2002–03 European Challenge Cup
2002-03 European Challenge Cup | |
---|---|
Tournament details | |
Countries | England France Ireland Italy Romania Scotland Spain Wales |
Tournament format(s) | Knockout |
Date | 11 October 2002 - 25 May 2003 |
Tournament statistics | |
Teams | 32 |
Matches played | 61 |
Attendance | 225,733 (3,701 per match) |
Tries scored | 384 (6.3 per match) |
Top point scorer(s) | Olly Barkley (Bath) (118 points)[1] |
Top try scorer(s) | Tom Shanklin (Saracens) (8 tries)[2] |
Final | |
Venue | Madejski Stadium, Reading |
Attendance | 18,074 |
Champions | London Wasps (1st title) |
Runners-up | Bath Rugby |
The 2002–03 European Challenge Cup (known as the Parker Pen Challenge Cup for
Heineken Cup
. A total of 32 teams participated, representing eight countries.
The competition began with
Gran Parma hosting Bath and Ebbw Vale hosting Montauban on 11 October 2002. It culminated with the final at the Madejski Stadium in Reading
on 25 May 2003.
Unlike previous seasons, the structure of the competition was changed to a purely knockout format. Teams played each other on a home and away basis, with the aggregate points winner proceeding to the next round. The final was a single leg. For that first time, a third tier tournament was created - the European Shield. This was contested between the first-round losers from the European Challenge Cup.[3]
The defending champions,
Heineken Cup. London Wasps claimed a victory over Bath
in the final and picked up their first piece of European Club silverware.
Teams
The allocation of teams was as follows:
- England: 6 teams – all teams from the Zurich Premiership that did not qualify for the 2002–03 Heineken Cup
- France: 9 teams – all teams from the Top 16 that did not qualify for the Heineken Cup, and Agen who were banned by ERC [4]
- Ireland: 1 team – the Irish team from the Celtic League that did not play in the Heineken Cup
- Italy: 8 teams – all the teams from the Super 10that did not qualify for the Heineken Cup
- Romania: 1 team specially created for the competition
- Scotland: 1 team – the Scottish team from the Celtic League that did not play in the Heineken Cup
- Spain: 2 teams – drawn from the División de Honor de Rugby
- Wales: 4 teams – all the teams from the Celtic League that did not qualify for the Heineken Cup
England | France | Ireland | Italy | Romania | Scotland | Spain | Wales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
Matches
All kickoff times are local to the match location.[5]
Round 1
Team 1 | Agg.
|
Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Saracens | 238–11 | Dinamo București
|
87–11 | 151–0 |
Stade Français | 145–26 | Rovigo
|
||
Pontypridd | 143–26 | Rugby Roma | ||
133–19 | L'Aquila | |||
150–37 | UC Madrid
|
|||
Bath | 97–22 | Gran Parma
|
||
London Wasps | 82–24 | Overmach Parma
|
||
Harlequins | 104–47 | Caerphilly | ||
Leeds Tykes | 81–36 | Petrarca Padova
|
||
Narbonne | 75–37 | Rugby Silea | ||
Connacht | 73–41 | Mont de Marsan
|
||
Benetton Treviso | 55–26 | Castres | ||
Bordeaux-Bègles | 70–46 | La Moraleja | ||
Newcastle Falcons | 52–29 | Grenoble
|
||
Montauban | 45–36 | Ebbw Vale | ||
Bridgend | 33–27 | Pau |
First leg
12 October 2002 15:00 |
Benetton Treviso | 22–9 | Castres Olympique |
Report |
Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 3,000 |
12 October 2002 18:00 |
La Moraleja | 31–37 | Bordeaux-Bègles |
Report |
Pol. Municipal de Alcobendas Attendance: 550 |
12 October 2002 19:30 |
Stade Guy Boniface Attendance: 1,204 |
13 October 2002 15:00 |
Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini Attendance: 1,500 |
Second leg
19 October 2002 14:15 |
The Recreation Ground Attendance: 7,840 |
19 October 2002 15:00 |
The Sportsground Attendance: 1,000 |
19 October 2002 19:30 |
Stade Pierre-Antoine |
19 October 2002 19:30 |
Stade Selery Attendance: 2,500 |
Round 2
Team 1 | Agg.
|
Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps | 72–29 | Bordeaux-Bègles | ||
Stade Français | 55–12 | Harlequins | ||
Saracens | 46–25 | Colomiers
|
||
Montauban | 31–22 | Borders
|
||
Pontypridd | 56–42 | Leeds Tykes | ||
Bath | 64–38 | Bridgend | ||
Newcastle Falcons | 43–32 | Benetton Treviso | ||
Connacht | 50–49 | Narbonne |
First leg
7 December 2002 14:30 |
Benetton Treviso | 27–8 | Newcastle Falcons |
Report |
Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 3,500 |
Second leg
14 December 2002 14:15 |
The Recreation Ground Attendance: 7,063 |
14 December 2002 19:30 |
Stade Selery Attendance: 7,000 |
15 December 2002 15:00 |
Galway Sportsgrounds Attendance: 2,000 |
Quarter-finals
Team 1 | Agg.
|
Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps | 62–34 | Stade Français | 35–22 | 27–12 |
Pontypridd | 47–39 | Connacht | 35–30 | 12–9 |
Saracens | 60–41 | Newcastle Falcons | 31–10 | 29–31 |
Bath | 48–45 | Montauban | 24–27 | 24–18 |
First leg
12 January 2003 13:45 |
London Wasps | 35–22 | Stade Français |
Report |
Adams Park, High Wycombe Attendance: 5,269 |
Second leg
18 January 2003 14:15 |
Recreation Ground, Bath Attendance: 6,200 |
19 January 2003 14:30 |
Newcastle Falcons | 31–29 | Saracens |
Report |
Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne Attendance: 2,439 |
Semi-finals
Team 1 | Agg.
|
Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps | 61–36 | Pontypridd | 34–19 | 27–17 |
Bath | 57–57[n 1] | Saracens | 30–38 | 27–19 |
First leg
Second leg
26 April 2003 14:15 |
Recreation Ground, Bath Attendance: 8,200 |
Final
25 May 2003 15:45 |
Bath | 30–48 | London Wasps |
Try: Balshaw Barkley Tindall Scaysbrook Con: Balshaw (1) Barkley (1) Pen: Barkley (2) | Report | Try: Lewsey Waters Wood Greening Logan Leota Con: King (6) Pen: King (2) |
Madejski Stadium, Reading Attendance: 18,074 Referee: Nigel Williams (Wales) |
See also
- 2002-03 Heineken Cup
- European Challenge Cup
- 2002–03 European Shield
References
- ^ "Amlin Challenge Cup: Points Scorers". Retrieved 26 January 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Amlin Challenge Cup: Try Scorers". Retrieved 26 January 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Challenge Cup European Champions". ERC. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
- ^ "Agen banned from Euro comps for two years". ESPN. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- ^ "Challenge Cup Fixtures". ERC. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
- ^ "Bath late show stuns Sarries". BBC. 26 April 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2013.