2017–18 European Rugby Continental Shield

The 2017–18 European Rugby Continental Shield is a rugby union competition, organised by European Professional Club Rugby, Rugby Europe and the Federazione Italiana Rugby, for entry into the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Format

The format of the Qualifying Competition remains similar to the previous season. As before, two places in the next year's Challenge Cup will be available for teams in the Continental Shield. Clubs from six countries will compete in the 2017/18 Continental Shield.

Four representatives from the Italian Eccellenza – Pataro Rugby Calvisano, Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo, Rugby Petrarca and Rugby Viadana – will be joined by Romania's Timișoara Saracens, RC Batumi from Georgia, Heidelberger RK of Germany and Portugal's Centro Desportivo Universitario de Lisboa (CDUL Rugby) competing in two pools of four.

Following the pool stage matches, the winner of Pool A will play the runner-up in Pool B, and the winner of Pool B will play the runner-up in Pool A on a home and away basis.

The two clubs which advance will then play each other home and away with the winner securing a place in the Continental Shield final in Bilbao next May and also qualifying for the 2018/19 Challenge Cup.

The other Continental Shield finalist will be decided by a home and away play-off between Russia's Enisei-STM and Krasny Yar who have both received a bye into the knockout stage of the competition due to their participation in this season's Challenge Cup and to their success in last season's Continental Shield.

The winner of the Enisei-STM v Krasny Yar play-offs will go through to the Continental Shield final in Bilbao and will also qualify for the 2018/19 Challenge Cup.

The aim of the Continental Shield is to widen the footprint of club rugby across Europe and to give both emerging and established clubs in different territories the opportunity to qualify for the Challenge Cup.

Pool A	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Timișoara Saracens	4	3	0	1	106	68	+38	1	1	14
Heidelberger RK	4	3	0	1	96	74	+22	1	0	13
Rovigo	4	2	0	2	89	86	+3	2	1	11
Viadana	4	1	0	3	66	128	-62	1	1	6

Pool B	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TB	LB	Pts
Calvisano	4	2	0	2	107	52	+55	2	2	12
Batumi	4	2	0	2	107	95	+12	2	2	12
Petrarca	4	2	0	2	99	69	+30	1	2	11
CDUL	4	1	0	3	43	142	-99	0	0	4

Fixtures

Matches

14 October 2017 15:00 Timișoara Saracens 29 – 25 Petrarca (BP) Dan Paltinisanu Stadium, Timișoara Referee: Lloyd Linton 14 October 2017 15:00 (BP) Rovigo 31 – 27 Batumi (2 BP) Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo Referee: Maxime Burlet 14 October 2017 15:00 Heidelberger RK 23 – 19 Calvisano (BP) Sportzentrum Süd, Heidelberg Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti 14 October 2017 15:00 (BP) Viadana 14 – 19 CDUL Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana Referee: Nika Amashukeli 21 October 2017 15:00 (BP) Calvisano 41 – 14 Viadana Centro Sportivo San Michele, Calvisano Referee: Sam Grove White 21 October 2017 15:00 Petrarca 18 – 13 Rovigo (BP) Centro Sportivo Plebiscito, Padua Referee: Shota Tevzadze 21 October 2017 15:00 (BP) Batumi 33 – 16 Heidelberger RK Rugby Arena, Batumi Referee: Maxime Burlet 21 October 2017 15:00 CDUL 10 – 45 Timișoara Saracens (BP) Estadio Universitario de Lisboa, Lisboa Referee: Andrea Piardi 9 December 2017 15:00 Heidelberger RK 19 – 15 Petrarca (BP) Sportzentrum Süd, Heidelberg Referee: Andrea Piardi 9 December 2017 15:00 Timișoara Saracens 15 – 13 Calvisano (BP) Dan Paltinisanu Stadium, Timișoara Referee: Nika Amashukeli 9 December 2017 15:00 (BP) Viadana 31 – 27 Batumi (BP) Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana Referee: Iñigo Atorrasagasti 9 December 2017 15:00 (BP) Rovigo 45 – 7 CDUL Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo Referee: Ben Blain 16 December 2017 15:00 (BP) Calvisano 34 – 0 Rovigo Centro Sportivo San Michele, Calvisano Referee: Lloyd Linton 16 December 2017 15:00 CDUL 7 – 38 Heidelberger RK (BP) Estadio Universitario de Lisboa, Lisboa Referee: Shota Tevzadze 16 December 2017 12:00 Batumi 20 – 17 Timișoara Saracens (BP) Rugby Arena, Batumi Referee: Keith Allen 16 December 2017 15:00 (BP) Petrarca 41 – 7 Viadana Impianti Sportivi Memo Geremia, Padua Referee: Andrea Piardi

Pool play-offs

13 January 2018 15:00

Batumi	6 – 11	Timișoara Saracens

Rugby Arena, Batumi

13 January 2018 15:00

Heidelberger RK	34 – 29	Calvisano

Sportzentrum Süd, Heidelberg

20 January 2018 14:00

Timișoara Saracens	21 – 12	Batumi

Cluj Arena, Cluj

Timișoara Saracens won 32–18 on aggregate.

20 January 2018 15:00

Calvisano	13 – 17	Heidelberger RK

Centro Sportivo San Michele, Calvisano

Heidelberger RK won 51–42 on aggregate.

Qualifying play-offs

31 March 2018

Enisey-STM	47 – 22	Krasny Yar

Trud Stadium, Krasnodar

31 March 2018

Timișoara Saracens	26 – 20	Heidelberger RK

Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu, Timișoara Attendance: 3212

21 April 2018

Krasny Yar	26 – 27	Enisey-STM

Krasny Yar Stadium, Krasnoyarsk

Enisey-STM won 74–48 on aggregate.

21 April 2018

Heidelberger RK	27 – 15	Timișoara Saracens

Sportzentrum Süd, Heidelberg

Heidelberger RK won 47–41 on aggregate.

Continental Shield Final

12 May 2018

Enisey-STM	24 – 20	Heidelberger RK

Campos Deportivos de Fadura, Getxo, Biscay

References