Trisha Shetty (Editor)

2015–16 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play offs

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Date
  
23 and 30 May 2015

Event
  
European Rugby Champions Cup Qualification Play-off

The 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup-Challenge Cup play-off will be the second play-off for entry into the top level competition of European Club rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Contents

Format

Following the two-team play-off in 2014–15, an expanded, four-team format was due to be used. However, on 24 September 2014, it was announced this would instead be a three-team play-off, with the highest placed non-qualifying team taking part.

To accommodate the longer season in the French Top 14, the format was announced as follows:

  • The 7th place team in the Aviva Premiership will play a single match against the 8th placed team (or highest placed team not already qualified) in the Pro12. Home advantage in the match will be decided by a coin toss. In the event that the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup winner is an Aviva Premiership club, and that this club has not automatically qualified for the Champions Cup, it will take the place allocated to the 7th place team in the Premiership. As it transpired, Gloucester – who were ninth in the Aviva Premiership – qualified for the play-off, having beaten Edinburgh 19–13 in the Challenge Cup final.
  • The winner of that game will host the 7th placed team in the French Top 14. The winner of that game will be considered the winner of the play-off and qualify for the Champions Cup.

    • Gloucester became the first team to qualify for the play-off, taking the place allocated to the Aviva Premiership, when they beat Edinburgh 19-13 in the Challenge Cup final on 1 May 2015. This result meant that the 7th place team in the 2014–15 Premiership will no longer take part in the play-off, and will compete in the Challenge Cup.

    Connacht qualified next, when the finished seventh in the 2014–15 Pro12 with 50 points, narrowly edging Edinburgh who had 48 points. Connacht will play Gloucester away at Gloucester's Kingsholm Stadium on Sunday 24 May 2015, with the venue having been decided earlier by a coin toss. Should Gloucester win, the second play-off match will be played at Sixways Stadium in Worcester, to avoid a clash of fixtures with a Madness concert.

    Match 2

  • Bordeaux Bègles qualify for the 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup. Gloucester and Connacht will compete in the 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup

    • References

    2015–16 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA