The European Cup, known widely as the Heineken Cup and in France as the H Cup, was the premier club competition in Europe. The competition was governed European Rugby Cup Ltd (ERC), but was launched in 1995 following an initiative from the Five Nations committee to increase the top-level competition at club-level.

Qualifying teams were drawn from the English Premiership, Celtic League, French Top 14 and Italian Super 10, although each league has a different qualifying system.

The 24 qualifying teams were placed into six Pools of four, before the six Pool winners and two best-placed runners-up contest the quarter-finals. Tournament rounds occurred throughout the domestic season between October and May. The final of the tournament was held in a different participating country each year.

In 2013 the English and french clubs signaled their intention of breaking away from the ERC-run competition leading to the establishment of the European Rugby Champions Cup which started in 2014-15.

Heineken Cup finals

Year Scores Venue
2012-13 Clermont Auvergne 15-16 Toulon Lansdowne Road, Dublin
2011-12 Leinster 42-14 Ulster Twickenham, London
2010-11 Leinster 33-22 Northampton Saints Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2009-10 Toulouse 21-19 Biarritz Stade de France, Paris
2008-09 Leinster 19-16 Leicester Murrayfield, Edinburgh
2007-08 Munster 16-13 Toulouse Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2006-07 London Wasps 25-9 Leicester Tigers Twickenham, London
2005-06 Munster 23-19 Biarritz Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2004-05 Toulouse 18-12 Stade Français Murrayfield, Edinburgh
2003-04 London Wasps 27-20 Toulouse Twickenham, London
2002-03 Toulouse 22-17 Perpignan Lansdowne Road, Dublin
2001-02 Leicester Tigers 15-9 Munster Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
2000-01 Leicester Tigers 34 - 30 Stade Français Parc des Princes, Paris
1999-00 Northampton Saints 9-8 Munster Twickenham, London
1998-99 Ulster 21-6 Colomiers Lansdowne Road, Dublin
1997-98 Bath 19-18 Brive Stade Lescure, Bordeaux
1996-97 Brive 28-9 Leicester Tigers Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
1995-96 Toulouse 21-18 a.e.t. Cardiff Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices