Connacht can celebrate their return to Champions Cup Rugby next season.
Although in the top eight of the URC, their promotion to the top European tier was under threat by Ulster, who, if winners of the Challenge Cup, would have taken their place.
However, Ulster fell short against Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final, losing 59-26 in Bilbao, ensuring Stuart Lancaster’s men take the URC’s last place in the Champions Cup next season.
Ulster, who had finished their URC season in ninth spot - two points behind Connacht - had one last hope to qualify instead of Connacht. However, they fell well short, with the French side claiming their third Challenge Cup crown.
In the end it was a chastening defeat in Bilbao for Ulster, who not only failed to claim a European cup spot, also lost their place in the BKT URC top eight, relegating them to Challenge Cup action again next season.
It was an emphatic victory for the French side, who ran in nine tries to end Ulster’s hopes of claiming silverware for the first time in 20 years.
However, Connacht can celebrate their seasonal achievement, despite it coming at the expense of a fellow Irish club. Having made significant progress this season under Stuart Lancaster, they now return to the top European competition for the first time since 2016/17.
Since 1995/96 Connacht has spent most seasons in the lower European tier competition, making the semi-finals on two successive occasions in 2003 and 2004 before making Champions Cup rugby for three seasons, having also won the PRO12 in 2015/16 under New Zealander Pat Lam. However, they have never made the knock-out stages of the Champions Cup, which will be another big challenge this season for Lancaster’s men.
