep heat on Pool pace-setters Toulon

15 December 2019 1 comment

By ALEX BYWATER SCARLETS put the distraction of New Zealand’s interest in head coach Brad Mooar to one side as they hammered listless Bayonne. New […]

Kidney raps ref penalty count against the Exiles

15 December 2019 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY Touchdown: Albert Tuisue scores London Irish’s first try PICTURE: Getty Images TEAMS LONDON IRISH: Brophy-Clews 6 (Brand 65, 6), Rona 6, Stephenson […]

Begles sniff out another victory

15 December 2019 1 comment

ROUND-UP BORDEAUX Begles remain unbeaten in Pool 3 after a bonus-point victory over winless Agen. After an early Agen penalty, Seta Tamanivalu got Bordeaux off […]

Thacker’s final flourish maintains Bears’ perfect record

15 December 2019 0 comments

By JACK WILLIS Big impact: Toby Fricker makes yards for Bristol BRISTOL’S pursuit of European glory stepped up a gear as Harry Thacker struck late […]

Jaco puts the boot into Wasps’ Euro hopes

15 December 2019 1 comment

By ROB WILDMAN DAI Young urged his faltering Wasps squad to “stay strong together” after losing for the second week running to Edinburgh. Two late […]

Tovey’s late penalty keeps Cardiff alive and kicking

15 December 2019 0 comments

By JAMES CANDY JASON Tovey slotted a last gasp penalty to secure a pair of losing bonus-pointsfor Cardiff Blues following a hat-trick by Owen Lane. […]

Unbeaten Tigers line up their place in quarter finals

15 December 2019 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Try time: Andy Forsyth scored Tigers’ second GEORDAN Murphy believes the best is yet to come from his Tigers in Europe after […]

Debut hat-trick for Adams as Blues bring up half ton

8 December 2019 2 comments

By ROB COLE POOL 5 JOSH Adams announced his arrival at the Arms Park with a hat-trick as Blues buried Pau under an avalanche of […]

Tigers produce clinical display to honour Matthews

8 December 2019 0 comments

By ROB WILDMAN POOL 5 No holding him: Telusa Veainu breaks clear to score LEICESTERneeded only 18 minutes to flatten the Italian visitors in a […]

Basham’s dismissal has Ryan baffled

8 December 2019 0 comments

By GEOFF BERKELEY POOL 1 Determined: Matt Moulds drives forward for Warriors Untouched: Ollie Lawrence goes over for the Warriors PICTURES: Getty Images DIRECTOR of […]

Evans shows his power to keep Scarlets in line for quarter-final challenge

8 December 2019 1 comment

By STEFFAN THOMAS THE Scarlets remain in contention for a place in the Challenge Cup quarterfinals after a hard-fought win over Bayonne in France. Brad […]

Two reds…but it’s green for go for terrific Toulon

8 December 2019 2 comments

POOL 2 By SAM JACKSON Dynamic: Baptiste Serin scored two tries for Toulon Power: Steve Mafi DECLAN Kidney wants his Irish players to pick themselves […]

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