The new era of European rugby competition began in Neuchâtel, Switzerland today with the draws for next season’s inaugural Rugby Champions Cup and Rugby Challenge Cup. The competitions replace the now defunct Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup and are run by a new organising committee called European Professional Club Rugby. EPCR aims to create tournaments that are more profitable, more competitive and based more on meritocracy (i.e. domestic league standings). Based on the pools that have been drawn today, the new body seems to have at least achieved increased competition. Each of the five groups could, in any other competition, be described as ‘the pool of death’. Following months of argument, negotiation and (finally) resolution, it will be the hope of all parties that the new European tournaments flourish. Both tournaments will begin this autumn.
The result of the draws, conducted by former players Simon Shaw and Scott Quinnell, were as follows:
Pool One – Saracens, Munster, Clermont Auvergne, Sale Sharks
Pool Two – Leinster, Castres, Harlequins, London Wasps
Pool Three – Toulon, Leicester Tigers, Ulster, Scarlets
Pool Four – Glasgow Warriors, Montpellier, Bath, Toulouse
Pool Five – Northampton Saints, Racing Metro, Ospreys, Treviso
Pool One – Cardiff Blues, London Irish, Grenoble, FIRA 1 Qualifier
Pool Two – Exeter Chiefs, Bayonne, Connacht, La Rochelle
Pool Three – Stade Francais, Newport Gwent Dragons, Newcastle Falcons, FIRA 2 Qualifier
Pool Four – Edinburgh, Bordeaux Begles, London Welsh, Lyon
Pool Five – Gloucester, Brive, Zebre, Oyonnax
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