EPCR - Challenge Cup - Round 1 & 2 fixtures

ROUND 1

16/10/2014 16 Oct 19:45 P5 Gloucester v Brive Kingsholm Stadium Sky Sports

17/10/2014 17 Oct 20:00 P3 Newcastle Falcons v Bucharest or Calvisano  Kingston Park

17/10/2014 17 Oct 20:00 P4 Bordeaux-Begles v Edinburgh Stade André Moga

18/10/2014 18 Oct 14:00 P4 Lyon v London Welsh Matmut Stadium

18/10/2014 18 Oct 14:30 P1 Cardiff Blues v Grenoble BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park

18/10/2014 18 Oct 16:00 P5 Zebre v Oyonnax Stadio XXV Aprile

18/10/2014 18 Oct 17:00 P2 Connacht v La Rochelle The Sportsground

18/10/2014 18 Oct 20:00 P2 Bayonne v Exeter Chiefs Stade Jean-Dauger

18/10/2014 18 Oct 20:45 P3 Stade Francais v Newport Gwent Dragons Stade Jean Bouin

19/10/2014 19 Oct 15:00 P1 London Irish v Rovigo or Tbilisi Madejski Stadium


ROUND 2

23/24/25/26 Oct P1 Rovigo or Tbilisi v Cardiff Blues TBA

23/24/25/26 Oct P3 Bucharest or Calvisano v Stade Francais TBA

23/10/2014 23 Oct 19:45 P4 London Welsh v Bordeaux-Begles Kassam Stadium BT Sport

24/10/2014 24 Oct 19:30 P1 Grenoble v London Irish Stade Lesdiguières

24/10/2014 24 Oct 19:30 P2 La Rochelle v Bayonne Stade Marcel Deflandre

24/10/2014 24 Oct 19:30 P3 Newport Gwent Dragons v Newcastle Falcons Rodney Parade

24/10/2014 24 Oct 19:30 P5 Brive v Zebre Stade Amédée-Domenech

24/10/2014 24 Oct 19:45 P4 Edinburgh v Lyon BT Murrayfield Stadium

25/10/2014 25 Oct 15:00 P2 Exeter Chiefs v Connacht Sandy Park Stadium

25/10/2014 25 Oct 20:45 P5 Oyonnax v Gloucester Stade Charles Mathon

Tough start for Dragons. I would rather have gone to Paris with them possibly having nothing to play for. I guess if we get an LBP in France and any sort of win in the second round v Newcastle (although last season's Mickey Mouse Cup game is still fresh in the mind), we are in good nick with a probable 9/10 points from Calvisano or Bucharest before we go on our other tough trip. Be some night v Stade at home (last) if we are still in with a shout mind.

I actually find this a little more interesting than the big boy comp...

Interested to see how Bucharest go, Bayonne v Cheifs could be good too!

Like you thinking Rev You able to get to either of them ?

Here was a chace for BT or SKY to do something revolutionary and actually promote EUROPEAN rugby by showing the games featuring "Bucharest or Calvisano" OR "Rovigo or Tbilisi", but no let's try the same old tired England v France formula

Surprised BT picked London Welsh v Bordeaux-Begles
as the biggest game that week has to be Exeter Chiefs v Connacht

Only two games confirmed for broadcast? Please tell me that is a typo...

Stade is a bit close to my anniversary Penfro, so I could swing that one maybe. I would prefer lads trip to Newcastle in Jan though

I think that's just the BT Sport games Notch, Sky will be showing some as well.

Ozzy3213 wrote:I think that's just the BT Sport games Notch, Sky will be showing some as well.

Well Sky have one game in Week 1 and BT one game in Week 2 according to the superb organisers - http://www.epcrugby.com/eng/european-rugby-challenge-cup.php

No Exeter Chiefs vs Connacht either- the one game that really stands out. Baffling.

Twice the broadcasters, less than half the coverage compared to previous years.

That's the minimum required to be televised. 5 1st tier each and 1 2nd tier between them.

Either they've release the games they're definitely showing and will add more later. Or they just aren't going to show more.

Also Sky would only show one 2nd tier on a Thursday evening wouldn't they? That's the same as now (a real shame that they've keeping the Thursday slots).

Notch wrote:No Exeter Chiefs vs Connacht either- the one game that really stands out. Baffling.

Twice the broadcasters, less than half the coverage compared to previous years.

For you maybe. Dragons v Newcastle is a stand out game for the rest of the world

Two places in EPCR's second tournament remain to be filled following Challenge Cup Qualification Play-offs which will take place over two legs in September. The winners of the play-off between Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo and Georgian representatives, Tbilisi Caucasians, will qualify for Pool 1 where they will join Cardiff Blues, London Irish and Grenoble.

The winners of the play-off between Cammi Rugby Calvisano and Bucharest Wolves will compete in Pool 3 along with Stade Francais Paris, Newport Gwent Dragons and Newcastle Falcons

Saturday, 20 September
Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo v Tbilisi Caucasians, Stadio Mario Battaglini;
Bucharest Wolves v Cammi Rugby Calvisano, Stadium Arcul de Triumf.

Saturday, 27 September
Tbilisi Caucasians v Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo, venue TBC;
Cammi Rugby Calvisano v Bucharest Wolves, Peroni Stadium.

Now I’m I big fan of things Italian (loving the PERONI Stadium   ) but I would love for Tbilisi and Bucharest to get through AND BE SHOWN ON TV.

NB - not sure that Tbilisi's full name would get used on our PC Tv channels   

Risca Rev wrote:

Notch wrote:No Exeter Chiefs vs Connacht either- the one game that really stands out. Baffling.

Twice the broadcasters, less than half the coverage compared to previous years.

For you maybe. Dragons v Newcastle is a stand out game for the rest of the world

Hehe, yeah I suppose it is!

PenfroPete wrote:Two places in EPCR's second tournament remain to be filled following Challenge Cup Qualification Play-offs which will take place over two legs in September. The winners of the play-off between Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo and Georgian representatives, Tbilisi Caucasians, will qualify for Pool 1 where they will join Cardiff Blues, London Irish and Grenoble.

The winners of the play-off between Cammi Rugby Calvisano and Bucharest Wolves will compete in Pool 3 along with Stade Francais Paris, Newport Gwent Dragons and Newcastle Falcons

Saturday, 20 September
Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo v Tbilisi Caucasians, Stadio Mario Battaglini;
Bucharest Wolves v Cammi Rugby Calvisano, Stadium Arcul de Triumf.

Saturday, 27 September
Tbilisi Caucasians v Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo, venue TBC;
Cammi Rugby Calvisano v Bucharest Wolves, Peroni Stadium.

Now I’m I big fan of things Italian (loving the PERONI Stadium   ) but I would love for Tbilisi and Bucharest to get through AND BE SHOWN ON TV.

NB - not sure that Tbilisi's full name would get used on our PC Tv channels   

Bucharest beat Calvisano home and away in the Amlin group stages last year, so should be favourites to go through.

As for seeing them on TV, don't hold your breath. The broadcasters never really liked the Amlin till the HC rejects joined in the KO stages and the group games never rated well.
It appears they are not too bothered with this new incarnation either!

AndyI - rest assured I will not be holding my breath, it's just something I would like to see. After all, it's supposed to be a European competition not just English v French