# 1996–97 European Challenge Cup pool stage

The 1996–97 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the first season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. Matches took place between 12 October and 2 November 1996.
Twenty-four teams participated in this phase of the competition; they were divided into four pools of six teams each, with each team playing the other teams in their pool once only. Teams were awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw. The winner and runner-up of each pool progressed to the knockout stage of the tournament. These teams then competed in a single-elimination tournament that ended with the final at the Stade de la Méditerranée in Béziers, France on 26 January 1997.

## Results
### Pool 1

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Agen | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 156 | 82 | +74 | 10 |
| Montferrand | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 8 | +22 | 211 | 74 | +137 | 8 |
| Sale Sharks | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 14 | +4 | 166 | 115 | +51 | 6 |
| Newport | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 19 | −15 | 98 | 158 | −60 | 4 |
| Glasgow | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 30 | −15 | 113 | 202 | −89 | 2 |
| Newbridge | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 33 | −17 | 106 | 219 | −113 | 0 |
| Source : www.ercrugby.com Archived 2013-08-20 at archive.today Points breakdown: *2 points for a win *1 point for a draw ||||||||||||
* 12 October 1996
| Agen | 32–13 | Newport |
| | Report | |
* Stade Armandie
* 12 October 1996
| Newbridge | 38–62 | Glasgow |
| | Report | |
* Welfare Ground
* 12 October 1996
| Sale Sharks | 12–17 | Montferrand |
| | Report | |
* Heywood Road
* 16 October 1996
| Agen | 27–17 | Montferrand |
| | Report | |
* Stade Armandie
* 16 October 1996
| Glasgow | 9–29 | Sale Sharks |
| | Report | |
* Hughenden
* 16 October 1996
| Newport | 24–9 | Newbridge |
| | Report | |
* Rodney Parade
* 19 October 1996
| Montferrand | 76–9 | Glasgow |
| | Report | |
* Stade Marcel-Michelin
* 19 October 1996
| Newbridge | 13–30 | Agen |
| | Report | |
* Welfare Ground
* 19 October 1996
| Sale Sharks | 52–22 | Newport |
| | Report | |
* Heywood Road
* 26 October 1996
| Agen | 33–16 | Sale Sharks |
| | Report | |
* Stade Armandie
* 26 October 1996
| Newbridge | 12–46 | Montferrand |
| | Report | |
* Welfare Ground
* 26 October 1996
| Newport | 25–10 | Glasgow |
| | Report | |
* Rodney Parade
* 30 October 1996
| Glasgow | 23–34 | Agen |
| | Report | |
* Hughenden
* 2 November 1996
| Montferrand | 55–14 | Newport |
| | Report | |
* Stade Marcel-Michelin
* 2 November 1996
| Sale Sharks | 57–34 | Newbridge |
| | Report | |
* Heywood Road

### Pool 2

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Castres Olympique | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 6 | +23 | 207 | 71 | +136 | 10 |
| Narbonne | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 6 | +15 | 161 | 90 | +71 | 8 |
| Dinamo-București | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 32 | −20 | 109 | 213 | −104 | 5 |
| Bridgend | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 14 | −4 | 94 | 120 | −26 | 3 |
| Bristol | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 128 | 99 | +29 | 2 |
| Treorchy | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 23 | −13 | 72 | 178 | −106 | 0 |
| Source : www.ercrugby.com Archived 2013-08-20 at archive.today Points breakdown: *2 points for a win *1 point for a draw ||||||||||||
* 12 October 1996
| Bridgend | 23–36 | Castres Olympique |
| | Report | |
* Brewery Field
* 12 October 1996
| Bristol | 53–5 | Treorchy |
| | Report | |
* Memorial Ground
* 12 October 1996
| Narbonne | 73–22 | Dinamo-București |
| | Report | |
* Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié
* 16 October 1996
| Bridgend | 30–27 | Bristol |
| | Report | |
* Brewery Field
* 16 October 1996
| Castres Olympique | 67–6 | Dinamo-București |
| | Report | |
* Stade Pierre-Antoine
* 16 October 1996
| Treorchy | 19–26 | Narbonne |
| | Report | |
* The Oval, Treorchy
* 19 October 1996
| Bridgend | 24–24 | Dinamo-București |
| | Report | |
* Brewery Field
* 19 October 1996
| Bristol | 16–18 | Narbonne |
| | Report | |
* Memorial Ground
* 19 October 1996
| Castres Olympique | 61–17 | Treorchy |
| | Report | |
* Stade Pierre-Antoine
* 26 October 1996
| Bristol | 14–27 | Castres Olympique |
| | Report | |
* Memorial Ground
* 26 October 1996
| Dinamo-București | 38–31 | Treorchy |
| | Report | |
* Steaua Stadium
* 26 October 1996
| Narbonne | 33–17 | Bridgend |
| | Report | |
* Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié
* 2 November 1996
| Dinamo-București | 19–18 | Bristol |
| | Report | |
* Steaua Stadium
* 2 November 1996
| Narbonne | 11–16 | Castres Olympique |
| | Report | |
* Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié
* 2 November 1996
| Treorchy | – | Bridgend |
| | Report | |
* The Oval, Treorchy
* The Treorchy v Bridgend match was not played.

### Pool 3

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Northampton Saints | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 12 | +16 | 207 | 88 | +119 | 10 |
| Toulon | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 10 | +12 | 164 | 102 | +62 | 8 |
| Orrell | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 22 | −4 | 122 | 173 | −51 | 4 |
| Connacht | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 17 | −8 | 94 | 131 | −37 | 4 |
| Dunvant | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 22 | −7 | 106 | 169 | −63 | 2 |
| Petrarca | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 19 | −9 | 118 | 148 | −30 | 2 |
| Source : www.ercrugby.com Archived 2013-08-20 at archive.today Points breakdown: *2 points for a win *1 point for a draw ||||||||||||
* 12 October 1996
| Connacht | 34–12 | Petrarca |
| | Report | |
* The Sportsground
* 12 October 1996
| Orrell | 32–29 | Dunvant |
| | Report | |
* Edge Hall Road
* 12 October 1996
| Toulon | 29–38 | Northampton Saints |
| | Report | |
* Stade Mayol
* 16 October 1996
| Dunvant | 26–9 | Connacht |
| | Report | |
* Broadacre, Dunvant
* 16 October 1996
| Northampton Saints | 61–7 | Orrell |
| | Report | |
* Franklin's Gardens
* 16 October 1996
| Toulon | 32–23 | Petrarca |
| | Report | |
* Stade Mayol
* 19 October 1996
| Connacht | 11–31 | Northampton Saints |
| | Report | |
* The Sportsground
* 19 October 1996
| Orrell | 23–28 | Toulon |
| | Report | |
* Edge Hall Road
* 19 October 1996
| Petrarca | 49–11 | Dunvant |
| | Report | |
* Stadio Plebiscito
* 26 October 1996
| Northampton Saints | 48–32 | Dunvant |
| | Report | |
* Franklin's Gardens
* 26 October 1996
| Orrell | 42–25 | Petrarca |
| | Report | |
* Edge Hall Road
* 27 October 1996
| Toulon | 44–10 | Connacht |
| | Report | |
* Stade Mayol
* 2 November 1996
| Connacht | 30–18 | Orrell |
| | Report | |
* The Sportsground
* 2 November 1996
| Dunvant | 8–31 | Toulon |
| | Report | |
* Broadacre, Dunvant
* 2 November 1996
| Petrarca | 9–29 | Northampton Saints |
| | Report | |
* Stadio Plebiscito

### Pool 4

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Bourgoin | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 | +23 | 196 | 66 | +130 | 10 |
| Bordeaux-Bègles | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 13 | +16 | 195 | 99 | +96 | 7 |
| Swansea | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 19 | +9 | 207 | 138 | +69 | 7 |
| Gloucester | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 119 | 123 | −4 | 4 |
| Ebbw Vale | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 36 | −30 | 48 | 243 | −195 | 2 |
| London Irish | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 30 | −18 | 90 | 186 | −96 | 0 |
| Source : www.ercrugby.com Archived 2013-08-20 at archive.today Points breakdown: *2 points for a win *1 point for a draw ||||||||||||
* 12 October 1996
| Bourgoin | 45–22 | Bordeaux-Bègles |
| | Report | |
* Stade Pierre Rajon
* 12 October 1996
| Gloucester | 59–7 | Ebbw Vale |
| | Report | |
* Kingsholm
* 12 October 1996
| Swansea | 63–38 | London Irish |
| | Report | |
* St. Helen's
* 16 October 1996
| Ebbw Vale | 3–32 | Swansea |
| | Report | |
* Eugene Cross Park
* 16 October 1996
| Gloucester | 10–17 | Bordeaux-Bègles |
| | Report | |
* Kingsholm
* 16 October 1996
| London Irish | 13–34 | Bourgoin |
| | Report | |
* The Avenue
* 19 October 1996
| Bordeaux-Bègles | 32–6 | London Irish |
| | Report | |
* Stade André Moga
* 19 October 1996
| Bourgoin | 39–3 | Ebbw Vale |
| | Report | |
* Stade Pierre Rajon
* 19 October 1996
| Swansea | 62–12 | Gloucester |
| | Report | |
* St. Helen's
* 26 October 1996
| Ebbw Vale | 28–20 | London Irish |
| | Report | |
* Eugene Cross Park
* 26 October 1996
| Swansea | 31–31 | Bordeaux-Bègles |
| | Report | |
* St. Helen's
* 27 October 1996
| Gloucester | 9–24 | Bourgoin |
| | Report | |
* Kingsholm
* 2 November 1996
| Bordeaux-Bègles | 93–7 | Ebbw Vale |
| | Report | |
* Stade André Moga
* 2 November 1996
| Bourgoin | 54–19 | Swansea |
| | Report | |
* Stade Pierre Rajon
* 2 November 1996
| London Irish | 13–29 | Gloucester |
| | Report | |
* The Avenue

## Qualifiers

| Seed | Pool Winners | Pts | TF | +/− |
| 1 | Castres Olympique | 10 | 29 | +136 |
| 2 | Northampton Saints | 10 | 28 | +119 |
| 3 | Bourgoin | 10 | 27 | +130 |
| 4 | Agen | 10 | 20 | +74 |
| Seed | Runners-up | Pts | TF | +/− |
| 5 | Montferrand | 8 | 30 | +137 |
| 6 | Toulon | 8 | 22 | +62 |
| 7 | Narbonne | 8 | 21 | +71 |
| 8 | Bordeaux-Bègles | 7 | 29 | +96 |