1. The European Challenge Cup and European Shield are knock-out tournaments - with 32 teams from seven nations ultimately taking part

2. Round 1 of the European Challenge Cup consists of the 14 seeded teams - six from France, four from England, two from Italy and one each from Scotland and Ireland - drawn against the 14 unseeded teams

3. They will play each other home and away on the weekends of 22 / 23 / 24 October (Leg One, unseeded teams at home) and 29 / 30 / 31 October (Leg Two, seeded teams at home). The draw was conducted in such a way that no two teams from any one country could be drawn against each other

4. The 14 aggregate winners and two "lucky losers" will progress to Round 2 of the European Challenge Cup and play home and away. The "lucky losers" will be the two clubs with the highest number of match points from the 14 Round 1 losers. If more than two clubs are equal on match points the criteria will be:
a) The best aggregate points difference
b) The greater number of tries in the two matches
c) The greater number of tries in the away match
d) The greater number of points scored in the two matches
e) The greater number of points scored in the away match
f) The toss of a coin

5. The 12 unsuccessful teams and four new teams will combine in a separate competition run on identical lines, the European Shield. All these matches will be played on the weekends of 3 / 4 / 5 December and 10 / 11 / 12 December, 2004 with a European Shield draw taking place to determine who plays who (with teams from the same country being kept apart, where possible) and the order of home advantage. At the same time a draw will be made to determine first leg home advantage in the quarter-finals

6. A draw has taken place to determine which team will have first leg home advantage in the European Challenge Cup. After the completion of the quarter-finals in both competitions a draw will be conducted to determine first leg home advantage for the semi-finals

7. The finals of both competitions will be staged as one-off matches on the weekend of 21 / 22 / 23 May at a neutral venue or neutral venues. The winner of the European Challenge Cup will automatically qualify for the Heineken Cup 2004 / 2005 tournament. The winner of the European Shield will automatically be seeded for the 2004 / 2005 European Challenge Cup