Sharks overpower Gloucester to win Challenge Cup

European Challenge Cup final

Gloucester (3) 22

Tries: Tuisue, Socino, Clarke Cons: Hastings 2 Pens: Englefield

Sharks (16) 36

Tries: Buthelezi, Fassi, Mapimpi Cons: Masuku 3 Pens: Masuku 5

Sharks have become the first South African side to win a European trophy as they outmuscled Gloucester 36-22 to claim the Challenge Cup title at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Fly-half Siya Masuku kicked 21 points for the Durban-based side as their Springbok-heavy forwards pack dominated across the 80 minutes.

Phepsi Buthelezi scored the only try of the first half, with Caolan Englefield kicking a sole penalty for Gloucester.

Aphelele Fassi and Makazole Mapimpi added two more tries after the break and while the Cherry and Whites tried to mount a comeback, with Albert Tuisue, Santiago Socino and Freddie Clarke crossing, it came too late.

Victory means the Sharks will play in the Champions Cup next season, while Gloucester missed out on the chance to add to their two title wins in 2009 and 2015 on their fifth appearance in the competition's final.

More to follow.

Gloucester: Carreras; May, Harris, Atkinson, Thorley; Hastings, Englefield; Ford-Robinson, Blake, Balmain; Clarke, Clark; Ackermann, Ludlow (c), Mercer.

Replacements: Socino, Vivas, Gotovtsev, Tuisue, Clement, Varney, Llewellyn, Hathaway.

Sharks: Fassi; Kok, Hooker, Venter, Mapimpi; Masuku, Williams; Nche, Mbonambi, Koch; Etzebeth (c), Grobler; Venter, Tshituka, Buthelezi.

Replacements: Mbatha, Mchunu, Jacobs, Labuschagne, Richardson, Wright, Bosch, Keyter.

Sin bin: Fassi (6 mins)

Referee: Mathieu Raynal