The Heineken Cup sponsored by Heineken (known as the H Cup in France due to alcohol advertising laws) is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from England, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Italy.
It began in 1995-96 with a dozen sides representing Ireland, Wales, Italy, Romania (though Romanian teams no longer take part) and France. English and Scottish teams did not compete until 1996-7 as they were already commited to their domestic schedules. From an inauspicious beginning in Romania, where Toulouse thrashed Farul Constanta 54-10 in front of a small crowd, the competition gathered momentum and crowds grew. Toulouse went on to become the first European rugby champions.
Brive won the next tournament and reached the final again in 1997-98 but were beaten late in the game by Bath with a penalty kick. However English clubs had decided to withdraw from the competition.
The 1998-99 tournament revolved around the Celtic fringes, France and Italy. For the fourth consecutive year a French club, in the shape of Colomiers from the Toulouse suburbs, reached the final. But it was Ulster playing at Lansdowne Road, Dublin who carried home the trophy after a 21-6 win.
English clubs returned in 1999 and the tournament really took off. The pool stages were spread over three months to allow the competition to develop alongside the nations’ own domestic competitions, and the knockout stages were scheduled to take the tournament into the early spring.
Since then the tournament has gone from strength to strength with Leicester Tigers becoming the first side to succesfully defend their title in 2001 and 2002. Toulouse's victory over French rivals Perpignan in 2003 mean that they joined the Tigers as the only teams to win the title twice.
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Places in the Heineken Cup are allocated to the six competing nations on the following basis:
5 France, England
4 Wales
2 Ireland, Scotland and Italy
The remaining four places in the 24 team tournament are allocated on a meritocracy basis. No country can earn more than one meritocracy place and the extra places are based on performance by the clubs from each country. Nations who have a team that reaches the semi-finals are guaranteed an extra place the following season. If a country has more than one team in the semi-finals, then the criteria is based on quarter-final places and then Pool results.
Each nation sets its own criteria for qualification for the Heineken Cup. Clubs that do not qualify for the Heineken Cup can enter the European Rugby Shield.
POOL 1: London Wasps, Calvisano, Biarritz Olympique, Leicester Tigers.
POOL 2: Benetton Treviso, Leinster, Bath Rugby, Bourgoin.
POOL 3: Llanelli Scarlets, Glasgow Rugby, Northampton Saints, Toulouse.
POOL 4: Munster, Neath-Swansea Ospreys, Castres Olympique, Harlequins.
POOL 5: Edinburgh Rugby, Perpignan, Newport Gwent Dragons, Newcastle Falcons.
POOL 6: Stade Francais Paris, Ulster, Cardiff Blues, Gloucester.
(See also 2004/2005 Heineken Cup entry.)
Six pools of four teams play both home and away games. Four points are awarded for a win and two points for a draw.
A bonus point is awarded for a loss by seven points or fewer, or for scoring four tries or more.
The six Pool winners (ranked 1-6 by number of points scored) and two best placed runners-up (ranked 7 and 8) will qualify for the Quarter-Finals.
Teams ranked 1-4 will have home advantage. The Quarter-Finals will be Team 1 v Team 8 Team 2 v Team 7 Team 3 v Team 6 Team 4 v Team 5
All matches are played at neutral venues. Each of the two semi-final venues will be in the country of the first team out of the hat when the draw is made (eg Northampton v Llanelli was played at Reading, Toulouse v Munster was played in Bordeaux)
| Ranking | Club | Times won |
|---|---|---|
| 1= | Leicester Tigers | 2 |
| 1= | Toulouse | 2 |
| 3= | Bath | 1 |
| 3= | Brive | 1 |
| 3= | Northampton Saints | 1 |
| 3= | Ulster | 1 |
| 3= | Wasps | 1 |
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Competitons |
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Heineken Cup Results |