2001–02 Parker Pen Shield

The 2001–02 European Challenge Cup (known as the Parker Pen Shield for sponsorship reasons) was the 6th 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 seven countries.

2001–02 Parker Pen Shield
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Romania
 Spain
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date28 September 2001 - 26 May 2002
Tournament statistics
Teams32
Matches played103
Attendance236,307 (2,294 per match)
Tries scored709 (6.88 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Ludovic Mercier (Gloucester)
(112 points)[1]
Top try scorer(s)Alexandre Bouyssie (Bordeaux-Bègles)
Darragh O'Mahony (Saracens)
(9 tries)[2]
Final
VenueKassam Stadium, Oxford
Attendance12,000
Champions Sale Sharks (1st title)
Runners-up Pontypridd

The pool stage began when Connacht hosted Narbonne on 28 September 2001 and ended with four matches on 13 January 2002. The knockout stages followed, culminating in the final at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford on 26 May 2002.

The defending champions, Englands's Harlequins, did not have a chance to defend their crown because they qualified to play in the Heineken Cup. Sale Sharks claimed a narrow victory over Pontypridd 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 2001–02 Heineken Cup
France: 10 teams — all teams from the Top 16 that did not qualify for the Heineken Cup
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 10 that did not qualify for the Heineken Cup
Romania: 1 team specially created for the competition
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

Scotland was not represented as both of its teams (Edinburgh and Glasgow) played in the Heineken Cup.

England France Ireland Italy Romania Spain Wales
Bristol Shoguns
Gloucester
Leeds Tykes
London Irish
Sale Sharks
Saracens
Agen
Béziers
Bordeaux-Bègles
Bourgoin
Colomiers
Dax
La Rochelle
Montauban
Narbonne
Pau
Connacht
Bologna
Gran Parma
L'Aquila
Overmach Parma
Petrarca Padova
Rugby Roma
Rovigo
Viadana
Dinamo București
UC Madrid
Valladolid RAC
Caerphilly
Ebbw Vale
Neath
Pontypridd

Pool stage

Key to colours
     Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses

Pool 1

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Ebbw Vale (7) 64021510515390638
Agen 6402251312199119808
Montauban 64021697146123238
Rovigo 600683224782441660
Source : www.ercrugby.com
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw
Ebbw Vale, Agen and Montauban finished on the same Competition Points. In head-to-head matches
Ebbw Vale beat Agen 68-30 on aggregate, having won one game and lost the other
Ebbw Vale beat Montauban 31-24 on aggregate, having won one game and lost the other
Agen beat Montauban 60-41 on aggregate, having won one game and lost the other
hence Ebbw Vale top the table

Pool 2

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Pau (4) 6600273242176315412
Colomiers 6402329232591051548
Petrarca Padova 62041426121142231094
UC Madrid 600684335902891990
Source : www.ercrugby.com
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Pool 3

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Pontypridd (8) 6402127513987528
Leeds Tykes 640221156188154348
Béziers 620415194136187514
Overmach Parma 620411187127162354
Source : www.ercrugby.com
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw
Pontypridd and Leeds finished on the same Competition Points.
In head-to-head matches, Pontypridd beat Leeds 55-46 on aggregate,
having won one game and lost the other.
Béziers and Overmach Parma finished on the same Competition Points.
In head-to-head matches, Béziers beat Overmach Parma 63-60 on aggregate,
having won one game and lost the other.

Pool 4

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Sale Sharks (3) 6600407332867920712
Connacht 630315172157140176
Narbonne 63031394128111176
Rugby Roma 600674235572982410
Source : www.ercrugby.com
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Pool 5

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Bristol Shoguns (6) 6501211291891157410
Neath 640216133160131298
Viadana 6204132512120210904
Bourgoin 610519190160173132
Source : www.ercrugby.com
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Pool 6

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
London Irish (5) 6510378292848519911
Dax 6411429333061191879
L'Aquila 62041134231072391324
Valladolid RAC 600674639533072540
Source : www.ercrugby.com
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Pool 7

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Gloucester (2) 6600479383626230012
La Rochelle 640221147161177168
Caerphilly 62041838201702811114
Gran Parma 60061136251042771730
Source : www.ercrugby.com
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Pool 8

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Saracens (1) 6600647574356636912
Bordeaux-Bègles 64025315383541172378
Dinamo București 61051558431024033012
Bologna 610596152933983052
Source : www.ercrugby.com
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Seeding

Seed Pool Winners Pts TF +/-
1 Saracens 1264+369
2 Gloucester 1247+300
3 Sale Sharks 1240+207
4 Pau 1227+154
5 London Irish 1137+199
6 Bristol Shoguns 1021+74
7 Ebbw Vale 815+63
8 Pontypridd 812+52

Knock-out stages

All kickoff times are local to the match location.[3]

Quarterfinals

25 January 2002
19:05
Gloucester 46 11 Ebbw Vale
Report
Kingsholm
Attendance: 6,816
25 January 2002
19:30
Sale Sharks 25 20 Bristol Shoguns
Report
Heywood Road
Attendance: 3,607
26 January 2002
19:30
Pau 9 38 London Irish
Report
Stade du Hameau
Attendance: 8,000
27 January 2002
15:00
Saracens 15 17 Pontypridd
Report
Vicarage Road
Attendance: 4,604

Semifinals

27 April 2002
17:30
London Irish 27 33 Pontypridd
Report
Kassam Stadium
Attendance: 7,882
28 April 2002
14:00
Gloucester 27 28 Sale Sharks
Report
Franklin's Gardens
Attendance: 5,785

Final

26 May 2002
14:00
Pontypridd 22 25 Sale Sharks
Report
Kassam Stadium
Attendance: 12,000

See also

References

  1. "Amlin Challenge Cup: Points Scorers". Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  2. "Amlin Challenge Cup: Try Scorers". Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  3. "Challenge Cup Fixtures". European Rugby Cup. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
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