THE POSTPONED FIXTURES in round two of this season’s Champions Cup and Challenge Cup will not be replayed, EPCR have confirmed, with the games instead being recorded as 0-0 draws.
EPCR have also stated that earlier decisions surrounding games postponed due to Covid-19 will remain in place, meaning the 28-0 bonus-point win awarded to Montpellier after their round two home game against Leinster was cancelled still stands.
It had been hoped that five Champions Cup and two Challenge Cup fixtures postponed last month due to increased travel restrictions between France and the UK would be rescheduled.
However given the limited space to work with in an already packed fixture calendar, EPCR have now decided to mark those fixtures as 0-0 draws, with each team awarded two points.
EPCR stated that a distinction should be made between those round two games and the earlier postponed fixtures, such as the Montpellier v Leinster tie, which was cancelled following Covid-19 outbreaks in both camps.
“A distinction should be drawn between the decisions in respect of the seven round two matches in question and other tournament fixtures which were previously cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreaks or forced isolations affecting player availability,” an EPCR statement read.
Those previously cancelled fixtures could not have been played as scheduled under any circumstances, whereas the clubs involved in the round two matches in question were all cleared and available to contest the matches.
“Therefore, the determined outcomes of the three previously cancelled or forfeited Heineken Champions Cup fixtures, and the one EPCR Challenge Cup fixture, will stand.”
Leinster had looked to appeal the decision to award Montpellier a 28-0 win, given the province had enough players available to fulfil the fixture. However today’s announcement appears to kill any hopes of Leinster overturning that decision, as they prepare to welcome the Top 14 side to the RDS this weekend.
In a detailed statement, EPCR outlined how they came to the conclusion to mark the affected round two games as 0-0 draws.
“Following a series of meetings of the Board of EPCR, it has been regrettably decided to cancel the postponed fixtures in round two of this season’s Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup,” the statement read.
“The Board has also authorised the EPCR Executive to determine the outcome of the fixtures as provided for in the rules of the tournaments and the EPCR Executive has decided that the appropriate solution is to record the results in each of the five Heineken Champions Cup and the two EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures in question as 0-0 draws with two match points awarded to each club.
“The Board and the Executive have been guided by input from the deliberations of the EPCR Sporting and Tournaments Committee which like the EPCR Board is made up of representatives of the URC, PRL and TOP 14 leagues.
“The Round 2 matches were initially postponed following the unforeseen introduction of new travel measures between the UK and France which resulted in EPCR being unable to obtain assurances that existing cross-border travel exemptions for players, club staff and match officials would remain in place.
The options of modifying the tournament formats and/or rescheduling the matches were deliberated in great detail by all parties, however, in an increasingly complex fixture calendar due to Covid-19, it was regrettably decided that the only choice in the circumstances was to cancel the matches.
“The Board then considered how the seven matches should be accounted for in the standings of the tournaments and it was satisfied that the correct approach was for the EPCR Executive to apply the Match Result Resolution Matrix as set out in the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Participation Agreement.
“On the basis that none of the clubs involved were in a position to play once the EPCR Board had postponed the seven matches due to the new restrictive travel measures, the only option open to the EPCR Executive under the provisions of the Match Result Resolution Matrix was to record the results as 0-0 draws and to award two match points to each club.”
As a result, the below round two fixtures have been recorded as 0-0 draws with two match points awarded to each club, while the updated Champions Cup standings can be found here.
Champions Cup
Bath Rugby v Stade Rochelais
Sale Sharks v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Scarlets v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Toulousain v Wasps
Stade Francais Paris v Bristol Bears
Challenge Cup
Worcester Warriors v Biarritz Olympique
London Irish v CA Brive
- Originally published at 6:07pm
It’s scary to think how war mongering the UK is. For every war in the world the USA and UK always get involved like it’s some sort of videos game. Also the war crimes done in Ireland, Iraq, number of country’s in Africa and Asia by the British Army is something not to be proud off.
Totally agree.
Stick to the football lads. It’s in need of your full attention.
Of course they’re planning to, there’s still plenty of empire nostalgia in England as reflected in recent Brexit vote
@An_Beal_Bocht: Whats commemorating the lives of those who died fighting in WWI & WWII have anything to do with the British empire? Its showing respect for those who gave their lives in an awful conflict.
It’s not just ww1 and ww2. It’s every war and conflict they have ever been in, including Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, India etc etc etc etc etc.
A leopard never changes its spots. They just can’t help been themselves. They tried their best bless the murdering, Racist B@@@@@@!!!!
So they’re commemorating the inhabitants of Nagasaki and Nazi soldiers as well?!
Way to stick it to the man.
They’re dead right. To hell with fifa.
But we all know there is more to this poppy wearing for the Brits than commemoration of their fallen heroes.
100yrs on its more about nationalism.
I’m also sure there are families of innocents in places like Iraq, Syria and perhaps even Belfast who don’t take so kindly to the liberators tag that the British army like to align with.
I’m also sure there are a few Germans in FIFA who just joy in rubbing it in the noses of the brexiteers
The Scots are also planning on having poppys on their kit that day, why is this being ignored??
And James McLean to get the usually abuse from the stands and online by the brave knuckle daggers.
Its plain to see very few commenters on here haven’t a scooby what the Poppy represents.
The real question is if Fifa prohinits display of symbols on international jerseys which could be interpreted as a political, religious or commercial why was nothing said about the 1916 commemoration on the Ireland jerseys earlier this year?
let them wear the poppy. there’s no harm in it. it’s symbols that blatantly want to stir up trouble fifa should be more concerned with rather than symbols of remembrance and honour.
So what does it represent? I think maybe you are the one who doesn’t have the Scrooby doo.
What it was originally intended to represent, what it has come to represent and what it actually stands for are all different things.
The media poppy pressure in the U.K. is relentless. It’s become a massive propaganda tool for the British Army.
Oh , you mean the one we wore to celebrate 100 years? These fools wear that bloody poppy every year. The pro Britannia vibe is cringe to the point that it makes me want to vomit
If very FEW haven’t a scooby then the vast majority completely understand the stupidity of footballers wearing the poppy. Nice double negative you ignoramus!
The 1916 commemoration was for a friendly game, which is not against FIFA rules.
And to be even more pedantic about it, it did not contain the Lily but merely ‘Éire 1916-2016′. In my opinion it was subtle and classy. There is nothibg subtle about the poppy and its appearance on our screens en masse for the month of November.
Is the FA chairman not Greg Dyke instead of Greg Clarke??
Hi Sean, No it was Greg Dyke but he has since been succeeded by Greg Clarke. Greg Dyke stepped down during the summer.
Hi Sean. No Greg Clarke replaced Greg Dyke earlier this summer.
No
@sean mcgoey: Hi Sean, just getting back to this comment now. Greg Clarke succeeded Greg Dyke as FA Chairman in July of this year.
And we care….Nooooo
Surely the British parliament has more pressing concerns than worrying whether or not their football teams wear a poppy on their shirt. Always happens at this time of year and I find it funny how far they go with it