2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup

Sport event in Lyon, France 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup EnglandFranceIreland rugby unionItalyScotlandWales Round-robin and Knockout 13 November 2015 – 14 May 2016 20 67 {{#expr: + 7500 + 9674 + 28483 + 7969 + 8133 + 14512 + 20286 + 17763 + 16791 + 12772 + 17209 + 10469 + 9577 + 16838 + 8512 + 6800 + 2300 + 13820 + 13480 + 20050 + 16016 + 8800 + 8733 + 10930 + 6576 + 8733 + 4600 + 22261 + 12590 + 11319 + 9207 + 13852 + 20152 + 16768 + 15064 + 5767 + 9785 + 21645 + 12961 + 44925 + 9642 + 7200 + 9479 + 17233 + 6931 + 14874 + 18884 + 19076 + 14569 + 13344 + 15108 + 12498 + 11415 + 15702 + 9063 + 6823 + 3200 + 12073 + 13285 + 16519 + 23866 + 8050 + 20866 + 15340 + 16820 + 22148 + 58017 | tries = {{#expr: + 5 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 5 + 3 + 7 + 5 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 5 + 7 + 8 + 6 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 5 + 7 + 2 + 6 + 6 + 5 + 10 + 5 + 2 + 4 + 9 + 5 + 8 + 6 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 1 + 8 + 11 + 3 + 5 + 8 + 2 + 3 + 8 + 4 + 7 + 8 + 2 + 5 + 5 + 8 + 3 + 9 + 6 + 4 + 7 + 2 + 0 + 0 + 0 }} | top point scorer = Owen Farrell (Saracens)(127 points) | top try scorer = Vereniki Goneva (Leicester Tigers)Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs)(6 tries) | venue = Grand Stade de Lyon, Lyon | attendance2 = | champions =ENG Saracens | count =1 | runner-up =FRA Racing 92 | website = http://www.epcrugby.com | previous year = 2014–15 | previous tournament = 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup | next year = 2016–17 | next tournament = 2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup }} The 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup was the second European Rugby Champions Cup championship (21st overall), the annual rugby union club competition for teams from the top six nations in European rugby. The European Rugby Champions Cup replaced the Heineken Cup, which was Europe's top-tier competition for rugby clubs for the first nineteen years of professional European rugby union.Inaugural EPCR finals set for London https://web.archive.org/web/20140813054919/http://www.epcrugby.com/eng/news/28894.php 13 August 2014 As a result of the 2015 Rugby World Cup being held in England, the tournament started slightly later than in previous seasons, with the opening round taking place on the weekend of 13/14/15 November 2015. The tournament was won for the first time by Saracens who beat Racing 92 in the final on the 14 May 2016, at Parc Olympique Lyonnais (called "Grand Stade de Lyon" by competition organiser European Professional Club Rugby) in the Lyon suburb of Décines. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2016/05/13/saracens-vs-racing-92-live---what-time-is-saturdays-european-cha/ Racing 9 Saracens 21: Saracens crowned European champions 14 May 2016 Daily Telegraph 16 May 2016 http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychampionscup/news/30479.php#.VUSoG5Nib0y Key 2015/16 EPCR dates and Champions Cup play-offs epcrugby.comhttp://www.epcrugby.com/news/30996.php#.VYFqeUZiay0 Lyon to host 2016 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals with Edinburgh chosen for 2017 epcrugby.com 17 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20170813150418/http://www.epcrugby.com/news/30996.php#.VYFqeUZiay0 13 August 2017 dead http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/story/290367.html Farrell boots Saracens to Champions Cup glory 14 May 2016 ESPN 16 May 2016 Teams 20 clubs, from the three major European domestic leagues, competed in the Champions Cup. Nineteen clubs qualified directly as a result of their domestic league performance, with the final team coming from a play-off. The distribution of teams was as follows: England: 6 clubs The top 6 clubs in the English Premiership. (6 clubs) France: 7 clubs The top 6 clubs in the Top 14. (6 clubs) The victory of Bordeaux Bègles in the play-off series against Gloucester gave France a seventh place in the Champions Cup. (1 club) Ireland, Italy, Scotland & Wales: 7 clubs, based on performance in the Pro12. The best placed club from each nation. (4 clubs) The 3 highest ranked clubs not qualified thereafter. (3 clubs) English Premiership Top 14 Pro 12 England England France France Ireland rugby union Ireland Italy Italy Scotland Scotland Wales Wales Northampton Saints Bath Leicester Tigers Saracens Exeter Chiefs Wasps Toulon Clermont Toulouse Stade Français Racing 92 Oyonnax Bordeaux Bègles (7th Place play-off) Munster Ulster Leinster Benetton Treviso Glasgow Warriors Ospreys Scarlets 20th team play-off 2015–16 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs The following teams took part in play-off matches to decide the final team in the Champions Cup. The play-off was held between Premiership side Gloucester, as Challenge Cup winners, and teams from the Pro12 and Top 14. The losers of this play-off joined the Challenge Cup. English Premiership Top 14 Pro 12 ENG England FRA France IRE rugby union IrelandGloucesterBordeaux BèglesConnacht The play-off was a two-match series, with the winner of the first match, Gloucester, progressing to the second, and the winner of that second match, Bordeaux Bègles, qualifying for the Champions Cup. 24 May 2015 15:30 GMT Gloucester ENG 40−32 Reporthttps://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/32803113 Champions Cup play-off: Gloucester 40-32 Connacht BBC Sport 24 May 2015 14 September 2017 IRE rugby union Connacht Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester 7,633 Romain Poite (FFR) 31 May 2015 17:00 GMT Gloucester ENG 22−23 FRA Bordeaux Bègles Sixways Stadium, Worcester Leighton Hodges (WRU) Team details Below is the list of coaches, captains and stadiums with their method of qualification for each team. Note: Placing shown in brackets, denotes standing at the end of the regular season for their respective leagues, with their end of season positioning shown through CH for Champions, RU for Runner-up, SF for losing Semi-finalist and QF for losing Quarter-finalist. Team Coach /Director of Rugby Captain Stadium Capacity Method of Qualification ENG Bath ENG Mike Ford ENG Stuart Hooper Recreation Ground 13,500 English Premiership top 6 (2nd) (RU) ITA Benetton Treviso RSA Marius Goosen(For ITA Umberto Casellato) Umberto Casellato began the tournament as Benetton Treviso head coach, but was sacked on 5 January 2016, and replaced by Marius Goosen.http://www.planetrugby.com/news/treviso-and-casellato-part-ways/ Treviso and Casellato part ways 5 January 2016 5 January 2016 Planet Rugby ITA Alessandro Zanni Stadio Comunale di Monigo 6,700 Pro12 top Italian team (11th) FRA Bordeaux Bègles FRA Raphaël Ibañez AUS Matthew Clarkin Stade Chaban-Delmas 34,694 7th Place play-off winner FRA Clermont FRA Franck Azéma FRA Damien Chouly Stade Marcel-Michelin 18,000 Top 14 top 6 (2nd) (RU) ENG Exeter Chiefs ENG Rob Baxter ENG Jack Yeandle Sandy Park 12,600 English Premiership top 6 (5th) SCO Glasgow Warriors SCO Gregor Townsend SCO Jonny Gray Scotstoun Stadium 9,708 Pro12 top Scottish team (1st) (CH) ENG Leicester Tigers ENG Richard Cockerill ENG Ed Slater Welford Road 24,000 English Premiership top 6 (3rd) (SF) IRE rugby union Leinster IRE rugby union Leo Cullen FIJ Isa Nacewa RDS ArenaAviva Stadium 18,50051,700 Pro12 top 7 (5th) IRE rugby union Munster IRE rugby union Anthony Foley IRE rugby union CJ Standerhttp://www.the42.ie/munster-cj-stander-captain-south-africa-2440346-Nov2015/ The42 From a South African farm to captaining Munster: The rise of CJ Stander 17 February 2016 12 November 2015 Thomond Park 25,600 Pro12 top Irish team (2nd) (RU) ENG Northampton Saints ENG Jim Mallinder ENG rugby union Lee Dickson Franklin's Gardens 13,600 English Premiership top 6 (1st) (SF) WAL Ospreys WAL Steve Tandy WAL Alun Wyn Jones Liberty Stadium 20,532 Pro12 top Welsh Team (3rd) (SF) FRA Oyonnax FRA Olivier Azam, then France Johann Authier FRA Florian Denos Stade Charles-Mathon 11,400 Top 14 top 6 (6th) (QF) FRA Racing 92 FRA Laurent LabitFRA Laurent Travers FRA Dimitri Szarzewski Stade Yves-du-Manoir 14,000 Top 14 top 6 (5th) (QF) ENG Saracens IRE rugby union Mark McCall RSA Alistair Hargreaves Allianz Park 10,000 English Premiership top 6 (4th) (CH) WAL Scarlets NZL Wayne Pivac WAL Ken OwensWAL Scott Williams Parc y Scarlets 14,870 Pro12 top 7 (6th) FRA Stade Français ARG Gonzalo Quesada ITA Sergio Parisse Stade Jean-Bouin 20,000 Top 14 top 6 (4th) (CH) FRA Toulon FRA Bernard Laporte RSA Juan SmithFRA Jocelino Suta Stade Mayol 15,400 Top 14 top 6 (1st) (SF) FRA Toulouse FRA Ugo Mola FRA Thierry Dusautoir Stade Ernest-WallonStadium Municipal 19,50035,575 Top 14 top 6 (3rd) (SF) IRE rugby union Ulster AUS rugby union Les Kiss IRE rugby union Rory Best Kingspan Stadium 18,196 Pro12 top 7 (4th) (SF) ENG Wasps WAL Dai Young ENG James HaskellENG Matt Mullan Ricoh Arena 32,609 English Premiership top 6 (6th) Seeding In each Champions Cup season, the 20 competing teams are seeded and split into four tiers, each containing 5 teams. For the purpose of creating the tiers, clubs are ranked based on their domestic league performances and on their qualification for the knockout phases of their championships, so a losing quarter-finalist in the Top 14 would be seeded below a losing semi-finalist, even if they finished above them in the regular season.http://archive.ercrugby.com/news/28791.php Watch the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Pool Draws live 8 June 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20141031111243/http://archive.ercrugby.com/news/28791.php 31 October 2014 ERCRugby.com This represented a change for the English Premiership, which seeded teams for the 2014–15 Champions Cup without reference to their play-off performance, meaning Northampton Saints, who came top in the English Premiership, were seeded third - as the highest ranked losing semi-finalist. As a knock-on from this, Leicester Tigers, which came third in the league, dropped to fourth. RankTop 14PremiershipPro 12 1 FRA Stade Français ENG Saracens SCO Glasgow Warriors 2 FRA Clermont ENG Bath IRE rugby union Munster 3 FRA Toulon ENG Northampton Saints WAL Ospreys 4 FRA Toulouse ENG Leicester Tigers Ireland rugby union Ulster 5 FRA Racing 92 ENG Exeter Chiefs IRE rugby union Leinster 6 FRA Oyonnax ENG Wasps WAL Scarlets 7 FRA Bordeaux Bègles ITA Benetton Treviso Based on these seedings, teams are placed into one of the four tiers, with the top seed clubs being put in Tier 1. The nature of the tier system means that a draw is needed to allocate two of the three second seed clubs to Tier 1, the remaining side being put into Tier 2. The draw also determines which fourth seed enters Tier 2, the place being given to the fourth seed from the league of the second seed placed in Tier 2. The other two sides fall into Tier 3.European Rugby Pool Draws for 2015/16 season - EPCRugby.com The tiers are shown below. Brackets show each team's seeding and their league (for example, 1 Top 14 indicates the team was seeded 1st from the Top 14). Tier 1 ENG Saracens (1 AP) SCO Glasgow (1 Pro12) FRA Stade Français (1 Top 14) FRA Clermont (2 Top 14) ENG Bath (2 AP) Tier 2 IRE rugby union Munster (2 Pro12) ENG Northampton Saints (3 AP) WAL Ospreys (3 Pro12) FRA Toulon (3 Top 14) Ireland rugby union Ulster (4 Pro12) Tier 3 FRA Toulouse (4 Top 14) ENG Leicester Tigers (4 AP) ENG Exeter Chiefs (5 AP) IRE rugby union Leinster (5 Pro12) FRA Racing 92 (5 Top 14) Tier 4 WAL Scarlets (6 Pro12) ENG Wasps (6 AP) FRA Oyonnax (6 Top 14) ITA Benetton Treviso (7 Pro12) FRA Bordeaux (Play-Off) The pool draw took place 17 June, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The following restrictions applied to the draw: The 5 pools each consisted of four clubs, one from each of the 4 Tiers. Each pool had to have one English Premiership club from Tier 1, 2 or 3, one Top 14 club from Tier 1, 2 or 3, and one Pro12 club from Tier 1, 2 or 3 (with a second Premiership, Top 14 or Pro12 club coming from Tier 4). If there were two Pro12 clubs in the same pool, they had to be from different countries (this season's competition featured three teams from Ireland, two from Wales and one each from Scotland and Italy). Pool stage 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup pool stage The draw took place on 17 June 2015.http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychampionscup/news/30997.php#.VYGrRflViko European heavyweights to clash following 2015/16 Pool Draws 17 June 2015 EPCRugby 17 June 2015 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jun/17/bath-wasps-european-champions-cup-draw-exeter-saracens-leicester Bath and Wasps draw holders Toulon in European Champions Cup pool 17 June 2015 Guardian 18 June 2015 Teams played each other twice, both at home and away, in the pool stage, that began on the weekend of 13/14/15 November 2015, and continued through to 22/23/24 January 2016, before the pool winners and three best runners-up progressed to the quarter-finals. Teams were awarded competition points, based on match result. Teams receive 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw, 1 attacking bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match and 1 defensive bonus point for losing a match by seven points or fewer.http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychampionscup/rules.php Champions Cup Rules epcrugby.com 17 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150420202015/http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychampionscup/rules.php 20 April 2015 dead In the event of a tie between two or more teams, the following tie-breakers were used, as directed by EPCR: Where teams have played each other The club with the greater number of competition points from only matches involving tied teams. If equal, the club with the best aggregate points difference from those matches. If equal, the club that scored the most tries in those matches. Where teams remain tied and/or have not played each other in the competition (i.e. are from different pools) The club with the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage. If equal, the club that scored the most tries in the pool stage. If equal, the club with the fewest players suspended in the pool stage. If equal, the drawing of lots will determine a club's ranking. + Key to colours    Winner of each pool, advanced to quarter-finals.    Three highest-ranked second-place teams advanced to quarter-finals. Pool 1 Pool 2 Pool 3 Pool 4 Pool 5 Pool winners & runners-up rankings RankPool WinnersPtsTF+/−1 ENG Saracens 28 26 +1472 ENG Leicester Tigers 23 21 +1093 FRA Racing 92 22 23 +1044 ENG Wasps 20 19 +1145 ENG Exeter Chiefs 16 18 –3RankPool Runners–upPtsTF+/−6 FRA Toulon 20 9 +57 FRA Stade Français 19 25 +688 ENG Northampton Saints 19 12 +19 Ireland rugby union Ulster 18 21 +6010 FRA Bordeaux Bègles 16 18 –4 Knock-out stage Format The four top teams hosted the quarter-finals against the four lower teams in a 1v8, 2v7, 3v6 and 4v5 format according to their ranking after the pool stages. The quarter-finals were played on the weekend of 8/9/10 April 2016. The semi-finals were played on the weekend of 23/24 April 2016. In lieu of the draw that previously determined the semi-final pairing, EPCR announced that a fixed semi-final bracket would be set in advance, and that the home team would be designated based on "performances by clubs during the pool stages as well as the achievement of a winning a quarter-final match away from home". Semi-final matches must be played at a neutral ground in the designated home team's country. Home country advantage was awarded as follows: Winner of QFSemi-final 1(Home v Away) 1 4 1 v 4 1 5 5 v 1 8 4 8 v 4 8 5 5 v 8 Winner of QFSemi-final 2(Home v Away) 3 2 2 v 3 3 7 7 v 3 6 2 6 v 2 6 7 6 v 7 The winners of the semi-finals contested the final, at Grand Stade de Lyon, on 14 May 2016.http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychampionscup/news/30996.php#.VYGzHvm4TIU Lyon to host 2016 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals with Edinburgh chosen for 2017 17 June 2015 EPCRugby 17 June 2015 Bracket Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final 2 ENG Leicester Tigers 41 7 FRA Stade Français 13 3 FRA Racing 92 19 6 FRA Toulon 16 1 ENG Saracens 29 8 ENG Northampton Saints 20 4 ENG Wasps 25 5 ENG Exeter Chiefs 24 ENG Leicester Tigers 16 FRA Racing 92 19 ENG Saracens 24 ENG Wasps 17 FRA Racing 92 9 ENG Saracens 21 Quarter-finals 9 April 2016 15:15 Wasps ENG (4) 25–24 Reporthttp://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32802.php European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR) epcrugby.com 14 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20160616081833/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32802.php 16 June 2016 dead (5) ENG Exeter Chiefs Piutau (2) 42' m, 79' cHalai 64' c Gopperth (2/3) 65', 80' Gopperth (2/3) 6', 17' Waldrom (2) 32' c, 36' cWilliams 48' c Steenson (3/3) 33', 37', 48' Steenson (1/1) 58' Ricoh Arena 23,866 Romain Poite (FFR) 9 April 2016 17:45 Saracens ENG (1) 29–20 Reporthttp://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32806.php European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR) epcrugby.com 14 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20160616233421/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32806.php 16 June 2016 dead (8) ENG Northampton Saints Ashton 67' cWyles 76' c Farrell (2/2) 68', 77' Farrell (5/5) 6', 20', 51', 61', 74' K. Pisi 15' cLawes 80' c Myler (2/2) 17', 80' Myler (2/4) 31', 55' Allianz Park 8,050 Jérôme Garcès (FFR) 10 April 2016 13:45 Leicester Tigers ENG (2) 41–13 Reporthttp://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32824.php European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR) epcrugby.com 14 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20160515034045/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32824.php 15 May 2016 dead (7) FRA Stade Français Tuilagi 1' cGoneva (2) 30' c, 44' cBurns 33' cFitzgerald 59' mVeainu 65' m Burns (4/4) 2', 31', 34', 46' Burns (1/1) 15' Dupuy 42' c Steyn (1/1) 43' Steyn (2/3) 7', 24' Welford Road 20,866 Nigel Owens (WRU) 10 April 2016 17:15 Racing 92 FRA (3) 19–16 Reporthttp://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32827.php European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR) epcrugby.com 14 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20160718030141/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32827.php 18 July 2016 dead (6) FRA Toulon Imhoff 2' c Carter (1/1) 4' Carter (1/1) 1'Machenaud (3/6) 47', 51', 78' Ollivon 8' c Pélissié (1/1) 10' Pélissié (3/5) 40', 43', 59' Stade Yves du Manoir 15,340 Wayne Barnes (RFU) Semi-finals 23 April 2016 15:00 Saracens ENG 24–17 Reporthttp://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32892.php European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR) epcrugby.com 14 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20160626093231/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32892.php 26 June 2016 dead ENG Wasps Rhodes 28' mPenalty Try 72' c Farrell (1/2) 73' Farrell (4/6) 40', 42', 46', 68' Robson 1' cJohnson 75' c Gopperth (2/2) 2', 76' Gopperth (1/1) 41' Madejski Stadium, Reading 16,820 Romain Poite (FFR) 24 April 2016 15:15 Leicester Tigers ENG 16–19 Reporthttp://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32949.php European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR) epcrugby.com 14 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20160629194101/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/32949.php 29 June 2016 dead FRA Racing 92 Veainu 79' c O. Williams (1/1) 79' Burns (1/1) 28'O. Williams (2/2) 38', 44' Machenaud 4' c Carter (1/1) 4' Carter (3/3) 21', 40', 51'Goosen (1/2) 74' City Ground, Nottingham 22,148 Nigel Owens (WRU) Final 2016 European Rugby Champions Cup Final 14 May 2016 17:45 Racing 92 FRA 9–21 Reporthttp://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/33115.php European Rugby Champions Cup (EPCR) epcrugby.com 14 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20160530130640/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/33115.php 30 May 2016 dead ENG Saracens Goosen (3/3) 18', 36', 58' Farrell (7/7) 10', 25', 32', 39', 51', 76', 79' Grand Stade de Lyon, Lyon 58,017 Nigel Owens (WRU) Attendances Does not include the final as this was played at a neutral venues. ClubHomeGamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity ENG Bath 3 39,726 13,242 13,480 12,961 98% ITA Benetton Treviso 3 10,100 3,367 4,600 2,300 50% FRA Bordeaux Bègles 3 65,868 21,956 28,483 17,233 63% FRA Clermont 3 49,308 16,436 16,838 15,702 91% ENG Exeter Chiefs 3 31,922 10,641 11,415 9,577 87% SCO Glasgow Warriors 3 22,439 7,480 9,063 6,576 61% ENG Leicester Tigers 5Includes semi-final 'home game' played at the City Ground in Nottingham. a 104,021 20,804 22,148 19,076 80% IRE rugby union Leinster 3 76,285 25,428 44,925 14,569 85% IRE rugby union Munster 3 58,908 19,636 22,261 17,763 77% ENG Northampton Saints 3 44,450 14,817 15,064 14,512 96% WAL Ospreys 3 26,181 8,727 9,479 7,969 42% FRA Oyonnax 3 23,500 7,833 8,800 7,200 69% FRA Racing 92 4 39,137 9,784 15,340 6,931 67% ENG Saracens 5Includes semi-final 'home game' played at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. a 53,393 10,679 16,820 8,050 87% WAL Scarlets 3 21,102 7,034 8,512 5,767 47% FRA Stade Francais 3 35,678 11,893 13,820 9,785 59% FRA Toulon 3 38,706 12,902 13,344 12,590 84% FRA Toulouse 3 36,819 12,273 13,852 10,469 63% IRE rugby union Ulster 3 48,333 16,111 17,209 15,108 89% ENG Wasps 4 71,754 17,939 23,866 11,319 55% http://rugby.statbunker.com/competitions/HomeAttendance?comp_id=500 European Rugby Champions Cup 15/16 Home attendance Rugby Statbunker 10 April 2016 a See also 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup Notes References Champions Cup European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Champions Cup Category:European Rugby Champions Cup seasons