EUROPEAN RUGBY - Revised Format

[OakhamTiger32]

https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/re ... ournaments

Leicester Tigers are guaranteed a home draw in the opening stage of the knockout rounds in the European Challenge Cup following the announcement of a revised format for the remainder of this season.

Tigers are among three clubs – alongside London Irish and Ospreys – guaranteed a home game in the Round 16 after winning both of the opening matches in the preliminary stage of the Challenge Cup, at home to Brive and then away to Bayonne, before the tournament was suspended.

Following discussions with its shareholder leagues and unions, organisers EPCR have revealed that the Challenge Cup and Heineken Champions Cup tournaments will resume with the ‘Round of 16’ matches on the weekend of April 2/3/4 and the knockout stages will continue with quarter-finals, semi-finals and the Marseille finals on allocated weekends in April and May.

A draw for the Rounds of 16 and quarter-final matches will take place on Tuesday, March 9.

The eight highest-ranked clubs from the preliminary stage of the Challenge Cup at the time of the suspension of the tournament and the eight clubs which have not qualified for the knockout stage of Heineken Champions Cup will compete in the Round of 16. Clubs from the same league cannot be drawn together.

It has been agreed that open draws will take place to determine the quarter-finals in both the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, allowing for the possibility of matches between clubs from the same league.

The draws for the quarter-finals will take place immediately after the Rounds of 16 draws on March 9. Details of the event, which will be streamed live on epcrugby.com, will be communicated early next month.

2020/21 Knockout Stage Qualifiers

Challenge Cup – London Irish, Ospreys, Leicester Tigers, Cardiff Blues, Zebre Rugby Club, Agen, Benetton Rugby, Newcastle Falcons, Ulster Rugby, Connacht Rugby, Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Montpellier, Dragons, Harlequins, Glasgow Warriors

London Irish, Ospreys and Leicester Tigers are guaranteed home matches in the Round of 16

EPCR Key dates

Knockout Stage Draws: Tuesday, March 9

Rounds of 16: April 2/3/4

Quarter-finals: April 9/10/11

Semi-finals: April 30-May 1/2

Challenge Cup Final: Marseille – Friday, May 21

[OakhamTiger32]

Seems a bit unfair with the Champions Cup drop-outs coming down into the Challenge Cup. Some pretty tough matches now. We get more and more like football every day

[Scott1]

Seems a bit unfair with the Champions Cup drop-outs coming down into the Challenge Cup. Some pretty tough matches now. We get more and more like football every day

Yes it is,stinks of Champions league/Europa league in football. Why reward losers?!

[OakhamTiger32]

Seems a bit unfair with the Champions Cup drop-outs coming down into the Challenge Cup. Some pretty tough matches now. We get more and more like football every day

Yes it is,stinks of Champions league/Europa league in football. Why reward losers?!

Just makes any chance of winning it that much harder with the likes of Glasgow and Ulster dropping down

[TigerFeetSteve]

Seems a bit unfair with the Champions Cup drop-outs coming down into the Challenge Cup. Some pretty tough matches now. We get more and more like football every day

That was planned even before the postponement of the last 2 rounds.

What has changed is the Champions cup was initially going to be a ¼final rather than round of 16. That meant the likes of Chiefs would have been dropping down into the challenge cup due to their concession. So at least the 8 teams dropping down are those who finished even lower.

[RagingBull]

At home full strength I back ourselves against everyone of those teams

[OakhamTiger32]

At home full strength I back ourselves against everyone of those teams

At least we should be back at full strength (injuries dependent) by then so we could have a fairly solid squad.

1. Genge
2. Montoya
3. Cole
4. Lavanini
5. Green
6. Liebenberg
7. Reffell (or Van Staden?)
8. Wiese
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. Nadolo
12. Scott
13. Moroni
14. Van Wyk
15. Steward

Reserves

16. Youngs
17. De Bruin
18. Leatigaga
19. Wells
20. Martin
21. Brink
22. JvP
23. Henry

with Heyes, Henderson, Wallace, Wigglesworth, Porter, Potter, Murimurivalu adding some cover.

You know what RB.. I admire your optimism and share your positive thoughts!

[TigerFeetSteve]

At home full strength I back ourselves against everyone of those teams

At least we should be back at full strength (injuries dependent) by then so we could have a fairly solid squad.

1. Genge
2. Montoya
3. Cole
4. Lavanini
5. Green
6. Liebenberg
7. Reffell (or Van Staden?)
8. Wiese
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. Nadolo
12. Scott
13. Moroni
14. Van Wyk
15. Steward

Reserves

16. Youngs
17. De Bruin
18. Leatigaga
19. Wells
20. Martin
21. Brink
22. JvP
23. Henry

with Heyes, Henderson, Wallace, Wigglesworth, Porter, Potter, Murimurivalu adding some cover.

You know what RB.. I admire your optimism and share your positive thoughts!

I'd have Bonilla in the 23 as backup to Ford the overseas player rule is for the Prem, 100% if we want to keep him, he'll be in the teams those weeks

[Rob18C]

Seems a bit unfair with the Champions Cup drop-outs coming down into the Challenge Cup. Some pretty tough matches now. We get more and more like football every day

Yes it is,stinks of Champions league/Europa league in football. Why reward losers?!

Just makes any chance of winning it that much harder with the likes of Glasgow and Ulster dropping down

Don't you think it gives the competition more credibility? you now have more competitive teams in the competition and therefore more prestige if you win it as you would have beaten the better teams.
I would prefer us come up against and test ourselves against an ulster/Glasgow type team than see how many we can beat one of the poor French/Italian teams by.
If you win the competition it qualifies you the champions cup so the organisers are going to want to make sure you are up to playing in their main competition.
you could say why are you rewarding the losers, or maybe its part of the reward for a team that just qualifies for a champions cup spot who are realistically never going to win it but that they can play the best teams in Europe and still have a go at winning another trophy (challenge cup) when they inevitably get knocked out.

[BFG]

I don't mind the new Challenge Cup format, it's adds another layer to the competition.
Some might say that the Challenge Cup itself is a competition for losers, it really all depends on how awkward you want to be about having a competition to play in at all, otherwise everyone can just stay at home and do nothing.
Personally with no relegation I'd like to see the Premiership be more creative and introduce more play offs on the same day as the Premiership semi-finals, 5th at home versus 8th and 6th at home versus 7th, with the two winners qualifying for the Champions Cup.

[westwinds31]

At home full strength I back ourselves against everyone of those teams

At least we should be back at full strength (injuries dependent) by then so we could have a fairly solid squad.

1. Genge
2. Montoya
3. Cole
4. Lavanini
5. Green
6. Liebenberg
7. Reffell (or Van Staden?)
8. Wiese
9. Youngs
10. Ford
11. Nadolo
12. Scott
13. Moroni
14. Van Wyk
15. Steward

Reserves

16. Youngs
17. De Bruin
18. Leatigaga
19. Wells
20. Martin
21. Brink
22. JvP
23. Henry

with Heyes, Henderson, Wallace, Wigglesworth, Porter, Potter, Murimurivalu adding some cover.

You know what RB.. I admire your optimism and share your positive thoughts!

Brink at 7, Reffell bench

[TigerBoy1880]

Seems a bit unfair with the Champions Cup drop-outs coming down into the Challenge Cup. Some pretty tough matches now. We get more and more like football every day

Yes it is,stinks of Champions league/Europa league in football. Why reward losers?!

You could say the losers are already being rewarded by being in a European Competition even when not finishing in the top 6

[bendy]

Seems a bit unfair with the Champions Cup drop-outs coming down into the Challenge Cup. Some pretty tough matches now. We get more and more like football every day

Yes it is,stinks of Champions league/Europa league in football. Why reward losers?!

You could say the losers are already being rewarded by being in a European Competition even when not finishing in the top 6

Exactly this!

What a strange attitude. Is the logical conclusion of the argument that only the winners of the Premiership, the Pro-14 and the Top 14 should be able to compete in the Heineken Cup? "Allowing a team who finished 2nd into the tournament? No thanks - why reward failure?"


I would badge the current system as rather just further rewarding success. Finish 3rd in your league? Great, you get an entry into the premier European competition, and if that doesn't work out, you can have a second bite of the cherry in the Challenge Cup.
Finish 11th in your league? Sorry chaps, just one competition for you. Maybe try a bit harder next season?

[kpj tiger]

We draw Connacht rugby

[RunTigerRun]

Tigers draw Connacht at Welford Road in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.

Fairly happy with that. Can't remember us playing Connacht before, should be a good game!