Heineken Cup Rugby 2009/2010

The Heineken Cup (officially The European Rugby Cup), was launched in 1995 as a professional International Competition, which has attracted a huge following in both the North and South of our world.

Under the auspices of the International Rugby board, this annual competition has 24 teams from six nations; Ireland, Italy, Wales, England, France and Scotland, and runs from October through to May. According to performances, the number of clubs from each nation may change, but 24 teams play the pool stages, which is split into six pools of four, and each team play will play on a< home and away basis. The points system is the same are as follows:-

1. 4 for a win
2. 2 for a draw
3. 1 bonus point for scoring 4 or more tries or if the loosing
   side is within 7 points of the winning team,per game.

The six pool winners and two best placed runners up qualify for the quarter finals. Ranking is done by points scored, so teams are always striving not only for wins but bonus points as well, which makes for exciting and entertaining rugby. If one looks at the attendance figures at games through the years you can see how this competition has grabbed the attention of the public - Attendance at the 1996 final - 21800, and the attendance at the 2008 finals - 74,417.

The top 8 sides out of the 24 sides in the the competition are;-

1. Toulouse (France)
2. Brive (France)
3. Munster (Ireland)
4. Ulster (Ireland)
5. Leicester (England)
6. London Wasps (England)
7. Bath (England)
8. Northampton Saints (England)

Toulouse having won the competition 3 times and been runners up twice. The current cup holders are Munster.

This competition is of such a high standard that it attracts international stars from the Southern Hemispheres national sides as well as players from the Super 14 league. The IRB has restricted clubs to fielding a maximum of two 'foreign' players in any one game.