HC Relegation?

[ridgerunnersp]

So I was watching with tears in my eyes as the Tigers went down on Saturday, when I heard that they are going to have to play in the Challenge Cup next year? Same with Sale, and I don't know who else? Has it always been then way, where the bottom two teams in each pool get the boot? I don't remember it being like that. If that's the way things have always been set up, then nm, but if it's a new thing, then will someone please tell me what good it does ANYONE for a team like Leicester to play in the Challenge Cup. Now, if ERC is trying to make the CC get more interest, I guess it will work, but why try to have two Heineken Cups? That just shits on the face of tradition and dare I say, reason. Sure there will be a couple of teams that could trouble Leicester (and they'll probably put them in their pool, those c***s), but for the most part teams will be squashed. And what's the rule for teams being promoted to HC? Top two of each pool? f***, I'm confused.

 

[Thingimubob]

Havent heard anything at all about this :huh: as far as I know qualification for the Heineken is down to where you finish in your league and if you win the Challenge Cup. Some of the rules have changed slightly I think, like the lowest placed Welsh Region wont play a play off against an Italian Team this year, they'll just be put straight into the Amlin Challenge Cup next year (Unless the Blues or Scarlets win the Amlin this year, then all the regions qualify I think), so doubt Leicester or Sale wont be in the Heineken next year, unless they lose a hell of a lot of GP games and finish quite low in the standings, which is very unlikely.

 

[SaintDean]

Saints got into the Challenge Cup through securing promotion, then won the Challenge Cup.
that secured them a place in Heineken Cup. But im not sure about relagations.

 

[ridgerunnersp]

Hmm, well I hope that's the case, but I'm pretty sure I heard the announcer say that whoever lost (Leicester or Ospreys) would be knocked out of HC. Maybe I was so distraught that I didn't hear right . On a funnier note, I was just watching Edinburgh v. Stade and the announcer said (after stade gave away a penalty at the end) that they were, "waving their arms as only the French could." Thought it was a classic.

 

[Daylightfire]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruggersp @ Jan 25 2010, 04:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Hmm, well I hope that's the case, but I'm pretty sure I heard the announcer say that whoever lost (Leicester or Ospreys) would be knocked out of HC. Maybe I was so distraught that I didn't hear right . On a funnier note, I was just watching Edinburgh v. Stade and the announcer said (after stade gave away a penalty at the end) that they were, "waving their arms as only the French could." Thought it was a classic.[/b]

Well, the loser of the (Leicester / Ospreys) game was knocked out of the HC for this Season ( Ie they will progress no further in the cup competition )
Next season all depends on League placings as per normal.

 

[An Tarbh]

No there's nothing in this as far as I know, there's certainly been nothing on the ERC website about possible changes. As for next year, there'll be 6 sides from France and England, based on qualification from the domestic leagues, 3 from Ireland and Wales based on Magners League positions and 2 from Scotland and Italy. The remaining 2 spots will be given to the country whose team wins the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup, if a team from England or France win both they won't get 8 spots in the HEC, instead the spot will go to the side ranked highest in the ERC rankings who haven't qualified for the HEC and not from either England or France.

If the system had been in place for this years tournament Connacht would have been given the 23rd spot instead of the Dragons and Bourgoin would have got the 7th spot as Northampton winning the Challenge Cup meant that England already had 7 places cause they were outside the top 6 in the Premiership.

 

[SaintDean]

Also your only allowed so many english clubs in the Heineken Cup i think its 6 clubs. So if all 6 clubs performed better than them, i guess they wouldnt make the cut.

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SaintDean @ Jan 25 2010, 04:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Also your only allowed so many english clubs in the Heineken Cup i think its 6 clubs. So if all 6 clubs performed better than them, i guess they wouldnt make the cut.[/b]

well it's 7 but even if it had been 6, Saints would have been guaranteed HEC rugby as Challenge Cup winners.

 

[SaintDean]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

24 top flight club teams from six countries compete in the Heineken Cup.

These will include a minimum of:

France: 6 teams (selected by performance in Top 14 Championship)
England: 6 teams (selected by performance in Guinness Premiership and EDF Energy Cup)
Wales: 3 teams (selected by performance in Magners League)
Ireland 3 teams (selected by performance in Magners League)
Scotland 2 teams (selected by performance in Magners League)
Italy: 2 teams (selected by performance in Super 10 Championship)[/b]

6 but this excludes Challenge cup where the 7th spot is from.

Suprised theirs no Welsh in Amlin Challenge Cup though i was reading through the erc site and it says not no welsh clubs compete.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

20 top flight teams from six countries compete in five Pools of four teams each.

The 20 teams in the 2009/10 tournament are made up of:

France 8 teams
England 5 teams
Italy 4 teams
Ireland 1 team
Romania 1 team
Spain 1 team[/b]

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/268_4700.php

 

[ridgerunnersp]

Thanks for clearing that up. That makes way more sense. I was like, "gee, thanks ERC for killing your own tournament."

 

[SaintDean]

I just learnt something new about it today. Kind of silly making up the tournament rules. Where it gets to where the fans who pay to keep it running can barely understand it.

 

[MunsterMan]

It's not too complicated to be fair, the OP just seems not to be familiar with the HEC rules and misunderstood a commentator.

 

[SSE]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (SaintDean @ Jan 25 2010, 04:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Suprised theirs no Welsh in Amlin Challenge Cup though i was reading through the erc site and it says not no welsh clubs compete.[/b]

That's simply because all the Welsh regions played in the Heineken Cup group stages. Due to their final positions in the pool stages, Scarlets and Cardiff Blues will play in the Challenge Cup quarter finals.

 

[ridgerunnersp]

Yeah, that's what was the source of my confusion. The clubs dropping into the Challenge Cup QFs were what I was thinking of. Just misunderstood it.