The competition format is a pool stage followed by a knockout stage. The pool stage consists of three pool of four teams each playing home and away matches. Pool matches ran from September through to December, on weekends when there is no RFU Championship league fixtures. In the inaugural season, the RFU had set out the pools in a regional format to encourage derby games, but this year's competition format was more loosely structured.
The top two sides in each pool, plus the two best third placed teams, progressed to the knockout stage, with the best ranked sides getting home advantage in the quarter-finals. The semi-finals and final were cancelled.[1]
Green background means the club has qualified for the quarter-finals as either pool winner or best runner-up. Blue background means the club has qualified for the quarter-finals as runner up or one of two best 3rd placed sides. Updated: 14 December 2019 Source: "Championship Cup 2019-20". englandrugby.com.
Green background means the club has qualified for the quarter-finals as either pool winner or best runner-up. Blue background means the club has qualified for the quarter-finals as runner up or one of two best 3rd placed sides. Updated: 14 December 2019 Source: "Championship Cup 2019-20". englandrugby.com.
Green background means the club has qualified for the quarter-finals as either pool winner or best runner-up. Blue background means the club has qualified for the quarter-finals as runner up or one of two best 3rd placed sides. Updated: 14 December 2019 Source: "Championship Cup 2019-20". englandrugby.com.
The eight qualifiers are seeded according to performance in the pool stage - with the 3 pool winners making the top 3 seeds along with the best runner up as seed number 4, and the next two runners up and two best 3rd place teams making up the other 4 seeds. The top 4 seeds host the quarter-finals against the lower seeds, in a 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5 format. However, if two teams qualify from the same pool they can not be drawn together.
Teams are ranked by:
1 – competition points (4 for a win, 2 for a draw)
2 – where competition points are equal, greatest number of wins
3 – where the number of wins are equal, greatest number of tries scored
4 – where the number of tries are equal, greatest number of points scored
4 – where the number of points scored are equal, aggregate points difference
6 – where the aggregate points differences are equal, least red cards
7 – if red cards are equal, then ranking will be decided by the toss of a coin
Points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included).
^Yorkshire Carnegie held all their cup games at the home ground of West Park Leeds - The Sycamores - instead of their usual ground at Emerald Headingley Stadium.