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 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 165 | 96 | 69 | 10 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Bordeaux-Begles
|6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 158 | 124 | 34 | 8 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Dax
|6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 129 | 146 | −17 | 6 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} Calvisano
|6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 | −15 | 69 | 155 | −86 | 0 |
=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 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 12 | 27 | 249 | 94 | 155 | 12 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Newport
|6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 137 | 119 | 18 | 6 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} Bedford Blues
|6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 31 | −16 | 121 | 223 | −102 | 4 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} Rugby Rovigo
|6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 25 | −12 | 107 | 178 | −71 | 2 |
=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 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 9 | 23 | 229 | 114 | 115 | 10 |
| bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Perpignan |6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 9 | 15 | 200 | 104 | 96 | 10 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} Sale Sharks
|6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 24 | −7 | 168 | 181 | −13 | 4 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Caerphilly
|6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 39 | −31 | 81 | 279 | −198 | 0 |
=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 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 13 | 18 | 252 | 127 | 125 | 12 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Toulon
|6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 178 | 148 | 30 | 6 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby union}} Connacht
|6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 18 | −3 | 131 | 165 | −34 | 4 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|ROM}} Steaua București
|6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 37 | −24 | 120 | 241 | −121 | 2 |
=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 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 8 | 26 | 227 | 77 | 150 | 10 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|ENG}} Gloucester
|6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 12 | 13 | 188 | 113 | 75 | 9 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Bridgend RFC
|6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 20 | −7 | 113 | 151 | −38 | 5 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|ESP}} Spain XV
|6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 39 | −32 | 79 | 266 | −187 | 0 |
=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 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 8 | 16 | 200 | 90 | 110 | 10 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Narbonne
|6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 153 | 96 | 57 | 6 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Aurillac
|6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 20 | −7 | 125 | 153 | −28 | 6 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|WAL}} Dunvant
|6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 32 | −21 | 92 | 231 | −139 | 2 |
=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 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 192 | 140 | 52 | 8 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} SU Agen
|6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 7 | 23 | 211 | 100 | 111 | 8 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Brive
|6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 199 | 162 | 37 | 6 |
| align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} Rugby Roma
|6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 44 | −35 | 94 | 294 | −200 | 0 |
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
{{reflist}}
{{European Rugby Challenge Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:European Challenge Cup}}
Category:1999–2000 rugby union tournaments for clubs
Category:1999–2000 in European rugby union
Category:1999–2000 in English rugby union
Category:1999–2000 in French rugby union
Category:1999–2000 in Irish rugby union
Category:1999–2000 in Italian rugby union
Category:1999–2000 in Romanian rugby union