CHALLENGE CUP MESSAGE

EPCR CHAIRMAN WELCOME MESSAGE

After the temporary suspension of this season’s proceedings, it is my pleasure to send my belated best wishes for 2021 at the start of a European Rugby Challenge Cup knockout stage that remains unchanged, despite the disruptions to the earlier part of the season as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We were, of course, disappointed to have to take the decision to cancel Rounds 3&4 of the Preliminary Stage this season due to the global pandemic, but the plan for this expanded knockout stage is unchanged with the top eight clubs in the classification at the half-way stage joined by the eight clubs who did not progress from the Pool Stage to the Round of 16 in the Heineken Champions Cup.

We are grateful to the shareholder leagues and unions for joining us in brokering a compromise for the remainder of the campaign, but take nothing for granted and remain committed to implementing the robust processes that merge the numerous different local authority directives to determine whether matches are safe to go ahead or not. The safety of all concerned is of paramount importance.

The 16 teams still in the hunt for Challenge Cup glory bring plenty of quality, as well as diversity, with two matches over this Easter weekend being played in Italy because of impressive wins in France this season for both Benetton Rugby and Zebre Rugby Club. There are four former European champions lining up in this round in Bath Rugby, Leicester Tigers (twice), Northampton Saints and Ulster Rugby and the latter’s match against Harlequins - who share the Challenge Cup record with ASM Clermont Auvergne with three tournament wins and one runners-up berth - has been a recent match-up at the continent’s top table.

Connacht Rugby are extending their record for Challenge Cup appearances in this round with their 127th at Leicester and with Cardiff Blues (2010 and 2018) and Montpellier (2016) also having previously won this tournament, it is a line-up that screams pedigree and should make for a very entertaining weekend.

We thank our broadcast partners - BT Sport, beIN SPORTS, France Télévisions and Sky Italia domestically - for their dedication to taking the action to homes across the world, which has been appreciated even more with limited or no crowds over the last year. Audiences will be rewarded with a bumper weekend over this Easter period!

We share this journey with you, the fans, but also with the support of official partners Tissot, the Financial Times, Gilbert and Kappa, and hope to be in your company soon once more as we make our way through what promises to be a compelling conclusion to this season of European club rugby tournaments.

Yours in Rugby,

Simon Halliday,

Chairman, EPCR

FLOOR: EVERSCAPE INARA CONCRETE