Newcastle wait on euro spot

Premiership rivals Bristol or Newcastle will fill the final place in next season’s 24-team Heineken Cup competition.

Bristol can become the sixth English qualifier by beating Zurich Championship semi-final opponents Northampton on Saturday.

That would take Dean Ryan’s team into the June 8 play-off final - enough to secure a Heineken Cup spot.

But if Northampton, who are already in Europe next term, defeat Bristol, then sixth-placed Premiership finishers Newcastle would take the final English berth.

Four tournament debutants are already guaranteed when Leicester begin their bid for a hat-trick of European crowns next October.

Premiership pair Sale and London Irish qualified via the league, although Sale would also have made it courtesy of winning last weekend’s Parker Pen European Shield final.

French club Beziers are also in for the first time, together with new Italian champions Viadana, while three other teams - Gloucester, Neath and Bourgoin - are back among the elite after missing out last term.

The tournament, whose qualifying rounds comprise six groups of four teams playing each other on a home and away basis, kicks off on October 12.

The group stage will be completed in mid-January, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals in April and the 2003 Heineken Cup final scheduled for May 24.

Heineken Cup 2002/03 qualifiers -

England (6): Leicester, Sale, Gloucester, London Irish, Northampton, Bristol or Newcastle.

France (6): Biarritz, Perpignan, Toulouse, Montferrand, Bourgoin, Beziers.

Wales (5): Llanelli, Newport, Neath, Cardiff, Swansea.

Ireland (3): Leinster, Ulster, Munster.

Scotland (2): Edinburgh, Glasgow.

Italy (2), Calvisano, Viadana.