2002-03 European Challenge Cup | |
---|---|
Tournament details | |
Countries | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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 |
![]() |
Runners-up |
![]() |
The 2002–03 European Challenge Cup (known as the Parker Pen Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 7th season of the European Challenge Cup, Europe's second-tier club rugby union competition below the 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, England's Sale Sharks, did not have a chance to defend their crown because they qualified to play in the Heineken Cup. London Wasps claimed a victory over Bath in the final and picked up their first piece of European Club silverware.
The allocation of teams was as follows:
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---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All kickoff times are local to the match location. [5]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Saracens
![]() |
238–11 |
![]() |
87–11 | 151–0 |
Stade Français
![]() |
145–26 |
![]() |
||
Pontypridd
![]() |
143–26 |
![]() |
||
Colomiers
![]() |
133–19 |
![]() |
||
Borders
![]() |
150–37 |
![]() |
||
Bath
![]() |
97–22 |
![]() |
||
London Wasps
![]() |
82–24 |
![]() |
||
Harlequins
![]() |
104–47 |
![]() |
||
Leeds Tykes
![]() |
81–36 |
![]() |
||
Narbonne
![]() |
75–37 |
![]() |
||
Connacht
![]() |
73–41 |
![]() |
||
Benetton Treviso
![]() |
55–26 |
![]() |
||
Bordeaux-Bègles
![]() |
70–46 |
![]() |
||
Newcastle Falcons
![]() |
52–29 |
![]() |
||
Montauban
![]() |
45–36 |
![]() |
||
Bridgend
![]() |
33–27 |
![]() |
12 October 2002 14:30 |
Dinamo București
![]() | 11–87 |
![]() |
Report |
Complexul Cultural Sportiv Attendance: 400 |
12 October 2002 15:00 |
Benetton Treviso
![]() | 22–9 |
![]() |
Report |
Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 3,000 |
12 October 2002 18:00 |
La Moraleja
![]() | 31–37 |
![]() |
Report |
Pol. Municipal de Alcobendas Attendance: 550 |
12 October 2002 19:00 |
Overmach Parma
![]() | 24–40 |
![]() |
Report |
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi Attendance: 1,500 |
13 October 2002 15:00 |
Rovigo
![]() | 6–64 |
![]() |
Report |
Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini Attendance: 1,500 |
19 October 2002 19:30 |
Narbonne
![]() | 41–14 |
![]() |
Report |
Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié Attendance: 2,300 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps
![]() |
72–29 |
![]() |
||
Stade Français
![]() |
55–12 |
![]() |
||
Saracens
![]() |
46–25 |
![]() |
||
Montauban
![]() |
31–22 |
![]() |
||
Pontypridd
![]() |
56–42 |
![]() |
||
Bath
![]() |
64–38 |
![]() |
||
Newcastle Falcons
![]() |
43–32 |
![]() |
||
Connacht
![]() |
50–49 |
![]() |
7 December 2002 14:30 |
Benetton Treviso
![]() | 27–8 |
![]() |
Report |
Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 3,500 |
7 December 2002 19:30 |
Narbonne
![]() | 42–27 |
![]() |
Report |
Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié Attendance: 2,000 |
14 December 2002 18:00 |
Bordeaux-Bègles
![]() | 23–29 |
![]() |
Report |
Stade André Moga Attendance: 1,500 |
15 December 2002 14:30 |
Newcastle Falcons
![]() | 35–5 |
![]() |
Report |
Kingston Park Attendance: 2,539 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps
![]() |
62–34 |
![]() |
35–22 | 27–12 |
Pontypridd
![]() |
47–39 |
![]() |
35–30 | 12–9 |
Saracens
![]() |
60–41 |
![]() |
31–10 | 29–31 |
Bath
![]() |
48–45 |
![]() |
24–27 | 24–18 |
12 January 2003 13:45 |
London Wasps
![]() | 35–22 |
![]() |
Report |
Adams Park,
High Wycombe Attendance: 5,269 |
12 January 2003 15:00 |
Saracens
![]() | 31–10 |
![]() |
Report |
Vicarage Road,
Watford Attendance: 3,857 |
18 January 2003 18:00 |
Stade Français
![]() | 12–27 |
![]() |
Report |
Stade Jean-Bouin,
Paris Attendance: 6,491 |
19 January 2003 14:30 |
Newcastle Falcons
![]() | 31–29 |
![]() |
Report |
Kingston Park,
Newcastle upon Tyne Attendance: 2,439 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps
![]() |
61–36 |
![]() |
34–19 | 27–17 |
Bath
![]() |
57–57 [n 1] |
![]() |
30–38 | 27–19 |
25 May 2003 15:45 |
Bath
![]() | 30–48 |
![]() |
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) |
2002-03 European Challenge Cup | |
---|---|
Tournament details | |
Countries | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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 |
![]() |
Runners-up |
![]() |
The 2002–03 European Challenge Cup (known as the Parker Pen Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 7th season of the European Challenge Cup, Europe's second-tier club rugby union competition below the 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, England's Sale Sharks, did not have a chance to defend their crown because they qualified to play in the Heineken Cup. London Wasps claimed a victory over Bath in the final and picked up their first piece of European Club silverware.
The allocation of teams was as follows:
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All kickoff times are local to the match location. [5]
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Saracens
![]() |
238–11 |
![]() |
87–11 | 151–0 |
Stade Français
![]() |
145–26 |
![]() |
||
Pontypridd
![]() |
143–26 |
![]() |
||
Colomiers
![]() |
133–19 |
![]() |
||
Borders
![]() |
150–37 |
![]() |
||
Bath
![]() |
97–22 |
![]() |
||
London Wasps
![]() |
82–24 |
![]() |
||
Harlequins
![]() |
104–47 |
![]() |
||
Leeds Tykes
![]() |
81–36 |
![]() |
||
Narbonne
![]() |
75–37 |
![]() |
||
Connacht
![]() |
73–41 |
![]() |
||
Benetton Treviso
![]() |
55–26 |
![]() |
||
Bordeaux-Bègles
![]() |
70–46 |
![]() |
||
Newcastle Falcons
![]() |
52–29 |
![]() |
||
Montauban
![]() |
45–36 |
![]() |
||
Bridgend
![]() |
33–27 |
![]() |
12 October 2002 14:30 |
Dinamo București
![]() | 11–87 |
![]() |
Report |
Complexul Cultural Sportiv Attendance: 400 |
12 October 2002 15:00 |
Benetton Treviso
![]() | 22–9 |
![]() |
Report |
Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 3,000 |
12 October 2002 18:00 |
La Moraleja
![]() | 31–37 |
![]() |
Report |
Pol. Municipal de Alcobendas Attendance: 550 |
12 October 2002 19:00 |
Overmach Parma
![]() | 24–40 |
![]() |
Report |
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi Attendance: 1,500 |
13 October 2002 15:00 |
Rovigo
![]() | 6–64 |
![]() |
Report |
Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini Attendance: 1,500 |
19 October 2002 19:30 |
Narbonne
![]() | 41–14 |
![]() |
Report |
Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié Attendance: 2,300 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps
![]() |
72–29 |
![]() |
||
Stade Français
![]() |
55–12 |
![]() |
||
Saracens
![]() |
46–25 |
![]() |
||
Montauban
![]() |
31–22 |
![]() |
||
Pontypridd
![]() |
56–42 |
![]() |
||
Bath
![]() |
64–38 |
![]() |
||
Newcastle Falcons
![]() |
43–32 |
![]() |
||
Connacht
![]() |
50–49 |
![]() |
7 December 2002 14:30 |
Benetton Treviso
![]() | 27–8 |
![]() |
Report |
Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 3,500 |
7 December 2002 19:30 |
Narbonne
![]() | 42–27 |
![]() |
Report |
Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié Attendance: 2,000 |
14 December 2002 18:00 |
Bordeaux-Bègles
![]() | 23–29 |
![]() |
Report |
Stade André Moga Attendance: 1,500 |
15 December 2002 14:30 |
Newcastle Falcons
![]() | 35–5 |
![]() |
Report |
Kingston Park Attendance: 2,539 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps
![]() |
62–34 |
![]() |
35–22 | 27–12 |
Pontypridd
![]() |
47–39 |
![]() |
35–30 | 12–9 |
Saracens
![]() |
60–41 |
![]() |
31–10 | 29–31 |
Bath
![]() |
48–45 |
![]() |
24–27 | 24–18 |
12 January 2003 13:45 |
London Wasps
![]() | 35–22 |
![]() |
Report |
Adams Park,
High Wycombe Attendance: 5,269 |
12 January 2003 15:00 |
Saracens
![]() | 31–10 |
![]() |
Report |
Vicarage Road,
Watford Attendance: 3,857 |
18 January 2003 18:00 |
Stade Français
![]() | 12–27 |
![]() |
Report |
Stade Jean-Bouin,
Paris Attendance: 6,491 |
19 January 2003 14:30 |
Newcastle Falcons
![]() | 31–29 |
![]() |
Report |
Kingston Park,
Newcastle upon Tyne Attendance: 2,439 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
London Wasps
![]() |
61–36 |
![]() |
34–19 | 27–17 |
Bath
![]() |
57–57 [n 1] |
![]() |
30–38 | 27–19 |
25 May 2003 15:45 |
Bath
![]() | 30–48 |
![]() |
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) |