; ▁seed ing ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁performance ▁in ▁their ▁respective ▁domestic ▁le agues . ▁Where ▁promotion ▁and ▁re leg ation ▁is ▁in ▁effect ▁in ▁a ▁league , ▁the ▁promoted ▁team ▁was ▁seed ed ▁last , ▁or ▁( if ▁multiple ▁teams ▁are ▁promoted ) ▁by ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁competition . ▁ ▁Teams ▁will ▁be ▁taken ▁from ▁a ▁league ▁in ▁order ▁of ▁rank ▁and ▁put ▁into ▁a ▁tier . ▁A ▁draw ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁allocate ▁two ▁second ▁se eds ▁to ▁Tier ▁ 1 ; ▁the ▁remaining ▁team ▁went ▁into ▁Tier ▁ 2 . ▁This ▁allocation ▁indirect ly ▁determined ▁which ▁fourth - se eded ▁team ▁entered ▁Tier ▁ 2 , ▁while ▁the ▁others ▁entered ▁Tier ▁ 3 . ▁ ▁Given ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁Sh ield , ▁a ▁competition ▁including ▁developing ▁rugby ▁nations ▁and ▁Italian ▁clubs ▁not ▁compet ing ▁in ▁the ▁Pro 1 2 , ▁qual ifying ▁teams ▁are ▁automatically ▁included ▁in ▁Tier ▁ 4 , ▁and ▁are , ▁in ▁effect , ▁seed ed ▁equally ▁despite ▁officially ▁being ▁ranked ▁ 1 / 2 ▁from ▁that ▁competition . ▁ ▁The ▁brackets ▁show ▁each ▁team ' s ▁seed ing ▁and ▁their ▁league ▁( for ▁example , ▁ 1 ▁Top ▁ 1 4 ▁indicates ▁the ▁team ▁was ▁seed ed ▁ 1 st ▁from ▁the ▁Top ▁ 1 4 ). ▁ ▁Pool ▁stage ▁The ▁draw ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁ 8 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁in ▁Ne uch ât el , ▁Switzerland . ▁ ▁Teams ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁pool ▁play ▁each ▁other ▁twice , ▁both