European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition

European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition
Sport	Rugby union
Inaugural season	2014–15
Organisers	EPCR Rugby Europe FIR
Number of teams	8 (6 (pools) + 2 (play-off))
Website	European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition Website Rugby Europe Website
Related competitions	European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Challenge Cup

The European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition is a rugby union competition, organised by European Professional Club Rugby, Rugby Europe and the Federazione Italiana Rugby, for entry into the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

The tournament was first announced in April 2014, at the same time as the announcement of the creation of the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions. The tournament features teams from tier 2 countries, such as Russia and Portugal, as well as select Italian Eccellenza clubs.

Format

Under the Heads of Agreement announced on 10 April 2014, there are two places available in the European Rugby Challenge Cup through the Qualifying Competition.^[1]

For the 2014-15 season, given the time constraints in filling the competition, this was a reduced competition the form of 2 two-legged play-off matches, with the aggregate winner of each taking one of the two Rugby Europe spots in the draw, and it involved the 2 best teams from Italy's National Championship of Excellence, plus a Romanian and Georgian selection.^[2]

An expanded format was announced on 22 December 2014,^[3] the expanded format includes clubs from Rugby Europe member Unions, Russia, Spain and Portugal alongside representatives from the Italian Eccellenza.

The 6 teams in the Qualifying Competition are split into 2 pools of 3 teams each. Each team will play the other teams in their pool once, before the two pool winners compete in a two-legged play-off against the teams currently competing in the Challenge Cup from the previous Qualifying Competition.

The winners, on aggregate, of these two play-offs will take up the Qualifying Competition places in the Challenge Cup.^[3]

Tournaments

2013–14

The reduced format for the inaugural Qualifying Competition included two Italian Clubs, a Romanian and a Georgian side. Sides were paired up and competed in two matches, home and away. The winner, on aggregate, of these two games received one of the two places in the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Rugby Europe 1 Play-off

• Rovigo Delta won the play-off 46 - 39 on aggregate, and qualifies as Rugby Europe 1.

Rugby Europe 2 Play-off

• București Wolves won the play-off 28 - 26 on aggregate, and qualified as Rugby Europe 2

2014–15

The expanded competition for entry into the 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup features six teams, in two pools of three. Russia is represented in European competition for the first time.^[4] Matches are scheduled for the same weekends as the 2014–15 Challenge Cup, beginning with the 5th Round of the Challenge Cup.

Pool 1	Pool 2
Calvisano	Enisey-STM
Viadana	Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa
El Salvador	Mogliano

Pool 1

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Qualifying Play-off

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Pool 2

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Qualifying Play-off

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See also

• European Rugby Challenge Cup
• Rugby Europe

References