# 2000–01 European Challenge Cup

The 2000–01 European Challenge Cup was the fifth year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup. The tournament was held between October 2000 and May 2001.

## Pool stage
### Pool 1

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Newcastle Falcons | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 10 | 17 | 234 | 99 | 135 | 10 |
| Benetton Treviso | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 157 | 97 | 60 | 10 |
| Bordeaux-Begles | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 136 | 152 | −16 | 4 |
| Cross Keys | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 33 | −26 | 60 | 239 | −179 | 0 |

### Pool 2

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Béziers | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 151 | 112 | 39 | 10 |
| Montferrand | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 201 | 107 | 94 | 8 |
| Neath | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 23 | −7 | 151 | 192 | −41 | 4 |
| Connacht | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 60 | 152 | −92 | 2 |

### Pool 3

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Perpignan | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 187 | 105 | 82 | 8 |
| Rotherham Titans | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 19 | −6 | 122 | 136 | −14 | 8 |
| Bridgend RFC | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 16 | −1 | 144 | 166 | −22 | 4 |
| Grenoble | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 120 | 166 | −46 | 4 |

### Pool 4

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Agen | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 5 | 32 | 259 | 91 | 168 | 10 |
| Sale Sharks | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 18 | −2 | 178 | 155 | 23 | 8 |
| Auch | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 21 | −5 | 134 | 185 | −51 | 5 |
| Caerphilly | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 36 | −25 | 128 | 268 | −140 | 1 |

### Pool 5

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| NEC Harlequins | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 188 | 80 | 108 | 10 |
| Dax | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 152 | 103 | 49 | 10 |
| Ebbw Vale | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 18 | −5 | 120 | 151 | −31 | 2 |
| Périgueux | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 25 | −16 | 94 | 220 | −126 | 2 |

### Pool 6

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| London Irish | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 254 | 106 | 148 | 10 |
| Brive | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 184 | 143 | 41 | 10 |
| Aurillac | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 155 | 179 | −24 | 4 |
| Piacenza | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 37 | −27 | 90 | 255 | −165 | 0 |

### Pool 7

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Mont de Marsan | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 177 | 113 | 64 | 10 |
| La Rochelle | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 167 | 113 | 54 | 7 |
| Bristol Shoguns | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 199 | 147 | 52 | 7 |
| Rugby Parma | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 37 | −25 | 92 | 262 | −170 | 0 |

### Pool 8

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Narbonne | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 124 | 76 | 48 | 7 |
| Bourgoin | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 104 | 83 | 21 | 5 |
| Rugby Viadana | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 19 | −11 | 78 | 147 | −69 | 0 |

## Knockout stage
### Quarter-finals

* 27 January 2001
| Narbonne | 34–24 | Perpignan |
* Parc des Sports et de l'Amitie
* 27 January 2001
| Agen | 31–0 | Béziers |
* Stade Armandie
* 28 January 2001
| London Irish | 13–20 | NEC Harlequins |
* Parc Municipal des Sports
* 28 January 2001
| Newcastle Falcons | 61–23 | Mont de Marsan |
* Kingston Park Attendance: 2,500

### Semi-finals

* 21 April 2001
| Narbonne | 22–15 | Agen |
* Stade Ernest Wallon Attendance: 12,000
* 22 April 2001
| NEC Harlequins | 17–12 | Newcastle Falcons |
* Headingley Stadium Attendance: 6,000

### Final

* 20 May 2001
| NEC Harlequins | 42–33 | Narbonne |
* Madejski Stadium Attendance: 11,211
Harlequins: J. Williams, Gollings, Greenwood, Greenstock, O'Leary, Burke, M. Powell, Leonard, Wood, Dawson, Morgan, White-Cooper, Sanderson, Wilson, Winters.
Replacements: Friday, Chalmers, Jennings, Starr, Fuga, Codling, Jenkins.
Narbonne: Corletto, Joubert, Douy, A. Stoica, Rouch, Quesada, Sudre, Martinez, Ledesma, Pucciarello, Gaston, Merle, Furet, Raynaud, Reid.
Replacements: Racine, Poux, Plateret, Mathieu, Azema, Rosalen, Buada.
Referee: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)