2001–02 European Challenge Cup
The 2001–02 European Challenge Cup (known as the Parker Pen Shield for sponsorship reasons) was the 6th season of the European Challenge Cup, Europe's second tier club rugby union competition below the Heineken Cup. A total of 32 teams participated, representing seven countries.
| 2001–02 Parker Pen Shield | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Countries | England France Ireland Italy Romania Spain Wales |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and Knockout |
| Date | 28 September 2001 - 26 May 2002 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Teams | 32 |
| Matches played | 103 |
| Attendance | 236,307 (2,294 per match) |
| Tries scored | 709 (6.88 per match) |
| Top point scorer(s) | Ludovic Mercier (Gloucester) (112 points) |
| Top try scorer(s) | Alexandre Bouyssie (Bordeaux-Bègles) Darragh O'Mahony (Saracens) (9 tries) |
| Final | |
| Venue | Kassam Stadium, Oxford |
| Attendance | 12,000 |
| Champions | Sale Sharks (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Pontypridd |
The pool stage began when Connacht hosted Narbonne on 28 September 2001 and ended with four matches on 13 January 2002. The knockout stages followed, culminating in the final at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford on 26 May 2002.
The defending champions, Englands's Harlequins, did not have a chance to defend their crown because they qualified to play in the Heineken Cup. Sale Sharks claimed a narrow victory over Pontypridd in the final and picked up their first piece of European Club silverware.