2003–04 European Shield
The 2003–04 European Shield (known as the Parker Pen Shield for sponsorship reasons)[1] was the 2nd season of the European Shield, Europe's third-tier club rugby union competition below the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup. A total of 16 teams participated, representing five different countries.
| 2003-04 European Shield | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Countries |  England France Italy Portugal Spain |
| Tournament format(s) | Knockout |
| Date | 10 January 2004 - 21 May 2004 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Teams | 16 |
| Matches played | 29 |
| Attendance | 27,489 (948 per match) |
| Tries scored | 176 (6.07 per match) |
| Final | |
| Venue | Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana |
| Attendance | 2,553 |
| Champions | Montpellier (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Viadana |
This competition was contested between 12 first round losers from the 2003–04 European Challenge Cup[2] plus 4 other Clubs entering directly into the 1st Round. The structure of the competition was a purely 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.
The competition began on 10 January 2004 and culminated in the final at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella in Viadana on 21 May 2004. Montpellier secured a victory over Viadana in the final and picked up their first piece of European Club silverware.
Teams
This competition was contested between 12 first round losers from the 2003–04 European Challenge Cup, plus 4 other Clubs that joined directly at the 1st Round of the Shield.[3]
| England |
France |
Italy |
Portugal |
Spain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gran Parma |
||||
|
AA Coimbra |
Matches
Round 1
All kickoff times are local to the match location.[4]
1st Leg
2nd Leg
17 January 2004 17:00 |
| Leonessa |
42 – 18 | Clube Rugby Lisboa |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Campo Comunale di Rugby Attendance: 800 Referee: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland) |
18 January 2004 12:30 |
| UE Santboiana |
26 – 8 | L'Aquila |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Estadi Baldiri Aleu Attendance: 1,600 Referee: Andy Ireland (Scotland) |
Aggregate Results
| Proceed to Quarter-final | Match points | Aggregate score | Points margin | Eliminated from competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrarca Padova | 4 – 2 | 128 – 3 | 125 | AA Coimbra |
| Viadana | 4 – 2 | 103 – 30 | 73 | UC Madrid |
| Montpellier | 4 – 2 | 68 – 20 | 48 | Rugby Roma |
| Overmach Parma | 4 – 2 | 42 – 19 | 23 | Valladolid RAC |
| Rovigo | 2 – 2 | 72 – 53 | 19 | El Salvador |
| Rotherham | 2 – 2 | 75 – 58 | 17 | Gran Parma |
| Leonessa | 2 – 2 | 55 – 43 | 12 | Clube Rugby Lisboa |
| UE Santboiana | 2 – 2 | 48 – 44 | 4 | L'Aquila |
1st Leg
All kickoff times are local to the match location.[5]
24 January 2004 15:00 |
| UE Santboiana |
19 – 27 | Leonessa |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Estadi Baldiri Aleu Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Jean Matheu (France) |
2nd Leg
All kickoff times are local to the match location.[6]
31 January 2004 17:00 |
| Leonessa |
28 – 10 | UE Santboiana |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Campo Comunale di Rugby Attendance: 800 Referee: David Keane (Ireland) |
Aggregate Results
| Proceed to Semifinal | Match points | Aggregate score | Points margin | Eliminated from competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonessa | 4 – 2 | 55 – 29 | 26 | UE Santboiana |
| Montpellier | 2 – 2 | 43 – 24 | 19 | Petrarca Padova |
| Overmach Parma | 2 – 2 | 49 – 34 | 15 | Rovigo |
| Viadana | 2 – 2 | 53 – 52 | 1 | Rotherham |
Semifinals
All kickoff times are local to the match location.[7]
1st Leg
2nd Leg
24 April 2004 15:00 |
| Leonessa |
23 – 26 | Montpellier |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Campo Comunale di Rugby Attendance: 500 Referee: David Changleng (Scotland) |
Aggregate Results
| Proceed to Final | Match points | Aggregate score | Points margin | Eliminated from competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montpellier | 4 – 2 | 71 – 35 | 36 | Leonessa |
| Viadana | 4 – 2 | 75 – 59 | 16 | Overmach Parma |
Final
21 May 2004 21:00 |
| Montpellier |
25 – 19 | Viadana |
|---|---|---|
| Try: Buada Arbo Daniell Con: Bortolussi (1) Jouve (1) Pen: Jouve (2) |
Report | Try: Steyn (1) Con: Steyn (1) Pen: Steyn (4) |
External links
References
- "European Shield History". ERC. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- "Challenge Cup European Champions". ERC. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- "Parker Pen Shield News". ERC. 14 December 2003. Archived from the original on 15 February 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- "Parker Pen Shield Round 1 Fixtures". ERC. 23 December 2003. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- "Parker Pen Shield Lineups". ERC. 23 January 2004. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- "Parker Pen Shield Lineups". ERC. 29 January 2004. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- "Parker Pen Shield Final To Be Played In Italy". ERC. 6 April 2004. Retrieved 30 January 2013.