European cup rugby was first played in season 1995/96 and with the final being played at the National Stadium, Cardiff Arms Park. Cardiff reached the final through drawing 14-14 with Bègles-Bordeaux away and then thrashing Ulster 46-6 at the Arms Park in the pool stages before beating Leinster away 32-14 in the semi-final.
After a titanic struggle, Toulouse won the match 21–18 after extra time. They took the lead with two tries in the first 10 minutes, but the kicking of Adrian Davies kept Cardiff level. With the scores at 15–12 as the clock ticked past 80 minutes, Davies stepped up again and slotted over a penalty to take the game to extra time. Christophe Deylaud restored Toulouse's lead with another penalty shortly after the game restarted before Davies tied the scores up again. Then, going into the final few seconds of extra time, the referee controversially penalised Cardiff for using hands in the ruck; Deylaud slotted the resulting penalty to seal Toulouse's victory.
Cardiff came close to reaching the senior final again in season 2008/09 after being unbeaten in the pool stages and then defeating Toulouse in the quarter-final. But they lost the semi-final to Leicester on penalties after the scores were tied 26-all after extra time. Amidst general dissatisfaction to a farcical ending to what had been a great game, the competition rules were changed for the following season, meaning that this was the only ever European game to be settled on penalties.
Cardiff then became the first Welsh side to lift a European trophy after overcoming Toulon 28-21 in the Amlin Challenge Cup final in Marseille in May 2010. Dai Young's men silenced a partisan crowd inside the Stade Velodrome to claim victory with a heroic display. Sonny Bill Williams had earlier struck to give Toulon a 13-5 lead at the break, however Cardiff rallied superbly thereafter, with Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny and Bradley Davies all running in second half tries and Ben Blair contributing ten points with the boot to ensure victory.
This success was repeated in 2018, when Cardiff were crowned European Challenge Cup winners again after beating Gloucester 31-30 in at thrilling final in Bilboa. Down 20-6 at the break, Cardiff clawed their way back into the game through tries by Tomos Williams, Garyn Smith and Blane Scully while Jarrod Evans kicked thirteen points. A late Gareth Anscombe touch-line penalty saw them become champions.
After a titanic struggle, Toulouse won the match 21–18 after extra time. They took the lead with two tries in the first 10 minutes, but the kicking of Adrian Davies kept Cardiff level. With the scores at 15–12 as the clock ticked past 80 minutes, Davies stepped up again and slotted over a penalty to take the game to extra time. Christophe Deylaud restored Toulouse's lead with another penalty shortly after the game restarted before Davies tied the scores up again. Then, going into the final few seconds of extra time, the referee controversially penalised Cardiff for using hands in the ruck; Deylaud slotted the resulting penalty to seal Toulouse's victory.
Cardiff came close to reaching the senior final again in season 2008/09 after being unbeaten in the pool stages and then defeating Toulouse in the quarter-final. But they lost the semi-final to Leicester on penalties after the scores were tied 26-all after extra time. Amidst general dissatisfaction to a farcical ending to what had been a great game, the competition rules were changed for the following season, meaning that this was the only ever European game to be settled on penalties.
Cardiff then became the first Welsh side to lift a European trophy after overcoming Toulon 28-21 in the Amlin Challenge Cup final in Marseille in May 2010. Dai Young's men silenced a partisan crowd inside the Stade Velodrome to claim victory with a heroic display. Sonny Bill Williams had earlier struck to give Toulon a 13-5 lead at the break, however Cardiff rallied superbly thereafter, with Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny and Bradley Davies all running in second half tries and Ben Blair contributing ten points with the boot to ensure victory.
This success was repeated in 2018, when Cardiff were crowned European Challenge Cup winners again after beating Gloucester 31-30 in at thrilling final in Bilboa. Down 20-6 at the break, Cardiff clawed their way back into the game through tries by Tomos Williams, Garyn Smith and Blane Scully while Jarrod Evans kicked thirteen points. A late Gareth Anscombe touch-line penalty saw them become champions.