User:Bunglefish/2008-09 European Challenge Cup

current sport

The 2008-09 European Challenge Cup is the thirteenth edition of the European Challenge Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and will end in May 2009.

Teams
Seven French teams will participate, as a French team, Toulouse, progressed farther in the previous year's Heineken Cup than any English or Italian team.

Other nations have their usual number of participants: England six, Italy four, Ireland one, Spain one and Romania one.

Pool stage
The draw for the pool stages took place on the 23rd of June 2008. The draw was conducted using the ERC European Ranking system which was based on the qualified teams' performances and participation in the Heineken Cup and knock-out stages of the European Challenge Cup over the past four seasons.


 * {| class="wikitable"

advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses
 * + Key to colours
 * style="background: #ccffcc;" |
 * Winner of each pool,
 * Winner of each pool,
 * style="background: #ccccff;" |
 * Three highest-scoring second-place teams,
 * Three highest-scoring second-place teams,
 * style="background: #ffcccc;" |
 * Cannot now advance to the knockout stage
 * }
 * }

Knockout stage
There is no semifinal draw in the European Challenge cup. The winner of quarter final one plays the winner of quarter final four while the winner of quarter final two plays the winner of quarter final three.

Quarter-finals
Quarter-final 1

Quarter-final 2

Quarter-final 3

Quarter-final 4

Semi-finals
Semi-final 1

Semi-final 2

Notes and references
Category:2008 in rugby union Category:2009 in rugby union