The British & Irish Cup

The British & Irish Cup, an exciting brand new tournament which is a collaboration between the RFU, IRFU, SRU and WRU, kicks off this coming weekend across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The innovative cross-border competition pits together the twelve RFU Championship teams with Ireland’s three leading provinces, the top six finishers in the 2008/09 WRU Principality Premiership, along with the top two teams from the Scottish Hydro Premiership last season plus a Scotland Development team known as Gael Force.

The 24 teams are divided into four pools of six with each side meeting each other in its own pool once over five rounds between now and early March.

The four pool winners will then progress to the knockout semi-finals on the weekend of 24 April 2010 with the inaugural final being played on the weekend of 15 May 2010.

Visit the participating club websites for the latest ticket and matchday squad information:

POOL A: Exeter Chiefs, Leinster, Cornish Pirates, Newport, Plymouth Albion, The Thistles

POOL B: Coventry, Bristol Rugby, Heriot's, Munster, Neath, Nottingham

POOL C: Aberavon, Bedford Blues, Llanelli, London Welsh, Moseley, Ulster

POOL D: Ayr, Birmingham & Solihull, Cardiff RFC, Doncaster Knights, Pontypridd, Rotherham Titans

 

Abbreviated Regulations

The Pool Stage:

For the Pool Stage, the 24 teams will be divided into four pools of 6 teams each, and each team shall play the other teams in its own pool once;

• The Team that wins the Match shall be awarded four points or (if it scores four tries or more in the process) five points.
  
• The Team that loses the Match shall be awarded no points or (if it scores four tries or more in the process or loses by a margin of seven points or less) one point or (if it scores four tries or more in the process and loses by a margin of seven points or less) two points.
  
• Teams that draw a Match shall each be awarded two points and any of them that scores four tries or more in the process shall also be awarded a further one point.

The four pool winners will qualify for the Knock-Out Stage. The pool winners will be decided by reference to the following criteria:
The pool winner will be the Team with the highest number of Competition Points in each pool. The pool winners will be ranked 1 – 4 by reference to the number of Competition Points earned in the pools.

(a) If two Teams in the same pool end the Pool Stage equal on Competition Points, then the winner of the pool will be the winner of the Match played between the two Teams but if that Match was a draw

(i) the Team which has scored the greater number of tries in the Match will be the winner of the pool and
(ii) if the number of tries in the Match are equal, the Team with the best aggregate points difference from all the Matches in the Pool Stage (points scored for less points scored against ) will be the winner of the pool but.
(iii) if it is not possible to identify the winner of the pool winner from the two Teams using the criteria set out above in this Regulation 5.2.2

(a) then the winner of the pool will be the away team in the Match between the two Teams
(b) If three Teams in the same pool at the end the Pool Stage are equal on Competition Points, then qualification will be determined by the results of the Matches played between those three Teams concerned (i.e. A v B, A v C, B v C,) as follows:

(i) the Team which has earned the greater number of Competition Points from the Matches;
(ii) if Competition Points are equal, the Team which has scored the most tries in the Matches; and
(iii) if tries are equal, the Team with the best aggregate points difference from all the Matches in the Pool Stage (points scored for less points scored against ).

(c) If four or more Teams in the same pool end the Pool Stage equal on Competition Points, then qualification/ranking will be determined by:
(i) most tries scored in the Pool Stage or
(ii) if the tries are equal best aggregate points’ difference from all Matches in the Pool Stage (points scored for less those against).
If qualification is unresolved under clause 5.2.2, qualification/ranking will be based on:
(i) if aggregate points’ difference is equal, the Team with the fewest number of Players shown a red card in the Pool Stage; or
(ii) if the number of players shown a red card in the Pool Stage is equal the Team with the fewest number of players shown a yellow card in the Pool Stage
(iii) if still unresolved, by the toss of a coin.

The Knock-Out Stage:

The Knock-Out Stage shall be divided into two semi-final Matches and a final Match.
Each semi-final Match will be a single knock-out Match at a venue designated by the Committee.

A draw will be organised by the Committee which will decide which of the pool winners will play each other in each semi final, which winners will be deemed to be ‘Home teams’ and in which order the semi finals will be played.
The winners of the two semi-final Matches will proceed to the Cup Final. The Cup Final will be played at a venue determined by the Committee.

In the event of a tie at full-time at either semi-final or the final the winner of that shall be determined by reference to the following:
(i) Extra time will be played in accordance with the protocol set out at Appendix Two to these Regulations and the Team that scores the most points in such extra time shall be deemed the winner of that Match.
(ii) If the scores are tied after extra time, then the Team that has scored the most tries in that Match (including extra time) shall be deemed the winner of that Match.

If the Teams have scored the same number of tries in that Match (including extra time), then the winner of the Match will in
(i) the semi-final, other than at a neutral venue be the Away Team; or
(ii) the semi final at a neutral venue or the final be determined by a place-kick competition conducted as set out in Appendix Three to these Regulations.

Full regulations are available from England RFU

 

 

 

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