Challenge Cup

stdClass Object ( [id] => 5 [league_name] => Challenge Cup [league_logo_id] => 0 [league_logo_url] => [parent_league_id] => 0 [wp_league_id] => 13 )

Bath

Benetton Treviso

Biarritz

Bristol

Brive

Cardiff

Connacht

Dragons

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Gloucester

Lions

London Irish

Lyon

Newcastle

Paris

Pau

Perpignan

Saracens

Scarlets

Toulon

Wasps

Worcester

Zebre

Sharks too strong for ordinary Edinburgh

14 April 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Sharks ……………36pts Tries: Am 16, J Venter 26, Mbonambi 55 Conversions: Masuku 17, 27, 56 Penalties: Masuku 48, 52, 65, 70; Bosch […]

On-target Carreras makes no mistake

14 April 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ………23pts Tries: Blake 30 Penalties: Carreras 6, 18, 34, 49, 60, 65 Ospreys…………… 13pts Tries: Giles 13 Conversions: O Williams 13 […]

Murphy promises new focus after Ulster are demolished by Clermont

14 April 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Clermont………..53pts Tries: Yato 18, 68, Sowakula 36, 60, Newsome 44, Simmons 64, Jurand 80 Conversions: Belleau 19, 37, 45, 61, 65, Bezy […]

Coach praises efforts in defence

14 April 2024 0 comments

GLOUCESTER director of rugby George Skivington praised his side’s defensive effort. He said: “After missing so many tackles in our league fixture against Bristol, we’ve […]

Connacht know they must rise to the occasion

14 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW… Benetton v Connacht Today. Kick-off 12.30pm CONNACHT know they will have to go up a gear to see off Benetton today. […]

Pienaar heads the list for Europe’s golden oldies

14 April 2024 0 comments

In the course of wheeling their way into the Challenge Cup quarter-finals last weekend against the Cheetahs, the Michelin Men of Clermont brought a somewhat […]

EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final preview

11 April 2024 0 comments

Eight countries from seven different nations remain in the Challenge Cup as it reaches the quarter-final stage, with an Anglo-Welsh clash getting things underway on […]

Ulster set for massive fight

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Montpellier v Ulster Today. 12.30pm ULSTER interim head coach Richie Murphy says a ‘massive test’ awaits in Montpellier. Ulster have lost their last two […]

Clermont survive second-half scare

7 April 2024 0 comments

Clermont ……..27 Cheetahs …….22 ■By BEN JAYCOCK THREE-TIME Challenge Cup winners Clermont held off a Cheetahs fightback to earn a place in the last eight. […]

Umaga stars for 14-man Benetton

7 April 2024 0 comments

Benetton ……..27 Lions ……………. 17 ■By SAM JACKSON THE Lions were booted out of the Challenge Cup by a Benetton side that played half the […]

Carreras’ boot keeps Gloucester in control

7 April 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ……… 30pts Tries: Mercer 8, May 27, Llewellyn 32 Conversions: Carreras 8, 27, 32 Penalties: Carreras 54, 60, 79 Castres …………….25pts […]

Dominant Ospreys out-muscle the weakened Sharks

7 April 2024 0 comments

■By ROGER PANTING mance from them and a tion has to be made of the 30 metres out from his own Ospreys …………. 20pts Tries: […]

Ace Velacott snipes over for quickfire try double

7 April 2024 0 comments

■By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh………33pts Tries: Watson 23, Currie 42, Vellacott 53, 56; van der Merwe 67 Conversions: Healy 24, 43, 54, 69 Bayonne………… 15pts Tries: […]

Bundee’s back to boost Connacht

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Pau v Connacht Today. 5.30pm IRELAND duo Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham come into the starting XV as Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins names […]

Sisi leads way on 100th appearance

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Sharks v Zebre Today. 3pm DAVID Sisi captains Zebre on his 100th appearance for the club as the Italian side hope to secure a […]

EPCR Challenge Cup last 16 preview

4 April 2024 0 comments

Teams from seven nations are represented in the round of 16 of the EPCR Challenge Cup, which gets underway on Friday night as Gloucester host […]

Keen demand to host Euro finals weekend

4 February 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Dominic McKay, chairman of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), has revealed that interest in hosting European club rugby’s finals weekend was higher […]

Edinburgh claim vital bonus point to proceed

21 January 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ………… 19pts Tries: Roberts 14, Conbeer 79, Penalty 80 Conversion: Lloyd 79 Edinburgh……… 31pts Tries: Vellacott 3, Nel 7, Van der […]

Gloucester seal home advantage for last 16

21 January 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ………35pts Tries: Atkinson 9, Clarke 50, Hastings 68, Tuisue 72 Conversions: Hastings 9, 50, Carreras 68 Penalties: Hastings 25, 60, Carreras […]

Wales prop Thomas ruled out of Ospreys’ South African safari

21 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Lions v Ospreys Today. Kick-off 1pm, Ellis Park THE Ospreys have already qualified for the Challenge Cup knockout stages but know […]

Black Lion …….. 3 Clermont ………36

21 January 2024 0 comments

CLERMONT secured home advantage in the last 16 with a five-try rout of the Georgian newcomers. The Top 14 giants and three-time former winners ended […]

Pau ………………..28 Zebre …………….27

21 January 2024 0 comments

JOE Simmonds was the star of the show as he contributed 18 points in Pau’s win over Italian side Zebre. Zebre fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli missed […]

Oyonnax ……….28 Cheetahs ……..27

21 January 2024 0 comments

JULES Solan stepped up to slot a match winning conversion in injury time to complete Oyonnax’s comeback victory after Adrien Bordenave scored a try in […]

Benetton ………27 Montpellier …19

21 January 2024 0 comments

TOMAS Albornoz ran the show to secure Benetton home advantage in the last 16 and boost his chances of taking over from Nicolas Sanchez as […]

Tough for Falcons as Diamond gets ready

21 January 2024 0 comments

■ By PAUL REES NEWCASTLE’S players will have their fourth boss in less than a year when Steve Diamond starts work as consultant director of […]

Brown returns as Dragons aim to make it four in a row

21 January 2024 0 comments

PREVIEW… Dragons v Sharks By BEN JAYCOCK Today. Kick-off 5.30pm, Rodney Parade THE Dragons are aiming for four victories on the spin at Rodney Parade […]

Challenge Cup Friday and Saturday previews

19 January 2024 0 comments

Half of the places provided by the EPCR Challenge Cup pool stages for the last 16 have already been decided. Six sides are through, and […]

Cockerill handed Georgia job

18 January 2024 0 comments

Former Leicester Tigers boss and England assistant Richard Cockerill has been named head coach of the Georgian national team and their club side Black Lion. […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup round three Sunday round-up

15 January 2024 0 comments

The third weekend of EPCR action ended with half of the qualification places now decided in each of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. Though […]

Williams sees red as Scarlets eliminated

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Clermont………..xxpts Tries: player name and time Conversions: player name and time Penalties: player name and time Drop goals: player name and time […]

Mercer in the right place for Gloucester

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh………..20pts Tries: Young 22, Ashman 61, Vellacott 68 Conversion: Healy 69 Penalty: Healy 52 Gloucester ……… 21pts Tries: Rees-Zammit 45, Mercer 74 […]

Full-back Hopkins is star of the show as fans pay tribute to JPR

14 January 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Ospreys………….25pts Tries: Hopkins 40, 50, Giles 63 Conversions: Edwards 51, 64 Penalties: Edwards 34, 43 Perpignan……….. 3pts Penalties: McIntyre 46 ON a […]

Willemse power makes difference

14 January 2024 0 comments

Montpellier ..13 Lions ……………… 3 UNDEFEATED Montpellier went three from three to top Pool 2 with victory over South African side the Lions. Both sides […]

Le Brun keeping Castres on course

14 January 2024 0 comments

Castres ………..28 Black Lion ……. 6 CASTRES secured their second win in the Challenge Cup to boost their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages […]

Dragons blow chance of booking home leg

14 January 2024 0 comments

By JOHN WILKINS Zebre………………20pts Tries: Gesi 26, 51; Bianchi 44 Conversions: Montemauri 45 Penalties: Montemauri 35 Dragons………….17pts Tries: Rosser 58 Penalties: Evans 6, 13, 17, […]

Cheetahs excited for trip to Dam

14 January 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Preview Cheetahs v Pau Today. 1pm THE Cheetahs are gearing up for this historic clash as the South African franchise host a […]

Horror show goes on for dejected Falcons

14 January 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle…………………….18pts Tries: Bello 13, McCallum 62 Conversion: Connon 14 Penalty: Connon 4, 24 Benetton……………………… 57pts Tries: Albornoz 16, Ratave 19, 43; Menoncello […]

Springbok stars step up for error-strewn Sharks

14 January 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Sharks …………38 Oyonnax ……….. 7 URC bottom side the Sharks made life difficult for themselves but in the end secured a convincing […]

Challenge Cup round three Friday and Saturday Preview

12 January 2024 0 comments

Round 3 of the Challenge Cup promises an array of exciting fixtures, featuring eight matches unfolding across Friday and Saturday with teams vying for a […]

The French out in front? That’s not how it looks

24 December 2023 0 comments

With 12 victories in 16 games, Paul Rees reflects on a promising start by English clubs in the Champions Cup It has been a chastening […]

Dreadful night for Scarlets

24 December 2023 0 comments

When they drank Llanelli dry the day the Scarlets beat New Zealand 51 years ago, the public houses to run out of beer included The […]

Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Sunday round-up

18 December 2023 0 comments

Narrow victories for Exeter and Leicester ensured English teams came away with more wins than losses on a second-straight weekend of Champions Cup action. Although, […]

Dungeon of obscurity needs to be shut

17 December 2023 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT Barely able to buy a round of drinks, let alone a win – the good men and true of Kingsholm are up against […]

Scarlets stunned by Matkava’s history boys

17 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ………….. 7pts Try: Fifita 4 Conversion: Lloyd 5 Black Lion ……..23pts Tries: Modebadze 34, Mamrikishvili 58 Conversion: Matkava 35, 59 Penalties: […]

Mercer leads the charge at Kingsholm

17 December 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ………28pts Tries: May 16, Socino 32, 35 Conversions: Carreras 32, 35 Penalties: Carreras 40, 56, 68 Clermont…………. 17pts Tries: Jauneau 17, […]

Morgan rested as Booth makes changes for Ospreys’ French test

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK THE Ospreys go into today’s trip to Top 14 basement side Montpellier without Wales captain Jac Morgan, who is rested. Ospreys head […]

Prisciantelli drives Zebre fightback

17 December 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Oyonnax ………14 Zebre …………… 21 ZEBRE fly-half Geronimo Prisciantelli kicked eight points as his side fought back from an 11-point deficit in […]

Try double gets record for Rhyno

17 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN WILLIAMS Benetton ……..29 Perpignan …….. 7 Full-back Rhyno Smith became Benetton’s all-time leading try scorer in EPCR competitions as his side enjoyed a […]

Late drama as Dragons denied at the death

17 December 2023 0 comments

By DAVID JOHN DRAGONS were denied back-to-back Challenge Cup victories in the final play of the game as Pau registered their first win of the […]

Sharks excited for derby tear up

17 December 2023 0 comments

Preview Cheetahs vSharks Today. 1pm By BEN JAYCOCK THE Sharks and Cheetahs both go into today’s Challenge Cup derby in high spirits after opening round […]