See main article: 2010–11 Amlin Challenge Cup. The 2010–11 Amlin Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the 15th season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. It began on 7 October 2010 at Kingston Park in Newcastle with a match between Newcastle Falcons and Bourgoin, and was completed on 23 January 2011.
Twenty teams are participating in this competition; they are divided into five pools of four teams each, with each team playing the others home and away. Competition points are earned using the standard bonus point system. The pool winners advanced to the knockout stage, where they were joined by three entrants from the Heineken Cup pool stage. These teams then competed in a single-elimination tournament that ended with the final on 20 May 2011 in Cardiff at Cardiff City Stadium.
All times are local to the game location.
| Winner of each pool advances to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses. |
| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlequins (4) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 6 | +15 | 189 | 84 | +105 | 3 | 1 | 24 | |
| Connacht | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 8 | +11 | 173 | 99 | +74 | 1 | 2 | 15 | |
 Bayonne | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 12 | +7 | 163 | 116 | +47 | 2 | 1 | 15 | |
 Cavalieri Prato | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 41 | −33 | 77 | 303 | −226 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brive (2) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 3 | +31 | 257 | 54 | +203 | 3 | 0 | 27 | |
| Sale Sharks | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 4 | +35 | 279 | 58 | +221 | 4 | 1 | 21 | |
| 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 26 | −16 | 88 | 213 | −125 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
 El Salvador | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 56 | −50 | 69 | 368 | −299 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
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| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montpellier (8) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 147 | 101 | +46 | 1 | 0 | 21 | |
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 10 | +6 | 154 | 113 | +41 | 1 | 6 | 16 | ||
| Bourgoin | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 12 | −2 | 119 | 130 | −11 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |
| Newcastle Falcons | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 66 | 142 | −76 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
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| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stade Français (1) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 7 | +22 | 216 | 73 | +143 | 5 | 0 | 29 | |
| 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 6 | +18 | 173 | 88 | +85 | 3 | 0 | 19 | ||
| București Oaks | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 17 | −13 | 74 | 148 | −54 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |
| Crociati Parma | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 30 | −27 | 70 | 224 | −137 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
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| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Rochelle (3) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 10 | +16 | 197 | 91 | +106 | 3 | 1 | 24 | |
| Gloucester | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 7 | +28 | 255 | 77 | +178 | 3 | 2 | 21 | |
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 18 | +3 | 167 | 158 | +9 | 2 | 1 | 15 | ||
| Rugby Rovigo | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 53 | −47 | 55 | 348 | −293 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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