New format for Parker Pen Shield
June 27, 2002

The face of European rugby will change next season. The format for the tournament formally knows as the Parker Pen Shield has changed. The 32 teams taking part next season will participate in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup.

The Parker Pen Challenge Cup 2002/2003 tournament will be run on a knock-out basis - with each of the 32 competing teams from eight nations assured of a minimum of four matches.

Round 1 will consist of the 16 seeded teams - six from England, six from France, two from Wales and one each from Scotland and Ireland - being drawn against the 16 unseeded teams. They will play each other home and away on the weekends of 11/12/13 October (Leg One unseeded teams at home) and 18/19/20 October (Leg Two seeded teams at home). No two teams from any one country will be drawn together.

The 16 aggregate winners will go forward to Round 2 of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup and play home and away. The 16 unsuccessful teams will combine in a separate competition run on identical lines, the Parker Pen Shield.

All these matches will be played on the weekends of 6/7/8 and 13/14/15 December, with a draw taking place to determine the order of home advantage

The last eight and then the last four in each competition will continue on the home and away format in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, with a draw taking place to determine the order of home advantage. The two finals will be staged on the last weekend in May as straight winner-takes-all contests at neutral venues. The winner of Parker Pen Challenge Cup will automatically qualify for the Heineken Cup 2003/2004 tournament.

The seeded teams are:

  • ENGLAND: Bath Rugby, Leeds Tykes, London Wasps, NEC Harlequins, Newcastle Falcons, Saracens
  • FRANCE: Bordeaux-Begles, Castres Olympique, Colomiers, Montauban, RC Narbonne, Stade Francais
  • WALES: Bridgend, Pontypridd
  • IRELAND: Connacht
  • SCOTLAND: Scottish Borders

    The unseeded teams are:

  • FRANCE: Grenoble, Mont de Marsan, Pau
  • WALES: Caerphilly, Ebbw Vale
  • ITALY: GR.A.N. Rugby Parma, Parma Rugby, Petrarca Padova, Pol Rugby L'Aquila, Rugby Roma, Rugby Rovigo, Rugby Silea, Rugby Treviso
  • SPAIN: La Moraleja Alcobendas, Madrid 2012
  • ROMANIA: Dinamo Bucuresti

    PARKER PEN CHALLENGE CUP

    ROUND 1
    First leg: 11/12/13 October
    Second leg: 18/19/20 October

    1) Grenoble v Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons v Grenoble
    2) Rugby Treviso v Castres Olympique Castres Olympique v Rugby Treviso
    3) Pol Rugby L'Aquila v ColomiersColomiers v Pol Rugby L'Aquila
    4) Dinamo Bucaresti v Saracens
    Saracens v Dinamo Bucaresti
    5) Ebbw Vale v Montauban
    Montauban v Ebbw Vale
    6) Madrid 2012 v Scottish Borders
    Scottish Borders v Madrid 2012
    7) G.R.A.N. Rugby Parma v Bath Rugby
    Bath Rugby v G.R.A.N. Rugby Parma
    8) Pau v Bridgend Bridgend v Pau
    9) Parma Rugby v London Wasps London Wasps v Parma Rugby
    10) La Moraleja Alcobendas v Bordeaux-Begles
    Bordeaux-Begles v La Moraleja Alcobendas
    11) Caerphilly v NEC Harlequins
    NEC Harlequins v Caerphilly
    12) Rugby Rovigo v Stade Francais
    Stade Francais v Rugby Rovigo
    13) Rugby Silea v RC Narbonne
    RC Narbonne v Rugby Silea
    14) Mont de Marsan v Connacht
    Connacht v Mont de Marsan
    15) Petrarca Padova v Leeds Tykes
    Leeds Tykes v Petrarca Padova
    16) Rugby Roma v Pontypridd
    Pontypridd v Rugby Roma

    UNSEEDED TEAMS

  • FRANCE: Grenoble, Mont de Marsan, Pau
  • WALES: Caerphilly, Ebbw Vale
  • ITALY: GR.A.N. Rugby Parma, Parma Rugby, Petrarca Padova, Pol Rugby L'Aquila, Rugby Roma, Rugby Rovigo, Rugby Silea, Rugby Treviso
  • SPAIN: La Moraleja Alcobendas, Madrid 2012
  • ROMANIA: Dinamo Bucuresti

    PARKER PEN CHALLENGE CUP
    ROUND 2
    First leg: 6/7/8 December Second leg: 13/14/15 December

    (There will be a draw to determine the order of home advantage for each pairing)

    17)WINNER 1 v WINNER 2
    18)WINNER 3 v WINNER 4
    19)WINNER 5 v WINNER 6
    20)WINNER 7 v WINNER 8
    21)WINNER 9 v WINNER 10
    22)WINNER 11 v WINNER 12
    23)WINNER 13 v WINNER 14
    24)WINNER 15 v WINNER 16

    QUARTER-FINALS (Home and away)
    First leg: 10/11/12 January
    Second leg: 17/18/19 January

    (There will be a draw to determine the order of home advantage for each pairing)

    25)WINNER 17 v WINNER 18
    26)WINNER 19 v WINNER 20
    27)WINNER 21 v WINNER 22
    28)WINNER 23 v WINNER 24

    SEMI-FINALS (Home and away)
    First leg: 12/13 April Second leg: 26/27 April

    (There will be a draw to determine the order of home advantage for each pairing)

    29)WINNER 25 v WINNER 26
    30)WINNER 27 v WINNER 28


    PARKER PEN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
    (Neutral venue) - 23/24/25 May, 2003

    WINNER 29 v WINNER 30

    PARKER PEN SHIELD

    ROUND 1
    First leg: 6/7/8 December Second leg: 13/14/15 December

    (There will be a draw to determine the order of home advantage for each pairing)

    31)LOSER 1 v LOSER 2
    32)LOSER 3 v LOSER 4
    33)LOSER 5 v LOSER 6
    34)LOSER 7 v LOSER 8
    35)LOSER 9 v LOSER 10
    36)LOSER 11 v LOSER 12
    37)LOSER 13 v LOSER 14
    38)LOSER 15 v LOSER 16

    QUARTER-FINALS (Home and away)
    First leg: 10/11/12 January Second leg: 17/18/19 January

    (There will be a draw to determine the order of home advantage for each pairing)

    39)WINNER 31 v WINNER 32
    40)WINNER 33 v WINNER 34
    41)WINNER 35 v WINNER 36
    42)WINNER 37 v WINNER 38

    SEMI-FINALS (Home and away)
    First leg: 12/13 April Second leg: 26/27 April

    (There will be a draw to determine the order of home advantage for each pairing)

    43)WINNER 39 v WINNER 40
    44)WINNER 41 v WINNER 42

    PARKER PEN SHIELD FINAL
    (Neutral venue) - 23/24/25 May, 2003

    WINNER 43 v WINNER 44

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