2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup


The 2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup, known colloquially as the 2024-25 European Challenge Cupwas the eleventh edition of the EPCR Challenge Cup, an annual second-tier rugby union competition for professional clubs competing in elite European competition. Including the predecessor competition, the original European Challenge Cup, this is the 29th edition of European club rugby's second-tier competition.
The final was played at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales.
The South African Durban-based team, Sharks, were the reigning champions, and qualified for the 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup as a consequence. Following the pool stages of that competition, the Sharks dropped back into the knockout phase of the Challenge Cup, becoming at that point the defending champions. The Sharks were eliminated in the Round of 16 by French team, Lyon Olympique.
Bath Rugby defeated Lyon in the final 37-12, to win their second title, and the thirteenth for an English club, a record for one nation and one league.

Teams

Sixteen teams qualified for the 2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup from Premiership Rugby, the Top 14 and the United Rugby Championship as a direct result of their domestic league performance having not qualified for the Champions Cup. Two further sides received invitations, South Africa's Cheetahs and Georgia's Black Lion.
The distribution of teams are:
At the knockout stage, a further four teams entered the competition from the Champions Cup:

Pool stage

Teams were drawn into pools on 2 July in Cardiff. Teams were awarded four points for a win, two for a draw, one for scoring four tries in a game, and one for losing by less than eight points.

Knockout stage

The knockout stage begins with a single-leg round of 16 matches, consisting of the top 4 teams from each pool, and the teams ranked 5th in each pool of the 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup. The round of 16 follows a pre-determined format, while the quarter-finals and semi-finals guarantee home advantage to the higher-ranked team.

Round of 16

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Quarter-finals

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Semi-finals

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Leading scorers

Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.

Most points

Source:
RankPlayerClubPoints
1

Most tries

Source:
RankPlayerClubTries
1

Discipline

Citings/bans

'''Notes:'''