Heineken Cup Rugby News

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2008/9 Heineken Cup Pools - Fixtures

Heineken Teams to feature in ECC quarters

The Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup tournaments from next season (2009/10) will see a number of format and qualification changes that are aimed at enhancing the profile and stature of European club rugby's two showpiece tournaments.
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Coaches pleased with Heineken Cup draw
2010 Heineken Cup Pools announced
Dragons seal Heineken Cup place
Dragons team for Heineken Cup qualification clash
Cockerill still proud after Leicester fell short
Rocky stars as Leinster knock Tigers out
O'Driscoll heaps on the Elsom praise
Murrayfield hailed after Heineken Cup final
Leinster beat Leicester for European Glory

More of the Latest News

Dragons team for Heineken Cup qualification clash

Thursday 28 May 2009

Hoani MacDonald and Ashley Smith both make their returns from injury to start for the Dragons side against Rugby Calvisano in Italy for the crucial Heineken Cup qualification match on Friday
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Cockerill still proud after Leicester fell short

Sunday 24 May 2009

Leicester coach Richard Cockerill refused to blame the demands of a lengthy season for the Tigers' failure to win a third European Cup title, saying they'd given their all.
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Rocky stars as Leinster knock Tigers out

Sunday 24 May 2009

Wallaby flanker Rocky Elsom admitted the thought of Leinster winning the European Cup had looked a long a way-off at one point after the Irish province's 19-16 final victory over Leicester.
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O'Driscoll heaps on the Elsom praise

Sunday 24 May 2009

Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll said Rocky Elsom was the best player he played with after the Australia flanker's man-of-the-match display Leinster's European Cup final win over Leicester.
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Murrayfield hailed after Heineken Cup final

Sunday 24 May 2009

The 14th Heineken Cup Final, staged at Murrayfield yesterday, was praised today as a tremendous spectacle which gave a multi-million pound boost to the local economy.
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Leinster beat Leicester for European Glory

Saturday 23 May 2009

Leinster won the Heineken Cup after beating Leicester Tigers 16-19 at Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh.
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Irish blip will give Leicester a European boost

Saturday 23 May 2009

Leicester star Dan Hipkiss believes his side's lacklustre display in the Premiership final will provide the perfect motivation to sweep aside Leinster in Saturday's European Cup final.
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Cheika tells Leinster to keep their cool

Friday 22 May 2009

Leinster head coach Michael Cheika has warned his players not to let their enthusiasm get the better of them in Saturday's European Cup final against Leicester.
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More Recent Headlines

Leinster beat Leicester for European Glory
Irish blip will give Leicester a European boost
Cheika tells Leinster to keep their cool
Heineken Cup final teams
Elsom key to Leinster's European Cup glory
Leinster call on their big guns for Leicester
Tigers in the 'Moody' for Heineken Cup glory
Paris to host 2010 Heineken Cup final
Leicester coach wants Heineken Cup Tigers bite
Owens to referee Heineken Cup final
Shanklin wants penalty shoot out rethink

Heineken Cup

The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from six International Rugby Board (IRB) nations in Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

Romania competed in the first year of the competition only.

The competition is organised by the European Rugby Cup, who are also responsible for the secondary championship, the European Challenge Cup.

It is one of the most prestigious trophies in the sport. The tournament was launched in the European summer of 1995 on the initiative of the then Five Nations committee to provide a new level of professional cross-border competition.

It is sponsored by Dutch brewing company Heineken International (it is known as H-Cup in France because of alcohol advertising restrictions).

Each European nation has a different qualifying system, though in total, 24 teams contest the pool stages in six pools of four.

According to performances, the number of clubs from each nation changes. The tournament is held from October to May, with various stages scheduled around domestic club competitions.

The 2007-08 tournament was won by Ireland's Munster, who beat Toulouse of France 16–13 in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Toulouse have been the most successful team, winning the competition three times. Leicester Tigers have won the tournament twice and are the only team to have won the tournament two years in succession.

Past Winners

2007/08: Munster
2006/07: Wasps
2005/06: Munster
2004/05: Toulouse
2003/04: Wasps
2002/03: Toulouse
2001/02: Leicester
2000/01: Leicester
1999/00: Northampton
1998/99: Ulster
1997/98: Bath
1996/97: Brive
1995/96: Toulouse

Source - Wikipedia