The European Shield was a reprechage tournament for teams knocked out in the first round of the European Challenge Cup in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The name "European Shield" had previously been used for the now renamed European Challenge Cup.
In 2004-05 the twelve teams who failed to progress from the qualifying round of the European Challenge Cup were joined in the draw for the European Shield by Bucureşti (Romania), UCM Madrid (Spain), Bera Bera (Spain) and Lisboa Rugby Club (Portugal).
The Shield competition has not been held since 2005 due to restructuring of the European Challenge Cup.
Read more about European Shield: Previous Winners of The European Shield
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“It has become necessary to call the attention of European governments to a fact which is apparently so insignificant that the governments seem not to notice it. The fact is this: an entire people is being annihilated. Where? In Europe. Are there witnesses? One witness, the entire world. Do the governments see it? No.”
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