European Shield
The European Shield was a "hope" tournament for rugby teams eliminated in the first round of the European Challenge Cup in 2002–03 and 2003–04. The name "European Shield" was previously used for the European Challenge Cup.
In the 2004–05 season, the twelve teams that missed qualifying for the European Challenge Cup took part. Bucureşti Rugby (Romania), UCM Madrid (Spain), Bera Bera (Spain) and Lisboa Rugby Club (Portugal) also took part in the European Shield.
The Shield has not been held since 2005 as the European Challenge Cup has been restructured.
Former winners of the European Shield
| season | Cup winners | Result | 2nd finalist | Stadion | spectator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Castres Olympique | 40-12 | Caerphilly RFC |
Madejski Stadium , Reading 
|
3,500 |
| 2004 | Montpellier | 25-19 | Rugby Viadana | Sergio Lanfranchi Stadium, Parma 
|
2.553 |
| 2005 | FC too | 23-10 | Worcester Warriors |
Kassam Stadium , Oxford
|
2.823 |
See also
- Heineken Cup
- European Challenge Cup
- Guinness Premiership
- Ligue Nationale de Rugby
- Celtic League
- Super 10 (Italy)