Newcastle and Brive meet again

Monday 23rd June 2008

Newcastle and Brive will continue their European Challenge Cup rivalry when the 13th season of the tournament kicks-off on the second weekend in October.

ERC, the tournament organisers, have announced the results of the draw for the competition with Newcastle and Brive again going head-to-head for the fourth successive season.

The Falcons are 5-1 ahead in those meetings - including wins on French soil at the home of the 1997 Heineken Cup champions in the 2006 and 2008 tournaments - and the two clubs will contest Pool 4 along with Overmach Rugby Parma and Cetransa El Salvador.

Worcester Warriors, beaten finalists last season, are up against Bourgoin, Petrarca Rugby and Romanian side Bucuresti Oaks in Pool 3 while Connacht - who have played a record 77 European Challenge Cup matches - will contest Pool 1 with recent Heineken Cup semi-finalists London Irish along with Rugby Rovigo, and one of either Dax or Albi - subject to confirmation from the LNR & FFR.

Toulon, back in Europe for the first time since the 2000 season, return in what is a strictly Anglo-French affair in Pool 2 against the 2000 Heineken Cup winners Northampton Saints, Bristol and Montpellier, while Stade Montois claimed the final place in the tournament when they beat Racing Metro 32-23 in the Pro D2 play-off final last Saturday and joined Toulon in being promoted to next season's Top 14.

The draw was conducted using the new ERC European Ranking system based on the qualified teams' performances and participation in the Heineken Cup and knock-out stages of the European Challenge Cup over the past four seasons.

2009 European Challenge Cup Pools

Pool 1: London Irish, Connacht, Dax/Albi, Rovigo
Pool 2: Northampton Saints, Bristol, Montpellier, Toulon
Pool 3: Bourgoin, Worcester Warriors, Petrarca, Bucuresti Oaks
Pool 4: Newcastle, Brive, Overmach Parma, Cetransa El Salvador
Pool 5: Saracens, Viadana, Bayonne, Stade Montois