| top point scorer = Alexandre Péclier (Bourgoin)(113 points) | top try scorer = Laurent Leflamand (Bourgoin)(7 tries) | venue = Stade de la Méditerranée, Béziers | attendance2 = 10,000 | champions = Bourgoin | count = 1 | runner-up = Castres Olympique | website = https://web.archive.org/web/20080506141030/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/ | previous year = | previous tournament = | next year = 1997–98 | next tournament = 1997–98 European Challenge Cup
The 1996–97 European Challenge Cup (also called the 1996–97 European Shield) was the inaugural year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup. The tournament was held between October 1996 and January 1997 and was won by Bourgoin with an 18–9 victory over Castres in the final at the Stade de la Méditerranée in Béziers, France. Twenty-four teams took part from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Scotland and Wales, divided into four groups of six. Each team played the other teams in the group once, meaning each had five matches with either two or three on their home ground. The quarter–finals saw seven of the eight clubs coming from France, with the only non-French club being Northampton Saints.
Teams The qualifying teams were drawn from seven countries. Generally, these were teams from the top division of domestic rugby that did not qualify to play in the Heineken Cup: England: 6 teams from the English Premiership France: 7 teams from the French Championship Ireland: one team representing one of the four Provinces of Ireland Italy: one team from the National Championship of Excellence Romania: one team from the National League Scotland: one team representing one of the four geographical districts Wales: 7 teams from the Welsh Premier Division
EnglandFranceIrelandItalyRomaniaScotlandWalesBristol Gloucester London Irish Northampton Saints Orrell Sale SharksAgen Bordeaux-Bègles Bourgoin Castres Olympique Montferrand Narbonne ToulonConnachtPetrarcaDinamo-BucureștiGlasgowBridgend Dunvant Ebbw Vale Newbridge Newport Swansea Treorchy
Pool stage
Twenty four teams participated in the pool stage of the competition; they were divided into four pools of six teams each, with each team playing the other teams in their pool once only. Matches took place between 12 October and 2 November 1996 and teams were awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw. The winner and runner-up of each pool progressed to the knockout stage of the tournament.
Pool 1 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts Agen5500209+1115682+7410 Montferrand5401308+2221174+1378 Sale Sharks53021814+4166115+516 Newport52031419−1598158−604 Glasgow51041530−15113202−892 Newbridge50051633−17106219−1130 Source :
Pool 2 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts Castres Olympique5500296+2320771+13610 Narbonne5401216+1516190+718 Dinamo-București52121232−20109213−1045 Bridgend41121014−494120−263 Bristol51041112−112899+292 Treorchy40041023−1372178−1060 Source : www.ercrugby.com The Treorchy v Bridgend match was not played.
Pool 3 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts Northampton Saints55002812+1620788+11910 Toulon54012210+12164102+628 Orrell52031822−4122173−514 Connacht5203917−894131−374 Dunvant51041522−7106169−632 Petrarca51041019−9118148−302 Source : www.ercrugby.com
Pool 4 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts Bourgoin5500274+2319666+13010 Bordeaux-Bègles53112913+1619599+967 Swansea53112819+9207138+697 Gloucester520317170119123−44 Ebbw Vale5104636−3048243−1952 London Irish50051230−1890186−960 Source : www.ercrugby.com
Qualifiers SeedPool WinnersPtsTF+/−1 Castres Olympique1029+1362 Northampton Saints1028+1193 Bourgoin1027+1304 Agen1020+74SeedRunners-upPtsTF+/−5 Montferrand830+1376 Toulon822+627 Narbonne821+718 Bordeaux-Bègles729+96
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
See also European Challenge Cup 1996–97 Heineken Cup
References