Challenge cup 20/21

[GETHIN EXILE]

So we play 4 games against teams from a list of 6 French and 4 pro14 teams. I'm guessing that means 3 French and either a Welsh or Italian side. Does anyone know if there is any sort of seeding for the games or are we at the mercy of the organisers?

[Dokie]

So we play 4 games against teams from a list of 6 French and 4 pro14 teams. I'm guessing that means 3 French and either a Welsh or Italian side. Does anyone know if there is any sort of seeding for the games or are we at the mercy of the organisers?

In the main cup , they’ve been seeded into groups 1 - 4, with the 1s matched with 4s and the 2s matched with 3s. 11th would suggest we’ll be a 3 or 4 if they do the same, so we’d avoid the likes of Zebre, Ospreys and the promoted French teams.

[OakhamTiger32]

The line-up for the 2020/21 European Challenge Cup has been confirmed following the final round of fixtures in the Gallagher Premiership regular season last weekend.

Next season’s Challenge Cup will start with 14 clubs – six from the TOP 14, four from the Premiership and four from the PRO14 – in a single pool. Clubs will play twice at home and twice away in the pool stage and will not face clubs from their own league.

Leicester Tigers reached the Challenge Cup semi-finals this season in their first appearance in the tournament and will be joined by Premiership rivals Worcester Warriors, London Irish and promoted Newcastle Falcons in the new-look tournament in 2020/21.

The remaining qualified clubs are Benetton Rugby, Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and Zebre Rugby Club rom the PRO14 alongside Agen, Bayonne, Brive, Castres Olympique, Pau and Stade Français Paris from France.

The Challenge Cup season begins on the weekend of December 11/12/13 and fixtures will be announced soon.

Entry to the pool stage fixtures will be included in Tigers season tickets - COVID restrictions dependent.

Following the four pool fixtures, the leading eight clubs will be joined by eight representatives from the Heineken Champions Cup for the Round of 16. This will be followed by quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the final scheduled in Marseille on May 21, 2021.

[Cagey Tiger]

Fourteen clubs will compete over four rounds in the preliminary stage of the Challenge Cup with the eight highest-ranked clubs, as well as eight Heineken Champions Cup clubs, qualifying for the Round of 16.

Fixtures up for the preliminary stages of the Challenge Cup at:
https://www.epcrugby.com/challenge-cup ... d-results/
We play
Brive (H)
Bayonne (A)
Bayonne (H)
Brive (A)

Brive and Bayonne will not play each other. Instead they will both play Zebre as well as Tigers.

[JP14]

Both very winnable games in my opinion, although Bayonne are no mugs.

[Robespierre]

I live about mid-way between Brive and Bayonne (each about 2 1/2 hrs drive) and would like to go if spectators are permitted. Both will be formidable opponents away, Brive lost yesterday at home to Racing to a last minute try and are currently second from bottom in the relegation zone. Bayonne beat Montpellier at home and are in 8th in the Top14

[LE18]

I live about mid-way between Brive and Bayonne (each about 2 1/2 hrs drive) and would like to go if spectators are permitted. Both will be formidable opponents away, Brive lost yesterday at home to Racing to a last minute try and are currently second from bottom in the relegation zone. Bayonne beat Montpellier at home and are in 8th in the Top14

Hi, if permitted what is the best airport to fly to each? Thanks.

[Robespierre]

I live about mid-way between Brive and Bayonne (each about 2 1/2 hrs drive) and would like to go if spectators are permitted. Both will be formidable opponents away, Brive lost yesterday at home to Racing to a last minute try and are currently second from bottom in the relegation zone. Bayonne beat Montpellier at home and are in 8th in the Top14

Hi, if permitted what is the best airport to fly to each? Thanks.

Normally, Stansted - Biarritz (15 mins to Bayonne) and Stansted - Limoges (90 mins to Brive) but I doubt if Ryanair will be running these routes in December and January.

[GETHIN EXILE]

Fourteen clubs will compete over four rounds in the preliminary stage of the Challenge Cup with the eight highest-ranked clubs, as well as eight Heineken Champions Cup clubs, qualifying for the Round of 16.

Fixtures up for the preliminary stages of the Challenge Cup at:
https://www.epcrugby.com/challenge-cup ... d-results/
We play
Brive (H)
Bayonne (A)
Bayonne (H)
Brive (A)

Brive and Bayonne will not play each other. Instead they will both play Zebre as well as Tigers.

i dont see how playing only 2 other teams gives any true idea of the relative strengths of any of the teams, surely each team should have to play 4 different teams to give a realistic ranking across the 14 involved

[LE18]

I live about mid-way between Brive and Bayonne (each about 2 1/2 hrs drive) and would like to go if spectators are permitted. Both will be formidable opponents away, Brive lost yesterday at home to Racing to a last minute try and are currently second from bottom in the relegation zone. Bayonne beat Montpellier at home and are in 8th in the Top14

Hi, if permitted what is the best airport to fly to each? Thanks.

Normally, Stansted - Biarritz (15 mins to Bayonne) and Stansted - Limoges (90 mins to Brive) but I doubt if Ryanair will be running these routes in December and January.

Thanks for this, Bayonne/Biarritz would be a nice trip, and a good away match, agreed its unlikely to be allowed, but I've always wanted to go to Biarritz to see where the French used to hang out years gone by.

[Cagey Tiger]

Fourteen clubs will compete over four rounds in the preliminary stage of the Challenge Cup with the eight highest-ranked clubs, as well as eight Heineken Champions Cup clubs, qualifying for the Round of 16.

Fixtures up for the preliminary stages of the Challenge Cup at:
https://www.epcrugby.com/challenge-cup ... d-results/
We play
Brive (H)
Bayonne (A)
Bayonne (H)
Brive (A)

Brive and Bayonne will not play each other. Instead they will both play Zebre as well as Tigers.

i dont see how playing only 2 other teams gives any true idea of the relative strengths of any of the teams, surely each team should have to play 4 different teams to give a realistic ranking across the 14 involved

However, that would make who you played home or away a significant factor. I don't think that there is any obvious way to get a 'proper' evaluation with just 4 matches. They have chosen one way amongst many. There has always been an element of pot luck in who qualifies from the 'pool' stages and who gets home advantage in knockout games, so nothing new really.