European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition
| European Rugby Continental Shield | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Inaugural season | 2014–15 |
| Organisers |
EPCR Rugby Europe FIR |
| Number of teams | 8 (6 (pools) + 2 (play-off)) |
| Country |
 Italy Georgia Romania Russia Spain Portugal Germany Belgium
|
| Website |
European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition Website Rugby Europe Website |
| Related competitions |
European Rugby Champions Cup European Rugby Challenge Cup |
| Advances to Qualifying Play-offs |
| Advances to Qualifying Play-offs |
| Advances to Qualifying Play-offs |
| Advances to Qualifying Play-offs |
The European Rugby Continental Shield (formerly the European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition) is a rugby union competition, organised by European Professional Club Rugby, Rugby Europe and the Federazione Italiana Rugby, for entry into the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
The tournament was first announced in April 2014, at the same time as the announcement of the creation of the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions. The tournament features teams from tier 2 countries, such as Spain, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Georgia, Russia and Portugal, as well as select Italian Eccellenza clubs.
Under the Heads of Agreement announced on 10 April 2014, there are two places available in the European Rugby Challenge Cup through the Qualifying Competition.
For the 2014-15 season, given the time constraints in filling the competition, this was a reduced competition the form of 2 two-legged play-off matches, with the aggregate winner of each taking one of the two Rugby Europe spots in the draw, and it involved the 2 best teams from Italy's National Championship of Excellence, plus a Romanian and Georgian selection.
An expanded format was announced on 22 December 2014, the expanded format includes clubs from Rugby Europe member Unions, Russia, Spain and Portugal alongside representatives from the Italian Eccellenza.
The 6 teams in the Qualifying Competition are split into 2 pools of 3 teams each. Each team will play the other teams in their pool once, before the two pool winners compete in a two-legged play-off against the teams currently competing in the Challenge Cup from the previous Qualifying Competition.
The winners, on aggregate, of these two play-offs will take up the Qualifying Competition places in the Challenge Cup.
In 2017, the competition was rebranded as the European Rugby Continental Shield, and it was announced that the two qualifiers would play each other as part of the EPCR's finals weekend.
The reduced format for the inaugural Qualifying Competition included two Italian Clubs, a Romanian and a Georgian side. Sides were paired up and competed in two matches, home and away. The winner, on aggregate, of these two games received one of the two places in the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
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