The Ospreys were drawn in Pool 2 of the 2018/19 Challenge Cup alongside Pau, Worcester Warriors and Stade Francais – here’s our handy fact guide to our opponents…
Pau
Full name: Section Paloise Béarn Pyrénées
Where: On the northern edge of the Pyrenees and capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Département in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the city of Pau is located 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean and 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Spain
Founded: 1902
Home venue: Stade du Hameau (Capacity: 18,324)
Coach: Simon Mannix
Last season: Lost to Cardiff Blues in Challenge semi-final in Challenge Cup after topping pool unbeaten and defeating Stade Francais in the last eight
Pedigree: 3 times French Premiership champions (1928, 1946 and 1964), Pau have twice reached the Challenge Cup Final, defeating Castres 34-21 to win the silverware in 2000 then losing 27-3 to Sale Sharks five years later
Head-to-head: This will be the first time that the Ospreys and Pau have met
Worcester Warriors
Full name: Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club
Where: Located on the banks of the River Severn, Worcester is just 120 miles from the Liberty Stadium
Founded: 1871
Home venue: Sixways Stadium (Capacity: 11,499)
Coach: Alan Solomons
Last season: Bowed out in the pool stage, finishing third behind Connacht and Brive, but ahead of Oyonnax
Pedigree: Runners-up in the 2008 final, losing 24-16 to Bath, Worcester were also semi-finalists in 2006 and 2009, failing to progress past the pool stage in the last nine years
Head-to-head: The sides have met three times in competitive fixtures, all in the Anglo Welsh Cup, with the Ospreys winning two and losing one. The most recent fixture saw Worcester come out on top in the snow at Sixways in a game that finished 24-14 in February 2012
Played for both: Tevita Cavubati, Matt Jones, Sam Lewis, Josh Matavesi, Joe Rees, Ed Shervington, Jonathan Thomas, Nikki Walker and Andy Williams. Ashley Beck will line up in a Warriors shirt in 2018/19
Stade Francais
Full name: Stade Francais Paris
Where: Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, with an area of 105 square kilometres (41 square miles) and a population of 2,206,488
Founded: 1883
Home venue: Stade Jean-Bouin (Capacity: 20,000)
Coach: Heyneke Meyer
Last season: Defeated 35-32 by Pau in Challenge Cup quarter-final after pipping London Irish to the final runners-up spot in the last eight
Pedigree: French champions on 14 separate occasions, most recently 2015. Runners-up in the Heineken Cup in 2001 and 2005, and in the Challenge Cup in 2011 and 2013, they eventually won European silverware in this competition two years ago, defeating the Ospreys in the last eight before defeat in Bath and Gloucester in the semi and final.
Head-to-head: The sides have played five times in European action, the Ospreys with a win and a draw at the Liberty Stadium to Stade’s two wins in the reverse fixtures in the Heineken Cup, prior to the Challenge Cup knock-out win for the French in 2017
2018/19 Challenge Cup pools
Pool 1: Northampton Saints, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Dragons, Timisoara Saracens
Pool 2: Pau, Ospreys, Worcester Warriors, Stade Français Paris
Pool 3: Sale Sharks, Connacht Rugby, Bordeaux-Bègles, Perpignan
Pool 4: La Rochelle, Zebre Rugby Club, Bristol Bears, Enisei-STM
Pool 5: Benetton Rugby, Harlequins, Agen, Grenoble
EPCR weekends – 2018/19 season
Round 1: 12/13/14 October
Round 2: 19/20/21 October
Round 3: 7/8/9 December
Round 4: 14/15/16 December
Round 5: 11/12/13 January 2019
Round 6: 18/19/20 January 2019
Quarter-finals: 29/30/31 March 2019
Semi-finals: 19/20/21 April 2019
2019 Newcastle Finals
Challenge Cup final: Friday 10 May, St James’ Park
Heineken Champions Cup final: Saturday 11 May, St James’ Park