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The 2004–05 European Challenge Cup (known as the Parker Pen Challenge Cup for
sponsorship Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is kn ...
reasons) was the ninth season of the
European Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...
, Europe's second-tier club
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...
competition below the
Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
. A total of 28 teams participated, representing seven countries. The competition began with a series of matches on 23 October 2004 and culminated in the final at the
Kassam Stadium The Kassam Stadium (also known as Grenoble Road) is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner and former chairman of the football club, Firoz Kassam. The Kassam Stadium currently hosts League One (third t ...
in
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...
on 21 May 2005. As in the previous two seasons, the competition was organised in a knockout format. Teams played each other on a home and away basis, with the aggregate points winner proceeding to the next round. The final was a single leg. This was the final season with a pure knockout format; in subsequent seasons the competition reverted to a pool stage followed by a knockout. For the third and final time, a third tier tournament was held - the European Shield. This was contested between the first round losers from the European Challenge Cup. As there were only 28 teams involved, the 2 "best" 1st Round losers were reprieved and proceeded to the 2nd Round. The defending champions,
England's England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
NEC Harlequins Harlequins (officially Harlequin Football Club) is a professional rugby union club that plays in Premiership Rugby, the top level of English rugby union. Their home ground is the Twickenham Stoop, located in Twickenham, south-west London. Foun ...
, did not have a chance to defend their crown because they qualified to play in the
Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
.
Sale Sharks Sale Sharks is a professional rugby union club from Greater Manchester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. Originally founded in 1861 as Sale Football Club, now a distinct amateur club, they adopted the ...
claimed a comfortable victory over Pau in the final and picked up their second piece of European Club silverware.


Teams

The allocation of teams was as follows: :England: 5 teams — all teams from the Zurich Premiership that did not qualify for the
2004–05 Heineken Cup The 2004–05 Heineken Cup was the tenth edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams, from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, were divided into six pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other. T ...
:France: 10 teams — all teams from the
Top 16 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism o ...
that did not qualify for the Heineken Cup :Ireland: 1 team — the Irish team from the
Celtic League The Celtic League is a pan-Celtic organisation, founded in 1961, that aims to promote modern Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man – referred to as the Celtic nations; it places par ...
that did not play in the Heineken Cup :Italy: 8 teams — all the teams from the Super 10 that did not qualify for the Heineken Cup :Portugal: 1 team :Scotland: 1 team — the Scottish team from the
Celtic League The Celtic League is a pan-Celtic organisation, founded in 1961, that aims to promote modern Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man – referred to as the Celtic nations; it places par ...
that did not play in the Heineken Cup :Spain: 2 teams — drawn from the
División de Honor de Rugby The División de Honor de Rugby is Spain's top level professional men's rugby union competition. The División de Honor de Rugby Championship is organised by the Federación Española de Rugby ( Spanish Rugby Federation) and currently consists of 1 ...


Matches

All kickoff times are local to the match location.


Round 1


1st Leg


2nd Leg


Aggregate Results

:


Round 2


1st Leg


2nd Leg


Aggregate Results


Quarter-finals


1st Leg


2nd Leg


Aggregate Results


Semi-finals


1st Leg


2nd Leg


Aggregate Results


Final


See also

* 2004-05 Heineken Cup *
European Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...
*
2004–05 European Shield The 2004–05 European Shield (known as the Parker Pen Shield for sponsorship reasons) was the 3rd, and final, season of the European Shield, Europe's third-tier club rugby union competition below the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup. A t ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:European Challenge Cup 2004–05 rugby union tournaments for clubs
2004-05 A coxless four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain. The crew consists of four rowers, each having one oar. There are two rowers on t ...
2004–05 in European rugby union 2004–05 in English rugby union 2004–05 in French rugby union 2004–05 in Irish rugby union 2004–05 in Italian rugby union 2004–05 in Spanish rugby union 2004–05 in Scottish rugby union
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...