European Challenge Cup 2003/04

European Challenge Cup 2003/04

master	England Harlequins (2nd title)
Teams	28
countries	England England France Ireland Italy Romania Scotland Spain France Ireland Italy Romania Scotland Spain
Games	57 (of which 57 played)
tries	323 (ø 5.67 per game)
spectator	225,213 (ø 3,951 per game)
Most of the points	England Olly Barkley , Bath (120)
Most attempts	Scotland Simon Danielli , Bath (6)
← European Challenge Cup 2002/03 European Challenge Cup 2004/05 →

The European Challenge Cup 2003/04 was the eighth edition of the European Challenge Cup , the second-tier European cup competition in rugby union . 28 teams from six countries took part. The competition began on December 5, 2003, and the final took place on May 22, 2004 at the Madejski Stadium in Reading . The English team Harlequins won the title .

mode

All teams from the English Zurich Premiership , the French Top 14 , the international Magners League and the Italian Super 10 that had not qualified for the Heineken Cup took part in the European Challenge Cup. There were also two teams from the Spanish División de Honor de Rugby .

As in the previous event, the competition was held in a knockout format . The teams faced each other in a home and an away game, with the team with the better overall result going into the next round. The final consisted of a single playoff.

Games

1 round

First leg: from December 5 to 7, 2003
Second legs: December 12-14, 2003
Participants: 28

	total		First leg	Return leg
Rotherham RUFC England	23: 052	France RC Narbonne	10:17	13:35
Rugby Leonessa Italy	03: 113	France AS Montferrand	00:55	03:58
Valladolid RAC Spain	37: 137	England Newcastle Falcons	10:71	27:66
Rugby Roma Olimpic Italy	18: 127	England Saracens	13:45	05:82
Gran Parma Italy	16: 076	France FC Grenoble	10:35	06:41
L'Aquila Rugby Italy	11: 125	England Bath rugby	11:75	00:50
Rugby Rovigo Italy	24: 128	France Castres Olympique	14:53	10:75
US Colomiers France	75: 032	Italy Petrarch Padova rugby	37:12	38:20
Montpellier Hérault RC France	24: 068	Scotland Glasgow Warriors	11:30	13:38
CA Brive France	61: 041	Italy Rugby Viadana	39: 03	22:38
CR El Salvador Spain	21: 094	England Harlequins	18:31	03:63
US Montauban France	54: 062	England London Irish	30:26	24:36
Rugby Parma Italy	34: 058	France Section Paloise	28:33	06:25
AS Béziers France	23: 029	Ireland Connacht rugby	10:18	13:11

The two best losers, US Montauban and AS Béziers, also advanced one round.

2nd round

First leg: from December 3rd to 5th, 2003
Second legs: December 10-12, 2003
Participants: 16

	total		First leg	Return leg
Connacht rugby Ireland	35:17	France Section Paloise	29: 07	06:10
US Montauban France	25:79	England Harlequins	08:43	17:36
Newcastle Falcons England	23:28	France AS Montferrand	10: 03	13:25
CA Brive France	58:48	France Castres Olympique	30:17	28:31
US Colomiers France	42:58	England Bath rugby	25:32	17:26
FC Grenoble France	23:43	France AS Béziers	15:19	08:24
London Irish England	30:42	France RC Narbonne	20:13	10:29
Saracens England	42:39	Scotland Glasgow Warriors	37: 06	05:33

Quarter finals

First legs

January 24, 2004 3:00 PM GMT	England Harlequins	41: 8	France CA Brive	The Stoop , London audience: 4,950
January 24, 2004 3:00 PM GMT				The Stoop , London audience: 4,950

January 24, 2004 19:30 CET	France AS Béziers	24:19	England Bath rugby	Stade de la Méditerranée , Béziers spectators: 2,553
January 24, 2004 19:30 CET				Stade de la Méditerranée , Béziers spectators: 2,553

January 24, 2004 19:30 CET	France RC Narbonne	18:27	Connacht rugby	Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié , Narbonne Spectators: 4,000
January 24, 2004 19:30 CET				Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié , Narbonne Spectators: 4,000

January 25, 2004 15:00 CET	England AS Montferrand	26:10	France Saracens	Stade Marcel-Michelin , Clermont-Ferrand spectators: 9,444
January 25, 2004 15:00 CET				Stade Marcel-Michelin , Clermont-Ferrand spectators: 9,444

Return legs

January 31, 2004 2:00 PM GMT	Connacht rugby	16:10	France RC Narbonne	Galway Sportsgrounds , Galway spectators: 2,000
January 31, 2004 2:00 PM GMT				Galway Sportsgrounds , Galway spectators: 2,000

January 31, 2004 2:15 pm GMT	England Bath rugby	26: 7	France AS Béziers	Recreation Ground , Bath Spectators: 5,571
January 31, 2004 2:15 pm GMT				Recreation Ground , Bath Spectators: 5,571

February 1, 2004 15:00 CET	France CA Brive	36:20	England Harlequins	Stade Amédée-Domenech , Brive-la-Gaillarde spectators: 3,500
February 1, 2004 15:00 CET

February 1, 2004 3:00 PM GMT	England Saracens	18:14	France AS Montferrand	Vicarage Road , Watford Spectators: 4,058
February 1, 2004 3:00 PM GMT				Vicarage Road , Watford Spectators: 4,058

Semifinals

First legs

April 10, 2004 1:00 p.m. WEST	England Bath rugby	29:15	France AS Montferrand	Recreation Ground , Bath Spectators: 7,000
April 10, 2004 1:00 p.m. WEST				Recreation Ground , Bath Spectators: 7,000

April 11, 2004 1:00 p.m. WEST	England Harlequins	31:22	Connacht rugby	The Stoop , London Spectators: 6,573
April 11, 2004 1:00 p.m. WEST				The Stoop , London Spectators: 6,573

Return legs

April 24, 2004 14:00 CEST	France AS Montferrand	38:22	England Bath rugby	Stade Marcel-Michelin , Clermont-Ferrand Spectators: 4,000
April 24, 2004 14:00 CEST				Stade Marcel-Michelin , Clermont-Ferrand Spectators: 4,000

April 25, 2004 1:00 p.m. WEST	Connacht rugby	23:18	England Harlequins	Galway Sportsgrounds , Galway spectators: 6,000
April 25, 2004 1:00 p.m. WEST				Galway Sportsgrounds , Galway spectators: 6,000

final

May 22, 2004 12:00 AM WEST	France AS Montferrand	26:27	England Harlequins	Madejski Stadium , Reading Spectators: 13,123 Referee: Nigel Whitehouse ( Wales )
May 22, 2004 12:00 AM WEST	Attempts: Azam Mignoni Raise: Floch (2) Penalty Kicks: Floch (3) Dropgoals: Merceron (1)	(16:14) Report	Attempts: Duffy Keogh Elevations: Dunne (1) Penalty Kicks: Burke (4) Dunne (1)