The 2003 European Challenge Cup was the 2nd tier of European club rugby, after the Heineken Cup.
There were 32 teams in the competition and they came from 8 different countries..
The format was a knock-out competition with the teams playing their opposition on a home and away basis. The team with the best aggregate score over the two games progressed to the next round. With 28 teams in this competition, the 'best' 2 losing teams were also progressed into the 2nd round of the competition. The final was a single match.
There was also another, 3rd tier competition held, the European Shield. This was played for amongst the 12 first round losers from the European Challenge Cup matches. The competition followed the same knock-out format as the European Challenge Cup.
Teams playing in the 2002/03 European Challenge Cup were:
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France
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England
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Italy
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Wales
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Spain
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Ireland
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Scotland
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Romania
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1st Leg October 11 October 12 October 13 2nd Leg October 18 October 19 October 20 |
Gran Parma Ebbw Vale Caerphilly Dinamo București Rugby Roma Benetton Treviso L'Aquila Petrarca Padova UC Madrid La Moraleja Overmach Parma Grenoble Mont de Marsan Pau Rovigo Rugby Silea The Borders Bath Pontypridd Connacht Harlequins Bridgend Bordeaux-Bègles Stade Français Castres Olympique Colomiers Montauban Narbonne Leeds Tykes Newcastle Falcons London Wasps Saracens |
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |
Bath Montauban Harlequins Saracens Pontypridd Castres Olympique Colomiers Leeds Tykes The Borders Bordeaux-Bègles London Wasps Newcastle Falcons Connacht Bridgend Stade Français Narbonne UC Madrid Gran Parma Rugby Roma Mont de Marsan Caerphilly Pau La Moraleja Rovigno Benetton Treviso L'Aquila Ebbw Vale Rugby Silea Petrarca Padova Grenoble Overmach Parma Dinamo București |
Parma Ebbw Vale Caerphilly Bucharest Rome Treviso L'Aquila Padua Madrid Madrid Parma Grenoble Mont de Marsan Pau Rovigo Treviso Netherdale Bath Pontpridd Galway London Bridgend Bègles Paris Castres Colomiers Montauban Narbonne Leeds Newcastle High Wycombe Watford |
3 20 20 11 18 22 14 23 22 31 24 12 12 18 6 23 77 57 83 47 31 27 33 81 17 75 29 41 52 33 42 151 |
40 16 73 87 60 9 58 29 73 37 40 19 26 6 64 34 15 19 8 29 27 9 15 20 33 5 16 14 13 17 0 0 |
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Winners Saracens Stade Français Pontpridd Colomiers The Borders Bath London Wasps Harlequins Leeds Tykes Narbonne Connacht Benetton Treviso Bordeaux-Bègles Newcastle Falcons Montauban Bridgend |
Losers Dinamo București Rivigo Rugby Roma L'Aquila UC Madrid Gran Parma Overmach Parma Caerphilly Petrarca Padova Rugby Silea Mont de Marsan Castres Olympique La Moraleja Grenoble Ebbw Vale Pau |
Aggregate Score 238 - 11 145 - 26 143 - 26 133 - 19 150 - 37 97 - 22 82 - 24 102 - 47 81 - 36 75 - 37 73 - 41 55 - 26 70 - 46 52 - 29 45 - 36 33 - 27 |
Match Points 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 2-2 2-2 |
Points Margin 227 119 117 114 113 75 58 57 45 38 32 29 24 23 9 6 |
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1st Leg December 6 December 7 December 8 2nd Leg December 13 December 14 December 15 |
Bridgend Benetton Treviso Harlequins Pontypridd Montauban Narbonne London Wasps Saracens The Borders Bath Leeds Tykes Bordeaux-Bègles Stade Français Colomiers Newcastle Falcons Connacht |
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |
Bath Newcastle Falcons Stade Français Leeds Tykes The Borders Connacht Bordeaux-Bègles Colomiers Montauban Bridgend Pontypridd London Wasps Harlequins Saracens Benetton Treviso Narbonne |
Bridgend Treviso London Pontypridd Montauban Narbonne High Wycombe Watford Netherdale Bath Leeds Bègles Paris Colomiers Newcastle Galway |
28 27 0 37 19 42 43 16 6 38 19 23 29 19 35 23 |
26 38 26 23 16 27 6 6 12 10 19 29 12 30 5 7 |
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Winners London Wasps Stade Français Saracens Montauban Pontypridd Bath Newcastle Falcons Connacht |
Losers Bordeaux-Bègles Harlequins Colomiers The Borders Leeds Tykes Bridgend Benetton Treviso Narbonne |
Aggregate Score 72 - 29 55 - 12 46 - 25 31 - 22 56 - 42 64 - 38 43 - 32 50 - 49 |
Match Points 4-0 4-0 4-0 4-0 3-1 2-2 2-2 2-2 |
Points Margin 43 43 21 9 14 26 11 1 |
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1st Leg Janaury 11 January 12 2nd Leg January 18 January 19 |
Connacht Montauban London Wasps Saracens Bath Pontypridd Stade Français Newcastle Falcons |
v v v v v v v v |
Pontypridd Bath Stade Français Newcastle Falcons Montauban Connacht London Wasps Saracens |
Athlone Montauban High Wycombe Watford Bath Pontypridd Paris Newcastle |
30 27 35 31 24 12 12 31 |
35 24 22 10 18 9 27 29 |
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Winners London Wasps Pontypridd Saracens Bath |
Losers Stade Français Connacht Newcastle Falcons Montauban |
Aggregate Score 62 - 34 47 - 39 60 - 41 48 - 45 |
Match Points 4-0 4-0 2-2 2-2 |
Points Margin 28 8 19 3 |
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1st Leg April 12 April 13 2nd Leg April 25 April 26 |
London Wasps Saracens Pontypridd Bath |
v v v v |
Pontypridd Bath London Wasps Saracens |
High Wycombe Watford Pontypridd Bath |
34 38 17 27 |
19 30 27 19 |
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Winners London Wasps Bath |
Losers Pontypridd Saracens |
Aggregate Score 61 - 36 57 - 57 |
Match Points 4-0 2-2 |
Points Margin 25 0 |
Bath qualify by virtue of a superior try count - (6-5)
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May 25 |
Bath |
v |
London Wasps |
Reading |
30 |
48 |