European Rugby Continental Shield

European Rugby Continental Shield
Sport Rugby union
Inaugural season 2014–15
Organisers EPCR
Rugby Europe
FIR
Number of teams 8 (6 (pools) + 2 (play-off))
Country  Italy
 Georgia
 Romania
 Russia
 Spain
 Portugal
 Germany
 Belgium
Website European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition Website
Rugby Europe Website
Related competitions European Rugby Champions Cup
European Rugby Challenge Cup

The European Rugby Continental Shield (formerly 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 Spain, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Georgia, 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]

In 2017, the competition was rebranded as the European Rugby Continental Shield, and it was announced that the two qualifiers would play each other as part of the EPCR's finals weekend.[4]

Tournaments

2014

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.

Pool 1 Pool 2
Italy Rovigo Delta Romania București Wolves
Georgia (country) Tbilisi Caucasians Italy Calvisano

Rugby Europe 1 Play-off

20 September 2014
16:00 CEST
Rovigo Delta Italy 22–18 Georgia (country) Tbilisi Caucasians
Stadio Mario Battaglini
Referee: Lloyd Lynton (SRU)
27 September 2014
17:00 GET
Tbilisi Caucasians Georgia (country) 21–24 Italy Rovigo Delta
Vake Stadium, aka Meskhi
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)

Rugby Europe 2 Play-off

20 September 2014
21:00 EEST
București Wolves Romania 18–13 Italy Calvisano
Stadium Arcul de Triumf
Referee: Gary Conway (IRFU)
27 September 2014
19:30 CEST
Calvisano Italy 13–10 Romania București Wolves
Peroni Stadium
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (FFR)

2015

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.[5] 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
Italy Calvisano Russia Enisey-STM
Italy Viadana Portugal Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa
Spain El Salvador Italy Mogliano

Pool 1

Advances to Qualifying Play-offs
P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Italy Calvisano 2 2 0 0 96 15 +81 13 2 2 0 10
Italy Viadana 2 1 0 1 39 41 -2 6 5 1 0 5
Spain El Salvador 2 0 0 2 19 98 -79 3 15 0 0 0

Qualifying Play-off

18 April 2015
Rovigo Delta Italy 17 - 17 Italy Calvisano

2 May 2015
Calvisano Italy 35 - 7 Italy Rovigo Delta

Pool 2

Advances to Qualifying Play-offs
P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Russia Enisey-STM 2 2 0 0 47 15 +32 5 2 1 0 9
Italy Mogliano 2 1 0 1 60 19 +41 6 4 1 1 6
Portugal Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa 2 0 0 2 17 73 -56 3 10 0 0 0

Qualifying Play-off

18 April 2015
CSM Baia Mare Romania 20 - 30 Russia Enisey-STM

2 May 2015
Enisey-STM Russia 33 - 12 Romania CSM Baia Mare

2015–16

The Qualifying Competition was once again expanded, this time featuring 8 teams in two pools of four. Each team will play the teams in the other pool once. Belgium and Germany are represented in pan-European Rugby competition for the first time, through Royal Kituro and Heidelberger RK respectively

Advances to Qualifying Play-offs
Pool A P W D L PF PA Diff TB LB Pts
Italy Rovigo 4 3 0 1 136 77 59 3 0 15
Germany Heidelberger RK 4 3 0 1 109 71 38 2 1 15
Italy Fiamme Oro 4 3 0 1 74 51 23 0 0 12
Spain Valladolid RAC 4 2 0 2 114 68 46 1 0 9
Pool B P W D L PF PA Diff TB LB Pts
Romania Timișoara Saracens 4 4 0 0 126 48 78 3 0 19
Portugal GD Direito 4 1 0 3 72 82 -10 0 2 6
Italy Mogliano 4 0 0 4 49 105 -56 1 1 2
Belgium Royal Kituro 4 0 0 4 20 198 -170 0 0 0

Fixtures

Qualifying Play-offs

9 April 2016
Rovigo Italy 0 - 31 Russia Enisey-STM
Stadio Mario Battaglini
9 April 2016
Timișoara Saracens Romania 36 - 23 Italy Calvisano
Dan Paltinisanu Stadium
23 April 2016
Enisey-STM Russia 39 - 5 Italy Rovigo
TRUD Stadium, Krasnodar
23 April 2016
Calvisano Italy 17 - 28 Romania Timișoara Saracens
Peroni Stadium

2016–17

The format of the Qualifying Competition remains similar to the previous season. As before, two places in the next year's Challenge Cup will be available for teams in the Qualifying Competition.

This season's competition features clubs which have qualified from the domestic leagues of Rugby Europe member unions, Russia, Spain, Germany and Belgium, as well as four representatives from the Italian Eccellenza.

The eight participating clubs will compete in two pools with each club in Pool A playing once against each club in Pool B.

The two pool winners will then play off against Timisoara Saracens of Romania and Russia's Enisei-STM on a home and away basis to decide which two clubs will qualify for the 2017/18 Challenge Cup.

Mid-season it was announced the competition would become the European Rugby Continental Shield and the two qualifiers will play a final match as part of EPCR's 2017 Edinburgh Finals weekend.[4]

Advances to Qualifying Play-offs
Pool A P W D L PF PA Diff TB LB Pts
Russia Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk 4 4 0 0 172 61 111 4 0 20
Italy Petrarca 4 4 0 0 149 45 104 3 0 19
Italy Calvisano 4 3 0 1 134 92 42 3 0 15
Belgium Dendermondse RC 4 0 0 4 50 167 -117 0 0 0
Pool B P W D L PF PA Diff TB LB Pts
Italy Mogliano 4 2 0 2 129 126 7 4 0 12
Spain El Salvador 4 1 0 3 84 105 -21 1 1 6
Italy Rovigo 4 1 0 3 72 95 -23 1 1 6
Germany Heidelberger RK 4 1 0 3 80 181 -101 0 0 5

Fixtures

Qualifying Play-offs

EPCR will determine about one open question: If it was like the past years, according to the rating, Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk would meet with the Romanian Timisoara. But Krasny Yar received a letter that EPCR will hold a meeting on the final round of qualifying Challenge Cup, which will be determined the opponents.[8] In February 14, at the office of RK "Yenisei-STM" received a letter signed by the coordinator of the qualifying competitions EPKR Vincent Prebande. Mr. Prebande reports that, like last year, the second stage of Qualifying teams will play in accordance with the principle of sport. The two-legged confrontation "Yenisei-STM" will meet the Italian club "Mogliano" and "Krasny Yar" - with the Romanian club "Timișoara Saracens". [9]

1 April 2017
Mogliano Italy 0 - 46 Russia Enisey-STM
Stadio Maurizio Quaggia
22 April 2017
Enisey-STM Russia 51 - 7 Italy Mogliano

Continental Shield Final

Qualifying Play-off Results

Key to colours
     Winner qualified to the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
     Winner continue in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
     Winner advance to the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
Season Play-off 1 Play-off 2 Qualify for
Winners Score Runners-up Winners Score Runners-up
2013–14 Italy Rovigo Delta 46-39 Georgia (country) Tbilisi Caucasians Romania București Wolves 28-26 Italy Calvisano 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup
Season Play-off 1 Play-off 2 Qualify for
Challenge Cup Side Score Continental Shield Side Challenge Cup Side Score Continental Shield Side
2014–15 Italy Rovigo Delta 24-52 Italy Calvisano Romania CSM Baia Mare 32-63 Russia Enisey-STM 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup
2015–16 Italy Calvisano 40-64 Romania Timișoara Saracens Russia Enisey-STM 70-5 Italy Rovigo 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup
2016–17 Romania Timișoara Saracens 35-39 Russia Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk Russia Enisey-STM 97-7 Italy Mogliano 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup

Continental Shield Finals

Season Country Winners Score Runners-up Country Venue
2016–17  Russia Enisey-STM 36 – 8 Krasny Yar Krasnoyarsk  Russia BT Murrayfield Complex, Edinburgh

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.epcrugby.com/news/28828.php New Tournament Formats Agreed, EPCRugby.com, 10 April 2014
  2. ↑ http://www.epcrugby.com/eng/news/28916.php
  3. 1 2 Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition Expanded
  4. 1 2 "New identity for the Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition". epcrugby.com.
  5. ↑ http://www.epcrugby.com/news/29908.php#.VJgUPv8cA
  6. ↑ "Match Appointments for November 2015". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "COUPE D'EUROPE: KITURO v ROVIGO MATCH ANNULE" (in French). En raison du passage au niveau d'alerte 4 et en accord avec EPCR, FBRB et les autorités communales le match de ce samedi est annulé. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "Игорь Николайчук: "EPCR на заседании определит нашего соперника"" (in Russian). EPCR will determined the opponents. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "СПОРТИВНЫЙ ПРИНЦИП ВОСТОРЖЕСТВОВАЛ" (in Russian). Sports principle prevail. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
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