2018/19 Continental Shield fixtures confirmed
Clubs from Italy, Georgia and Belgium will compete in the 2018/19 Continental Shield with a valuable place in the Challenge Cup up for grabs.
Four sides from the Italian Eccellenza– Argos Rugby Petrarca, PataroCalvisano, Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo Delta and GS FiammeOro Rugby – will be joined by Rugby Europe unions representatives : Georgia’s RC Locomotive Tbilisi and Belgian representatives, "Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV" , competing in two pools of three.
Locomotive Tbilisi, Calvisano and Fiamme Oro from Rome have been drawn in Pool A while Pool B is made up of Petrarca, Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV and Rovigo. Clubs in the same pool will play one another on a home and away basis and the two pool winners will then play off over two legs to decide which club qualifies for the 2019/20 Challenge Cup.
A further place in the 2019/20 Challenge Cup will be decided by a home and away play-off between Russia’s Enisei-STM and Timisoara Saracens of Romania who are both competing in this season’s 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.
The Continental Shield, which was won for the second time by Enisei-STM in Bilbao last season, is organised by EPCR in conjunction with Rugby Europe and the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR).
POOL A
RC Locomotive Tbilisi (Georgia)
PataroCalvisano(Italy)
GS FiammeOro Rugby (Italy)
POOL B
Argos Rugby Petrarca (Italy)
Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV (Belgium)
Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo Delta (Italy)
FIXTURES
Round 1 – Saturday 13 October
RC Locomotive Tbilisi v PataroCalvisano,AvchalaRugby Stadium, 15.00
Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo Delta v Argos Rugby Petrarca, StadioMario Battaglini, 15.00
Round 2 – Saturday 20 October
Pataro Calvisano v GS FiammeOro Rugby, Pata Stadium, 15.00
Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV v Argos Rugby Petrarca, Stade Nelson Mandela, 13.00
Round 3 – Saturday 8 December
GS FiammeOro Rugby v RC Locomotive Tbilisi, FiammeOro Stadium, 15.00
Argos Rugby Petrarca v Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV, Argos Arena, 15.00
Round 4 – Saturday 15 December
PataroCalvisanov RC Locomotive Tbilisi, Pata Stadium 15.00
Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo Delta v Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV, StadioMario Battaglini 15.00
Round 5 – Saturday 12 January 2019
RC Locomotive Tbilisi v GS FiammeOro Rugby, AvchalaRugby Stadium, 15.00
Argos Rugby Petrarca v Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo Delta, Argos Arena, 15.00
Round 6 – Saturday 19 January 2019
GS FiammeOro Rugby v PataroCalvisano,FiammeOro Stadium, 15.00
Belgium Rugby Barbarians XV vFemi-CZ Rugby Rovigo Delta, Stade Nelson Mandela, 15.00
Play-offs – 30 March 2019
Winner Pool A v winner Pool B
Enisei-STM v Timisoara Saracens
Play-offs – 20 April 2019
Winner Pool B v winner Pool A
Timisoara Saracens v Enisei-STM