EPCR Challenge Cup Final Live Updates From Sharks Vs. Gloucester Rugby
EPCR Challenge Cup Final Live Updates From Sharks Vs. Gloucester Rugby
The Hollywoodbets Sharks take on Gloucester Rugby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Follow live for the latest updates on FloRugby.
EPCR Championship Weekend begins with quite the challenge in-store at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 2024 EPCR Challenge Cup Final begins the festivities, as European Professional Club Rugby celebrates the end of the season with the Challenge Cup Final on May 24 at 3 p.m. Eastern, followed by the Investec Champions Cup Final on at 9:45 a.m. EDT on May 25.
The Challenge Cup features the Hollywoodbets Sharks from the United Rugby Championship by way of Durban, South Africa, and Gloucester Rugby of Premiership Rugby.
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The Sharks went 3-1 in Pool 1 and defeated Top 14 club ASM Clermont Auvergne 32-31 at Twickenham Stoop to advance to the final.
Gloucester Rugby, meanwhile, has not lost in Challenge Cup play. They went 4-0 in Pool 3 and beat Benetton Rugby 40-23 in the semifinal.
The Sharks enter the match as the favorite, according to most oddsmakers.
Led by one of the best players in the world, South African star Eben Etzebeth, the Sharks actually have struggled outside Challenge Cup play. In their domestic league, the URC, the Sharks are just 4-0-13 and are tracking to be back in the Challenge Cup next season.
Gloucester Rugby has dominated the Challenge Cup with a 7-0 record with a handful of sizable wins. But like the Sharks, outside of the Challenge Cup has been a different story. They are 5-0-13 in Premiership Rugby.
Who will prove to be up for the Challenge Cup task today? Follow the action live here by refreshing this page for the latest news, updates, highlights and analysis of the match.
Live Updates:
Min 80: And that's a wrap! Congratulations to the Sharks, who are your 2023-2024 EPCR Challenge Cup champions following a dominant 36 -22 win here at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London! Thank you for following along, and please don't forget to subscribe to FloRugby for all of your rugby streaming and update needs!
Min 78: TRY! Another Gloucester score sees second row Freddie Clarke scamper over! GLO 22-SHA 36.
Min 76: TRY! Gloucester get a score following a brilliant run down the touchline by secondrow Freddie Clarke. Hastings converts, but it is too little too late for Gloucester. GLO 17-SHA 36.
Min 72: TRY OVER RULED! Gloucester can't catch a break, as referee Mathieu Raynal rules out the score! GLO 10-SHA 36.
Min 71: TRY! Replacement scrumhalf Stephen Varney finishes off a great score, and Adam Hastings converts! GLO 17-SHA 36!
Min 70: The Sharks make a host of changes, with the full front row going off, knowing the result is beyond doubt.
Min 61: TRY! Sharks strike right back! This time, it's Mapimpi with another 'you guessed it' conversion from the metronomic Siya Masuku! GLO 10-SHA 36.
Min 58: TRY! Gloucester gets over the line at long last, as substitute Albert Tuisue barges over from a maul, and Adam Hastings converts! GLO 10-SHA 29.
Min 54: TRY! The Sharks shred the Gloucester line! This time, it is Fassi, and Masuku converts! GLO 3-SHA 29.
Min 52: In an interesting turn of events, the Sharks are awarded a penalty, despite it appearing as though Gloucester fullback Santi Carreras was hit in the air. We all know the result by this stage! It is another shot from Sharks fly-half Siya Masuku, and he nails it from long range! GLO 3-SHA 22.
Min 50: PENLATY! Masuku again knocks one over and gets his team off to the perfect start in the second half. GLO 3-SHA 19.
Min 49: One side note, Gloucester replaced its full front row at halftime following a tough outing in the first half.
Min 47: A strong start from Gloucester here, but it almost all ends in tears, as the electric Grant Williams intercepts a Zach Mercer pass. He eventually is tracked down, and Gloucester survives with a superb turnover on its own line.
Min 41: We are back underway here in North London, as Gloucester kicks off. Immediately, winger Ollie Thorley chases hard and smashes Sharks backrow Vincent Tshituka. The Sharks win a penalty and clear their line, but a knock on sees Gloucester win an early scrumhalf, from which they kick and drive the Sharks back.
Min 40: Halftime! A truly strange half, which saw Gloucester make all of the plays, without any real return. The Sharks, on the other hand, were efficient and took their points when they were on off and, as such, held a comfortable 16-3 lead at the break.
Min 36: The black wall stands tall! Gloucester simply cannot get through the Shark's defensive line and is turned over once again.
Min 36: PENALTY! Masuku strikes again! GLO 3-SHA 16.
Min 30: PENALTY! Masuku strikes again! GLO 3-SHA 13.
Min 25: Boom! And Just like that, we have the first try of the night, as No. 8 Phepsi Buthelezi barges through multiple Gloucester defenders! Masuku converts! GLO 3-SHA 10.
Min 23: Second time lucky for Gloucester here! Following a missed penalty from fullback Santi Carreras, scrumhalf Caolan Englefeld steps up from 52 meters out and slots it! GLO 3-SHA 3.
A tidy line out steal from the @SharksRugby 👌#epcrchallengecup #GLOvSHA pic.twitter.com/YH6rHZkUy2
— FloRugby (@FloRugby) May 24, 2024
Min 14: Despite having nigh on no possession, the Sharks strike first through the highly impressive Siya Masuku, who slots an easy 3-pointer from the right-hand touchline. GLO 0-SHA 3.
Min 7: Yet another Gloucester penalty, and once again, they go to the corner. Following some slick interplay, Scotland international Chris Harris barges over! Did he get the ball down, or was he short? The TMO rules he was short, and it will be a Sharks scrum on their own 5-meter line.
Min 6: It is all Gloucester here early in the first half, as they go through the phases! Adding insult to injury, Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi gets sent to the bin for a high challenge on scrumhalf Caolan Englefield. It would appear that was a case of mistaken identity, as it definitely was Makazole Mapimpi and not Fassi who should have gone to the bin.
Min 3: The Sharks blitz the Gloucester maul and drive them into touch, before Bongi Mbonambi finds James Venter at the tail of the line-out. One phase, and the Sharks clear for touch.
Min 2: Gloucester fly-half Adam Hastings is taken high, and Gloucester wins a second penalty, which they duly kick to the corner. The Sharks collapse the maul, and Gloucester goes again to the corner.
Min 0: The Teams have taken to the pitch and we are moments from kick-off here at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium! The Gloucester fans have found their voice in what is a sea of red and white jerseys!
The @gloucesterrugby fans have travelled in numbers! #GLOvSHA #epcrchallengecup pic.twitter.com/R4CD7YMSOM
— Philip Bendon (@PBendon) May 24, 2024
Lineups
Gloucester Rugby
15 Santi Carreras, 14 Jonny May, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Caolan Englefield, 8 Zach Mercer, 7 Lewis Ludlow (c), 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 Arthur Clark, 4 Freddie Clarke, 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 Seb Blake, 1 Jamal Ford-Robinson
Replacements: 16 Santi Socino, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Kirill Gotovtsev, 19 Albert Tuisue, 20 Jack Clement, 21 Stephen Varney, 22 Max Llewellyn, 23 Josh Hathaway
Hollywoodbets Sharks
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Werner Kok, 13 Ethan Hooker, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Siya Masuku, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 James Venter, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Eben Etzebeth (c), 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Fez Mbatha, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Lappies Labuschagne, 20 Dylan Richardson, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Curwin Bosch, 23 Eduan Keyter
When Is The EPCR Challenge Cup 2024 Kickoff?
The Challenge Cup begins at 3 p.m. EST.
How To Watch the EPCR Challenge Cup 2024 Match Of Gloucester vs Sharks
The match is streaming live in the United States on FloRugby and the FloSports app. Both platforms will be home to match replays, highlights and more breaking news.
Where Are Last Year's Challenge Cup Final Teams?
In 2023, Toulon of the Top 14 league beat Glasgow Warriors at Aviva Stadium in Dublin 42-19 in the Challenge Cup. Both clubs qualified for the Investec Champions Cup this season. The Warriors qualified for the Knockout stage and lost in the Round of 16 to the Harlequins, 28-24.
Watch The 2023 EPCR Challenge Cup Final
How To Watch The Investec Champions Cup In The United States On FloRugby
Every game in the Investec Champions Cup is available on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States, including the final in May. Match archives, highlights and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
Where Is the Investec Champions Cup Final, EPCR Challenge Cup Final in 2025?
Cardiff, Wales takes over hosting duties for the EPCR's biggest weekend in 2025. Principality Stadium will host the two finals on a date yet to be announced. It'll be the first time since 2014 that Wales's capital has hosted the finals.
Cardiff has hosted the Champions Cup Final seven times and in the five times Principality Stadium has hosted the attendance has been above 68,000 fans.
How To Watch Rugby Matches In the United States On FloRugby
The Investec Champions Cup will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:
- Investec Champions Cup
- EPCR Challenge Cup
- United Rugby Championship
- Currie Cup
- Top 14
- Super Rugby
- And more
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.