Newport Gwent Dragons face the daunting task of taking on champions Toulouse when the 16th season of Europe’s premier club rugby competition kicks off on the weekend of 8/9/10 October, 2010.
Toulouse were also grouped with London Wasps and Glasgow Warriors in Pool 6 while the Ospreys, the newly crowned Magners League champions and Tier 2 team, will be up against 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup Champions Munster, as well as London Irish and RC Toulon in Pool 3.
In today’s draw made in Cardiff – host city for the 2011 final to be played at the Millennium Stadium on the weekend of 21/22 May – also saw 2001 and 2002 Heineken Cup winners and reigning Guinness Premiership champions Leicester Tigers drawn to face the Scarlets, Perpignan and Benetton Treviso in Pool 5.
French Top 14 champions ASM Clermont Auvergne will face 2009 Heineken Cup winners Leinster, Guinness Premiership runners up Saracens and fellow French side Racing Metro 92.
The draw was again conducted using the merit-based ERC European Ranking system compiled on the qualified teams’ performances over the past four seasons in the Heineken Cup and knock-out stages of the Amlin Challenge Cup.
The 24 teams who have qualified for the 2010/11 competition were graded into four Tiers of six teams each with each of the six Pools having one team from each of the four Tier levels. French clubs ASM Clermont Auvergne and Racing-Metro 92 were drawn together in Pool 2 as France have seven teams in next season’s competition.
HEINEKEN CUP 2010/11 POOLS
- POOL 1: Cardiff Blues, Northampton Saints, Edinburgh, Castres Olympique
- POOL 2: Leinster, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Saracens, Racing Metro 92
- POOL 3: Munster, Ospreys, London Irish, RC Toulon
- POOL 4: Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque, Bath Rugby, Ulster, Aironi Rugby
- POOL 5: Leicester Tigers, Scarlets, Perpignan, Benetton Treviso
- POOL 6: Toulouse, London Wasps, Glasgow Warriors, Newport Gwent Dragons
