CHALLENGE CUP MESSAGE

EPCR CHAIRMAN WELCOME MESSAGE

Semi-final time in any tournament is special and this season’s European Rugby Challenge Cup is no different, with all four participating clubs having experience of lifting a continental trophy.

Bath Rugby (1998), Ulster Rugby (1999) and Leicester Tigers (2001, 2002) all feature on the European Cup’s roll of honour, whilst Montpellier lifted the Challenge Cup in 2016 with victory over Harlequins in Lyon.

Leicester find themselves 80 minutes from the final for the second season in a row and their contest against Ulster at Mattioli Woods Welford Road is a genuine clash of heavyweights that has often been a recent feature of the Heineken Champions Cup.

Bath and Montpellier, who meet at The Rec, have not met since 2014-15 and this straight shootout gives the Gallagher Premiership club the chance to put one over the Top 14, whose clubs so dominate the ‘big brother’ tournament with three of the four Heineken Champions Cup semi-finalists.

This Challenge Cup season has operated with a modified format as a result of Covid-19’s impact on the global rugby calendar but the knockout rounds to date have still provided some compelling action, with attacking flair on show across the Round of 16 followed by some titanic and thrilling quarter-finals. The commitment of clubs across Europe to both tournaments has never ceased to both amaze and impress, irrespective of the format in which they are played.

Working with all shareholder leagues and unions on the future formats for European club rugby tournaments has been high on our agenda in recent weeks and months and an announcement is due shortly. The collaboration has been really positive, all with the view of delivering the best for the tournaments and all involved with it: players, coaches, clubs, fans, officials, leagues, unions, media, broadcasters and commercial partners.

The knockout rounds to date have given terrific entertainment to global television audiences and we are grateful to BT Sport, beIN SPORTS, France Télévisions and Sky Italia for their comprehensive coverage as well as that of a host of linear, OTT and streaming solutions across a range of territories worldwide. We are proud to also share the journey to the final with the backing of official partners Tissot, the Financial Times, Gilbert and Kappa.

Enjoy what promises to be a mouthwatering weekend of European club rugby semi-finals.

Yours in Rugby,

Simon Halliday,

Chairman, EPCR

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