Munster are champions - and No 1

4 June 2008, 5:42 pm

Munster will be first out of the hat when the draw for the make-up of the six Pools of four teams is made in june for the 14th Heineken Cup tournament.

The 2008 Heineken Cup champions, crowned kings of Europe for the second time after beating Toulouse 16-13 in a pulsating final at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday 24 May are No 1 seeds in the new ERC European Ranking system.

As Heineken Cup winners they automatically go into Tier 1 under the merit based ranking structure but they are at No 1 by virtue of their performances over the last four seasons, Paul O'Connell's team having earned 31 ranking points with treble champions Toulouse next best on 28 points.

It means the four teams who have now won European club rugby's most coveted trophy twice - Munster, Toulouse, Leicester Tigers and London Wasps - along with two-times finalists Stade Français Paris and Biarritz Olympique have all booked their places in next season's Heineken Cup and will take up the six of the six Tier 1 positions.

Under the new ERC European Ranking system and for the purposes of the Pools draw, the 24 teams that qualify for the tournament will be divided into four Tiers of six teams each based on their European performances over the past four seasons. The teams from each Tier level will be kept apart in the Pools.

Bath Rugby's 24-16 victory over Worcester Warriors in the European Challenge Cup 2008 final at Kingsholm, Gloucester, last Sunday (25 May) ended Worcester's hopes of immediate Heineken Cup rugby and meant Harlequins qualified as the sixth and final English club and the 18th team overall from the six competing nations.

Still in the balance for the qualification are two French places, as ASM Clermont Auvergne, Toulouse, Stade Français Paris, Perpignan and Biarritz Olympique are all safely through.

HEINEKEN CUP QUALIFIERS 2008 / 2009 (positions may change following final confirmation of quailifiers)

Munster
Toulouse
Biarritz Olympique
Leicester Tigers
Stade Français Paris
London Wasps
Leinster
Bath Rugby
Gloucester Rugby
Perpignan
Sale Sharks
Llanelli Scarlets
Ospreys
Cardiff Blues
ASM Clermont Auvergne
Newport Gwent Dragons
Ulster Rugby
Glasgow Warriors
Benetton Trevisio
Edinburgh
Calvisano
Harlequins