New Heineken Cup format for next season

Heineken Cup officials today announced that only six teams will be seeded in the draw for the 2005/6 competition.

The new format for the Europe’s showcase club event could see a number of teams from the same country play each other in the group stages.

The top six teams – the top seeds from six different countries – will be drawn in different groups but the remaining 18 teams will be drawn from the same pool.

European Rugby Cup (ERC) officials have scrapped the matrix system used in the past by in favour of an open draw.

An ERC statement read: “The Board of ERC believe an open draw will generate enormous additional excitement and understanding amongst all of ERC’s stakeholders, including the media and public.”

After the initial 22 places have been filled under the agreed country-by-country allocation, the 23rd place will go to a team from either England, France or Italy, dependent on which country has been the most successful in this season’s tournament.

The final place will go to the winner of a one-match play-off between the team nominated by the Celtic League who does not qualify by right for the cup and the third best placed Italian team in their domestic championship.