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Heineken Cup draw announced next week

9th June 2005


The Blues will learn who they will face next season when the draw for the 2005/2006 Heineken Cup is made next week.

ERC Chairman Jean-Pierre Lux and ERC Chief Executive Derek McGrath will conduct the draw which will decide the make up of the six Pools of four teams each for European club rugby's premier competition.

The 24 top club rugby teams in Europe will all know the road they need to take to the 11th Heineken Cup final at the Millennium Stadium, when the tournament draw takes place at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay.

DRAW FORMAT
Under the draw the six top seeds from the six nations - the French No 1 club will be settled when Biarritz Olympique and Stade Français Paris clash in the French Championship final at Stade de France on Saturday, 11 June - will be kept apart at the head of the six Pools.

London Wasps (England), Munster (Ireland), Rugby Calvisano (Italy), Glasgow Rugby (Scotland) and the Ospreys (Wales) are the five confirmed top seeds.

No two teams from the same country will be drawn in the same Pool except for the seventh French club, Clermont Auvergne, who could face any of their six domestic rivals.


HEINEKEN CUP 2005 / 2006 QUALIFIERS
FRANCE
1) or 2) Biarritz Olympique (to be decided 11 June)
1) or 2) Stade Francais Paris (to be decided 11 June)
3) Toulouse
4) Bourgoin
5) Perpignan
6) Castres Olympique
7) Clermont Auvergne

ENGLAND
1) London Wasps
2) Leicester Tigers
3) Sale Sharks
4) Bath Rugby
5) Saracens
6) Leeds Tykes

WALES
1) Ospreys
2) Newport Gwent Dragons
3) Llanelli Scarlets
4) Cardiff Blues

IRELAND
1) Munster
2) Leinster
3) Ulster

SCOTLAND
1) Glasgow Rugby
2) Edinburgh Rugby

ITALY
1) Rugby Calvisano
2) Benetton Treviso