Heineken Cup Launches in France

France have produced 10 of the 20 finalists in the first decade of European rugby's top competition, and French international and Bourgoin captain Julien Bonnaire set the tone when he declared his team's intent to qualify for the quarter-finals as a bare minimum.

"Last year we were disappointing because we did not have a big enough squad to make an impact but this time we want to reach at least the knockout stages," he said.

The launch, at Culture Biere on the Champs-Elysees was hosted by ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux, who said: "This competition simply gets bigger and better every year and I am sure we are in for another thrilling competition."

Joining Bonnaire were other stars from the French game, Nicolas Jeanjean (Toulouse), Aurelien Rougerie (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Kees Meeuws (Castres Olympique), Jerome Thion (Biarritz Olympique) and Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais Paris).