1999–2000 European Challenge Cup

{{Infobox European Cup Rugby season

| name = 1999–2000 European Challenge Cup

| image =

| imagesize = 100px

| caption = Official logo

| countries = {{flag|England}}
{{flag|France}}
{{flag|Ireland|rugby union}}
{{flag|Italy}}
{{flag|Romania}}
{{flag|Spain}}
{{flag|Wales}}

| tournament format = Round-robin and Knockout

| date = 19 November 1999 to 28 May 2000

| teams = 28

| matches =

| attendance =

| tries =

| top point scorer = David Aucagne (Pau)
(130 points)

| top try scorer = Philippe Bernat-Salles (Biarritz)
Nicolas Brusque (Pau)
Francois Plisson (Castres)
(7 tries)

| venue = Les Sept Deniers

| attendance2 = 6,000

| champions = {{flagicon|France}} Pau

| count = 1

| runner-up = {{flagicon|France}} Castres Olympique

| website = https://web.archive.org/web/20080506141030/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/

| previous year = 1998–99

| previous tournament = 1998–99 European Challenge Cup

| next year = 2000–01

| next tournament = 2000–01 European Challenge Cup

}}

The 1999–2000 European Challenge Cup was the fourth year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup. The tournament was held between November 1999 and May 2000.

Pool stage

{{main|1999–2000 European Challenge Cup pool stage}}

=Pool 1=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width="200"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|Pts

bgcolor="#ccffcc"

|align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} Bristol Shoguns

|6

50118810165966910
align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Bordeaux-Begles

|6

40218117158124348
align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Dax

|6

3031214−2129146−176
align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} Calvisano

|6

006318−1569155−860

=Pool 2=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width="200"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|Pts

bgcolor="#ccffcc"

|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Castres Olympique

|6

6003912272499415512
align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Newport

|6

30315141137119186
align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} Bedford Blues

|6

2041531−16121223−1024
align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} Rugby Rovigo

|6

1051325−12107178−712

=Pool 3=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width="200"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|Pts

bgcolor="#ccffcc"

|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Pau

|6

5013292322911411510
bgcolor="#ccffcc"

|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Perpignan

|6

501249152001049610
align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} Sale Sharks

|6

2041724−7168181−134
align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Caerphilly

|6

006839−3181279−1980

=Pool 4=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width="200"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|Pts

bgcolor="#ccffcc"

|align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Ebbw Vale

|6

60031131825212712512
align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Toulon

|6

3031789178148306
align="left"| {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby union}} Connacht

|6

2041518−3131165−344
align="left"| {{flagicon|ROM}} Steaua București

|6

1051337−24120241−1212

=Pool 5=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width="200"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|Pts

bgcolor="#ccffcc"

|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Biarritz Olympique

|6

501348262277715010
align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} Gloucester

|6

411251213188113759
align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Bridgend RFC

|6

2131320−7113151−385
align="left"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Spain XV

|6

006739−3279266−1870

=Pool 6=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width="200"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|Pts

bgcolor="#ccffcc"

|align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} Newcastle Falcons

|6

501248162009011010
align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Narbonne

|6

3031971215396576
align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Aurillac

|6

3031320−7125153−286
align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Dunvant

|6

1051132−2192231−1392

=Pool 7=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width="200"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|Pts

bgcolor="#ccffcc"

|align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} London Irish

|6

40224195192140528
align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} SU Agen

|6

501307232111001118*
align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Brive

|6

30325187199162376
align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} Rugby Roma

|6

006944−3594294−2000

* Agen deducted two points for fielding non-registered players in two matches.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/european/3620291.stm BBC Sport]

Knockout stage

=Quarter-finals=

{{rugbybox

| date = 15 April 2000

| time = 16:00

| home = Pau {{flagicon|FRA}}

| score = 36–20

| report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20080506141030/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_1465.php Report]

| away = {{flagicon|ENG}} Newcastle Falcons

| homescore =

| awayscore =

| stadium = Stade Municipal du Hameau, Pau

| attendance = 7,000

| referee = Robert Davies }}

{{rugbybox

| date = 15 April 2000

| time = 17:30

| home = Ebbw Vale {{flagicon|WAL}}

| score = 20–21

| report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_1466.php Report]

| away = {{flagicon|ENG}} London Irish

| homescore =

| awayscore =

| stadium = Eugene Cross Park, Ebbw Vale

| attendance = 4,000

| referee = Joel Jutge }}

{{rugbybox

| date = 15 April 2000

| time = 19:30

| home = Castres Olympique {{flagicon|FRA}}

| score = 43–33

| report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_1467.php Report]

| away = {{flagicon|FRA}} Perpignan

| homescore =

| awayscore =

| stadium = Stade Pierre Antoine, Castres

| attendance = 3,000

| referee = Chris White }}

{{rugbybox

| date = 15 April 2000

| time = 20:00

| home = Biarritz Olympique {{flagicon|FRA}}

| score = 29–32

| report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_1468.php Report]

| away = {{flagicon|ENG}} Bristol

| homescore =

| awayscore =

| stadium = Parc des Sports Aguilera, Biarritz

| attendance = 3,300

| referee = Giovanni Morandin }}

=Semi-finals=

{{rugbybox

| date = 5 May 2000

| time = 20:00

| home = Castres Olympique {{flagicon|FRA}}

| score = 40–30

| report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_1469.php Report]

| away = {{flagicon|ENG}} London Irish

| homescore =

| awayscore =

| stadium = Stade Selery, Colomiers

| attendance = 5,800

| referee = Antonio Lombardi }}

{{rugbybox

| date = 6 May 2000

| time = 19:30

| home = Pau {{flagicon|FRA}}

| score = 51–27

| report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_1470.php Report]

| away = {{flagicon|ENG}} Bristol

| homescore =

| awayscore =

| stadium = Stade Maurice Trelut, Tarbes

| attendance = 7,500

| referee = David Tyndall }}

=Final=

{{rugbybox

| date = 28 May 2000

| time = 15:00

| home = Pau {{flagicon|FRA}}

| score = 34–21

| report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/161_1471.php Report]

| away = {{flagicon|FRA}} Castres Olympique

| homescore =

| awayscore =

| stadium = Les Sept Deniers, Toulouse

| attendance = 6,000

| referee = Chris White }}

See also

References