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| Euro Pools Announced |
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| John Rudd helps Newcastle to victory over Brive last season |
| 23 June 2008, 1:32 pm |
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| Newcastle Falcons have drawn Brive, Cetransa El Salvador and Overmach Parma in the 2008/9 European Challenge Cup. |
The Falcons will meet Brive for a remarkable fourth straight season having been pooled with the French club for each of the past three years, winning five of the six games.
Newcastle will face Spanish champions Cetransa El Salvador for the second year in succession, while they will also meet Italian side Overmach Parma as they aim to secure safe passage through to the knock-out stages.
Falcons director of rugby Steve Bates, fresh from coaching England Saxons to Churchill Cup glory this weekend, said: “We have always enjoyed competitive matches against Brive, and I am sure this season will be no different.
“Cetransa El Salvador are a side we are familiar with after our two games against them last year, while Overmach Parma will represent a new challenge which we are looking forward to.”
Having reached the semi-finals last year, Bates added: “The European Challenge Cup is a tournament with significant interest for us, and as always we will be going all out to win the competition.”
European Challenge Cup Pools 2008 / 2009:
POOL 1: London Irish, Connacht Rugby, Dax*/Albi*, Rugby Rovigo
POOL 2: Northampton Saints, Bristol Rugby, Montpellier, Toulon
POOL 3: Bourgoin, Worcester Warriors, Petrarca Rugby, Bucuresti Oaks
POOL 4: Newcastle Falcons, Brive, Overmach Rugby Parma, Cetransa El Salvador
POOL 5: Saracens, Viadana, Bayonne, Stade Montois Rugby
*The participation of Dax*/ Albi* is subject to confirmation from the LNR & FFR.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP 2008 / 2009 FIXTURES:
Round 1 - 10 / 11 / 12 October, 2008
Round 2 - 17 / 18 / 19 October, 2008
Round 3 - 5 / 6 / 7 December, 2008
Round 4 - 12 / 13 / 14 December, 2008
Round 5 - 17 / 18 / 19 January, 2009
Round 6 - 24 / 25 / 26 January, 2009
Quarter-finals - 10 / 11 / 12 April, 2009
Semi-finals - 1 / 2 / 3 May, 2009
13th European Challenge Cup final - 22 / 23 / 24 May, 2009 |
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